Why is pasture raised poultry better?

Chickens were not meant to be cooped up (oh, I made a pun…chicken coop).  But really, a chicken should not spend its whole life in a building where it is never allowed to see the sun or breathe fresh air.  At Spring Creek Acres, we raise the same bird that you can buy at the supermarket – they have the characteristic double breast and pale skin.  The difference – we get our birds outside as soon as they are feathered. They enjoy the fresh air, walking around, eating bugs, seeing the sun, and feeling the wind.  You can taste the difference.

At Spring Creek Acres, we differentiate ourselves by only raising animals when they will be on GREEN pasture.  Other growers may raise the animals year round. Here in North Idaho, the pasture is only green in the spring and early summer, so that’s when our chickens and turkeys are in the field.

Let’s talk processing

We process our own birds. The State of Idaho allows us to do this as long as we charge the same price alive or processed.  You might wonder why we would go through this extra effort.  We want to make sure that every step in this bird’s life is stress-free.  Being moved to a processor is a very stressful event for a bird, and the adrenaline permeates the meat and changes its flavor.

A mechanical processor may also dip your inexpensive store-bought bird in bleach (more than once) to cover to mishandling of the animal.  As a small batch processor, we take the time to ensure the process is clean and safe for you, the consumer.

Humane Treatment

The chicken you buy at the store has never seen the light of day.  It has lived in a large building where the lighting is timed to maximize food intake, the feed is medicated to overcome cramped and dirty living conditions, and the air is recirculated.  

We feel the bird, and you, deserve better treatment.  Once your chicken is fully feathered (able to handle temperature changes) it goes outside and lives in a chicken tractor.  The chicken tractor allows the birds to be safe from predators while still experiencing the sun, wind and rain.  Not to mention the vitamins they get from eating grass and the unlucky bug.

Chickens in a chicken tractor