Chicken

noun. Small, cute, balls of fluff possessed of the ability to grow rapidly into large balls of feathers. Virtualy devoid of common sense and able to become scared of their own shadow.  Travel in gangs known as flocks. Best avoided when wearing nice shoes.

Every year since 2014 I have been raising Cornish Cross chickens and long before that I was helping with the Cornish Cross flock we raised each year on the family farm as a child and into my teen years. 

Although in past years I have been able to free-range the chickens with the use of chicken tractors, the recent concerns around avian flu and the presence of migratory birds in the area have kept the birds safely inside a large, covered run built specifically for that purpose.

The Flock

Each year I raise between 3-5 batches of chickens with each batch usualy no more than 40 birds in size. Arriving as day old chicks, they spend their first four weeks inside before moving to the large, 14 x 18′ chicken run. Processing is usually scheduled by the time they are eight or nine weeks of age.

The Visitor Experience

Cornish Cross chickens are bred for their rapid growth and food efficiency. They are by nature a fairly skittish breed and for the last two weeks of their stay are not a “hands-on” experience for visitors. That being said, for the first few weeks that they are here each batch is a wonderful experience for younger visitors as the baby chicks can be easily held with supervision – not to mention that they are very cute when only a few days old.

Since I raise three to five batches each year there are at least three chances for guests to experience the chicks during Farm Tours.

 

  • Interactivity – Up to two weeks
  • Interactivity – After Two Weeks

Products

As Cornish Cross chickens are bred for one purpose (meat production) they do not lay eggs. 

Chicken

I have my chickens processed by a local butcher ensuring the end product is neatly wrapped and ready for the oven.  Typical weights range between 6 – 8.5 lbs.

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