Raised on Pasture
Our Generative approach to raising chickens improves the soil and the quality of forage for our other animals. Outdoors on pasture, the chickens have a high quality of life, able to express their natural behaviors like scratching and pecking, eating their fill of bugs, grasses, and clover, to our mutual benefit. This time spent outdoors also provides us with better quality meat, full of nutrients.
Chicken available year round
Check our product availability to see what we currently have in stock.
The Greenacres Difference
- Outdoors as early as possible, protected from predators
- Moved often to fresh grass
- Fed locally-sourced, non-GMO, soy-free feed
- No unnecessary antibiotics
- Low stress handling
- Staff who love our animals
- Certified Humane Guidelines used in production planning
- Moved daily to fresh forage
- Manure fertilizes and improves our soil, providing nutrients to the grass
- Healthy soil sequesters carbon, holds rainwater
- Higher Omega 3 and lower Omega 6 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory)
Versus Large-Scale Confinement Production
- Confined in huge, overcrowded buildings
- Typically fed soy-heavy feed with antibiotics to aid with weight gain
- Commonly under stress due to minimal space available
- Large amounts of waste concentrated in small areas
- Confinement barns compact soil and prevent water absorption
- Higher risk of soil and waterway pollution
- Lower Omega 3 and higher Omega 6 fatty acids (inflammatory)
The Greenacres Difference
- Outdoor as early as possible, protected from predators
- Moved often to fresh grass
- Fed locally-sourced, non-GMO, soy-free feed
- No unnecessary antibiotics
- Low stress handling
- Staff who love our animals
- Certified Humane Guidelines used in production planning
Versus Large-Scale Confinement Production
- Confined in huge, overcrowded buildings
- Typically fed soy-heavy feed with antibiotics to aid with weight gain
- Commonly under stress due to minimal space available
- Moved daily to fresh forage
- Manure fertilizes and improves our soil, providing nutrients for the grasses
- Healthy soil sequesters carbon, holds rainwater
Versus Large-Scale Confinement Production
- Large amounts of waste concentrated in small areas
- Confinement barns compact soil and prevent water absorption
- Higher risk of soil and waterway pollution
- Higher Omega 3 and lower Omega 6 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory)
Versus Large-Scale Confinement Production
- Lower Omega 3 and higher Omega 6 fatty acids (inflammatory)
As Nature Intended
Baby chicks require very warm temperatures for the first 2-3 weeks of life, which we provide in an indoor environment known as a brooder. Once the chicks are big enough to be outdoors, they are moved into custom fabricated portable housing we call ‘chicken tractors’. The chicken tractors protect the birds from predators, and are moved to fresh grass every day. When they move, the very first thing we see the chickens do is eat the tender clover and grasses. The birds “work” for us by spreading apart cow manure and eating fly larvae, fertilizing the freshly grazed pastures with their nitrogen-rich manure, and scratching to help break up and reintroduce thatch into the soil.
Better for Everyone
Most chickens in the U.S. spend their entire lives in a large warehouse-style setting – a highly controlled, artificial environment where the birds are not exposed to natural light and require constant ventilation to avoid being overwhelmed by the waste created by thousands of birds in a confined space. Responsible poultry production on pasture, like we practice at Greenacres, is a great way to produce high quality food without the negative effects of industrial agriculture. This production style is better for the birds, the farm staff, and our environment.
