BIRDS OF AGRICOLA
Our naturally raised, pastured heritage chickens provide us with both eggs and meat.
Our poded ducks are both skilled working staff at a local rice farm and provide us with delicate meat for a little bt of variety in our meat diet.
Our poded ducks are both skilled working staff at a local rice farm and provide us with delicate meat for a little bt of variety in our meat diet.
EGGS
Our flocks of hens born and raised at the farm provide eggs that we sell in our farmstand (March till November) and that we use for the pasta we serve during our dinners.
Our flocks of hens born and raised at the farm provide eggs that we sell in our farmstand (March till November) and that we use for the pasta we serve during our dinners.
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CHICKENS - MEAT BIRDS
We are extremely proud of our meat birds. It is very rare to find heritage, non-GMO meat birds on the market. Even small family farms often do not raise heritage meat birds. Most farmers purchase the cornish cross or the french ranger birds, which are genetically modified to grow from egg to 4 Lbs in 5 weeks. Normal chickens take 5 months to reach maturity.
We learned on our own skin that there are several GOOD reasons why farmers do not use heritage chickens. The main reason is that you need to rebuild the genetics behind your flock. You cannot rely on commercial hatcheries that sell you day-old chicks sent via mail because these hatcheries have abandoned selecting the heritage birds for their meaty carcasses since most farmers have moved to select the GMO breeds. Thus, even heritage breeds that our great grandfathers used for meat have become tiny birds with small carcasses. The first year we tried they toke 5 months to grow to 1- 2 Lbs of weight (including bones). Also, the carcasses were so small that it was hard to process them and the meat, even if delicious, was too little to bother. Therefore, we embarked in a genetic journey that lasted 6 generations (bird-generations - equal to a total of 3.5 years of work). We have been selecting the largest hens and the largest roosters and carefully collected their eggs to then hatch the next generation, and so on and so forth.
At generation 6th... Tacco emerged. Tacco stands for "tacchino" (italian for turkey) because... he was a massive rooster standing about 8 Lbs tall (but with a gentle soul). Tacco was a mix between a Jersey Giant and a Java and... by mistake... a bit of a Silky White genes. What can I say... Marshamello - a Silky White rooster, found a way inside the breading pen one day and ... a month later... our genetics were modified, but it was too late to start again so we kept the Silky in the genetics. Fortunately, Marshamello was a HUGE rooster who was excellent at foraging and hunting and definitely had a way with the girls (all good qualities in a rooster). I have no idea how Marshamello arrived at the farm, I believe someone dropped him off (it happens a lot with roosters) so we just feel it was meant to be. Eva (Ale's daughter) named him Marshamello because he was all white, but Silky Whites have black meat and black skin (it is a melatonin characteristics). So the meat in our birds tends to be a natural darker color.
Our chickens now vary between 3 and 6 Lbs and we raise about 100 to 200 a year. I suggest you make a reservation because they go quickly! The first time I tried our chicken my reaction was "THIS is chicken..." almost like meeting a long lost flavor that my body knew it existed even if I never tried it before. Tell us your impression of our chicken! Did you have the same reaction? Do you taste the difference? Any other difference compared to commercial or to regular white chicken? Another thing that you should be aware is that our chickens have black feathers. Even when you pluck a chicken very carefully, some stubs remain in the skin. If you have white chickens the stubs are not visible, but with colorful chickens the stubs are quite obvious. Consumers started responding negatively to these details and that is why now we have mostly white birds on the market; but how boring is to have only white birds in the fields?? Next time you see a little black or red dot on your chicken, know you are supporting a world full of color and diversity.
