Raising Chickens

Raising a flock of chickens will be one of the first projects (besides gardening) at Pagan Acres. Chickens are relatively easy to raise and to take care of. I have raised chickens in the past and my two favorite breeds are Orpingtons and Australorps. They are a heavier breed chicken suitable for cold weather and lay nice brown eggs year round.  Buff Orpingtons are my all favorite, they are a beautiful dunnish.yellowish orange color. There is also a Black Orpington and a few other colors as well.

Black Australorp

Black Orpington

Buff Orpington

Orpingtons

The Orpingtons were created in 1886 by William Cook in Kent.

It is a heavy breed bird with a short wingspan so it can be contained with low fencing.  They do need space to keep fit as they are greedy birds.
Our Orpingtons are either black or blue or 'splash' which is a black/blue cross.
They are great mothers, and tend to go broody.  They lay cream coloured eggs.   They weigh in at a heavy 7-8 lbs and take a longer time to mature than other breeds.
They are also very docile in nature and become lovely pets.




 Raising Chickens for Meat

Raising chickens specifically for the table is different than topping off some old laying hens that are past their use by date.

It is a bit like aging wine - it's all about timing - too young and you're not getting the full potential of the bird - too old and it is past it's best.   Birds that are hatched in the spring are usually good for the table or freezer by late summer through Autumn.   You don't want to feed them all winter.
A lot of the chicken meat on the market today comes from birds that have been grown quickly and killed very young.  These birds have often had limited or no access to outside free ranging.
Birds that have grown more slowly and wandered around scratching and foraging on a varied diet of grass and grubs as well as chicken feed have an altogether different flavour. In my opinion it is tastier, richer meat.
But as with anything, what you put in is what you get out.   To produce great birds for your table you need to feed them well and regularly.   



 The Chicken Center
 Murry McMurry Hatchery