Last night we were all reminded that while pastured meat birds carry many benefits, they also have their own set of challenges. As the wind began to blow last night and the rain started to fall, everyone headed to bed feeling grateful for the rain again. When the storm ended, Cory headed out to check on the chickens in the pasture, and Aiden went out to check on the new baby goats on a different pasture. A few minutes later, Cory called to ask for help because all the chickens, turkeys, and ducks were in the pasture and their shelters were all gone.

Everyone that could, got out of bed and hurried out the door. This happens every once in a while on the farm. They gathered all the birds from the pasture, and put them in our stock trailer that Cory had pulled out with our tractor through the mud. They covered the floor with straw from our wheat and gave them food and water in there for the night.

A similar situation happened the first day we put these same birds on the pasture. They were only 3 weeks, and still a little sensitive. After a storm came through, I noticed that several small birds were on the pasture next to their chicken tractors, shivering from the cold rain. This time they had escaped through a small hole, but the tractors were still in place.

I gathered up as many chicks as I could in my shirt and more in a bucket and hurried to the house to get everyone’s help. Some family members headed to the pasture, while others worked to warm up the cold, wet birds with hair dryers and heat lamps. The birds were returned to the pasture the next day and somehow, they all survived. Praise the Lord.

Last night the chicken tractors were thrown several feet from where they started, and one was completely destroyed. Since all the chicken tractors needed work, Cory changed his plans and stayed home, and he and the boys spent all day repairing chicken tractors (except for one that was completely destroyed). Thankfully none of the chickens died during this incident, and they were put back in their homes as each tractor got repaired today.

Dealing with the weather and predators, dragging feed through the pasture, and moving the chicken tractors 1 to 2 times per day is a lot of work, but the nutrient dense, flavorful meat that is produced from pastured raised birds makes all the work worth it. There’s a lot of greenwashing going on in today’s market, and many chickens are labeled as “pastured” when they are really just confined birds with a door to the outside (with hopes that none of them will find it). The only way to know that you are getting pastured meats is to visit the farm or do it yourself.

Have you tried pastured chicken? Did you notice a difference? We love to hear from you!