One more cool thing about our chickens: They are sturdy, athletic and fearless birds! I love them! Our chickens roost on top of 15 feet high trees, where foxes cannot get them. If a owl threatens the flock, the roosters will run from all directions to protect their girl (I saw them fighting an owl off and saving a hen - they are tough!). And of course they are awesome foragers and hunters. In the summer months they cannot be bothered with the grains we give them, there are too many berries, fruits, legumes and herbs around to pick from. The bagged feed is boring to them. One claim we cannot make is that our chicken had a vegetarian diet. Our chickens hunt, and they do it well! They hunt frogs, moles and even snakes. They are quite suave too. There is nothing more moving than seeing a hen leaping in mid air to snatch a grasshopper or a dragonfly. She defeats gravity and all her awkwardness on land vanishes for a second. She. is. beautiful. Okay one last thing (I have a hard time stop talking about our birds... it is a recognized problem), some of you reading this may not like this but... they have great personalities. For example, a few years ago, at night a group of them figured out how to make a nest in the bush right outside our dining room window. Most of the chickens are locked up in their coop for safety reasons but... you try at dusk to retrieve those that roost 15 feet up high on top of a tree... so... once all the humans are locked into their glowing human globe, the chickens come and peak at the window while we have dinner. At times, they knock at the window (maybe they are expressing an opinion on something we did?). In the evenings, when we are able to finish farming earlier than dusk, the best entertainment at the farm is chicken football. Grab few pieces of cold leftover pasta, sit on a chair under the apple tree then toss one noodle and see the entire flock running to pick up the noodle, running after the chicken that got the noodle, trying to tackle and escape. I bet this is how the first idea for football came up! People inevitably ask me how I can harvest them if I like them so much. I don't know how ... but I can. I can care for them, enjoy them, respect them and give them all I got to keep them safe and happy while they are under my watch and then I can let go of them. One thing I do promise them though is that they will not be wasted so I do hope our chicken become an important part of a dinner memory you are sharing with family and loved ones. Knowing that our chicken has a key role in an important moment in your life is what makes it possible for me to continue to raise and care for these wonderful animals. Buon Appetito.
We learned on our own skin that there are several GOOD reasons why farmers do not use heritage chickens. The main reason is that you need to rebuild the genetics behind your flock. You cannot rely on commercial hatcheries that sell you day-old chicks sent via mail because these hatcheries have abandoned selecting the heritage birds for their meaty carcasses since most farmers have moved to select the GMO breeds. Thus, even heritage breeds that our great grandfathers used for meat have become tiny birds with small carcasses. The first year we tried they toke 5 months to grow to 1- 2 Lbs of weight (including bones). Also, the carcasses were so small that it was hard to process them and the meat, even if delicious, was too little to bother. Therefore, we embarked in a genetic journey that lasted 6 generations (bird-generations - equal to a total of 3.5 years of work). We have been selecting the largest hens and the largest roosters and carefully collected their eggs to then hatch the next generation, and so on and so forth.
At generation 6th... Tacco emerged. Tacco stands for "tacchino" (italian for turkey) because... he was a massive rooster standing about 8 Lbs tall (but with a gentle soul). Tacco was a mix between a Jersey Giant and a Java and... by mistake... a bit of a Silky White genes. What can I say... Marshamello - a Silky White rooster, found a way inside the breading pen one day and ... a month later... our genetics were modified, but it was too late to start again so we kept the Silky in the genetics. Fortunately, Marshamello was a HUGE rooster who was excellent at foraging and hunting and definitely had a way with the girls (all good qualities in a rooster). I have no idea how Marshamello arrived at the farm, I believe someone dropped him off (it happens a lot with roosters) so we just feel it was meant to be. Eva (Ale's daughter) named him Marshamello because he was all white, but Silky Whites have black meat and black skin (it is a melatonin characteristics). So the meat in our birds tends to be a natural darker color.
Our chickens now vary between 3 and 6 Lbs and we raise about 100 to 200 a year. I suggest you make a reservation because they go quickly! The first time I tried our chicken my reaction was "THIS is chicken..." almost like meeting a long lost flavor that my body knew it existed even if I never tried it before. Tell us your impression of our chicken! Did you have the same reaction? Do you taste the difference? Any other difference compared to commercial or to regular white chicken? Another thing that you should be aware is that our chickens have black feathers. Even when you pluck a chicken very carefully, some stubs remain in the skin. If you have white chickens the stubs are not visible, but with colorful chickens the stubs are quite obvious. Consumers started responding negatively to these details and that is why now we have mostly white birds on the market; but how boring is to have only white birds in the fields?? Next time you see a little black or red dot on your chicken, know you are supporting a world full of color and diversity.
One more cool thing about our chickens: They are sturdy, athletic and fearless birds! I love them! Our chickens roost on top of 15 feet high trees, where foxes cannot get them. If a owl threatens the flock, the roosters will run from all directions to protect their girl (I saw them fighting an owl off and saving a hen - they are tough!). And of course they are awesome foragers and hunters. In the summer months they cannot be bothered with the grains we give them, there are too many berries, fruits, legumes and herbs around to pick from. The bagged feed is boring to them. One claim we cannot make is that our chicken had a vegetarian diet. Our chickens hunt, and they do it well! They hunt frogs, moles and even snakes. They are quite suave too. There is nothing more moving than seeing a hen leaping in mid air to snatch a grasshopper or a dragonfly. She defeats gravity and all her awkwardness on land vanishes for a second. She. is. beautiful. Okay one last thing (I have a hard time stop talking about our birds... it is a recognized problem), some of you reading this may not like this but... they have great personalities. For example, a few years ago, at night a group of them figured out how to make a nest in the bush right outside our dining room window. Most of the chickens are locked up in their coop for safety reasons but... you try at dusk to retrieve those that roost 15 feet up high on top of a tree... so... once all the humans are locked into their glowing human globe, the chickens come and peak at the window while we have dinner. At times, they knock at the window (maybe they are expressing an opinion on something we did?). In the evenings, when we are able to finish farming earlier than dusk, the best entertainment at the farm is chicken football. Grab few pieces of cold leftover pasta, sit on a chair under the apple tree then toss one noodle and see the entire flock running to pick up the noodle, running after the chicken that got the noodle, trying to tackle and escape. I bet this is how the first idea for football came up! People inevitably ask me how I can harvest them if I like them so much. I don't know how ... but I can. I can care for them, enjoy them, respect them and give them all I got to keep them safe and happy while they are under my watch and then I can let go of them. One thing I do promise them though is that they will not be wasted so I do hope our chicken become an important part of a dinner memory you are sharing with family and loved ones. Knowing that our chicken has a key role in an important moment in your life is what makes it possible for me to continue to raise and care for these wonderful animals. Buon Appetito.
DUCKS - and why do we have ducks?
Ducks are absolutely adorable to hatch. Their little feet are irresistible but, as they grow up, their manure, their feed needs and overall lifestyle are a pain (at least they are to me). So, I was not going to raise ducks (not on a large scale, there is always room in my heart for a few duckling taking residence as guest tenants). I still do not know why we raise ducks. I do not understand them, they are constantly scared, fully neurotic, choose the kitty pool we fill to them to the 50X30 feet pond filled with rain water, they are incapable of keeping their water clean even for 30 minutes and they are impossible to heard.
Ducks are supposed to eat slugs - they said, they give great eggs - they said, they add to your diversity! This is what books tell you, but what they manage to leave out is that they are the most helpless animal on the farm always in danger of any preator that passes by, they eat slugs yes, but we cannot take them tot he far fields or we will be left only with enough feathers for a pillow, and they seem to be overall dumb and neurotics. I think I dislike ducks as much as I like chickens. And yet.... we still have ducks. I am giving them a chance... perhaps there is something lost in translation and I have yet to figure out how to provide the right environment for their neuroticism to calm down and for their true personalities to emerge... One can keep on hoping In the meantime you can find a few duck eggs in the farmstand (March to end of August).
Ducks are supposed to eat slugs - they said, they give great eggs - they said, they add to your diversity! This is what books tell you, but what they manage to leave out is that they are the most helpless animal on the farm always in danger of any preator that passes by, they eat slugs yes, but we cannot take them tot he far fields or we will be left only with enough feathers for a pillow, and they seem to be overall dumb and neurotics. I think I dislike ducks as much as I like chickens. And yet.... we still have ducks. I am giving them a chance... perhaps there is something lost in translation and I have yet to figure out how to provide the right environment for their neuroticism to calm down and for their true personalities to emerge... One can keep on hoping In the meantime you can find a few duck eggs in the farmstand (March to end of August).
Ducks (an a goose) deciding whether to visit our farmstand or cross the road
