Local chicken farmer?

Posted by Kelly Liston on June 19, 2009 at 2:59pm
So, I am really interested in feeding my family backyard meat birds, but I really just can't do the processing myself. Neither can my husband. Does anyone know of someone who processes and sells their backyard birds? What about a local farmer that raises pastured birds?I would really love to serve these fresh organic birds to my family instead of the chicken that I buy at Costco. Please Help!Kelly

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  • Erin June 24, 2009 at 2:04pm
    Hey, I just got an email from Local Harvest. There was a new farm listing in Gilbert, Silver Creek Poultry, that sells turkeys and chickens. Here's the link that I got:

    Silver Creek Poultry

    I haven't emailed them to check their availability or prices though.
    • Kelly Liston > Erin June 24, 2009 at 3:36pm
      Awesome! Just what I am looking for! Thanks!
    • Erin > Kelly Liston June 25, 2009 at 8:38am
      I emailed Bethany Lobocki at Silver Creek Poultry and here is her reply:

      Thanks for your interest! I am getting a batch of white Plymouth Rocks in a couple days. It will take them 3-4 months to get to a size adequate for roasting. I will be selling them for $10/each when they are ready to go. You should know that I am located in Gilbert, and it is illegal to process any animal within town limits. So, for now I am only legally allowed to sell live birds. I am currently trying to start up a poultry processing co-op so that I can (legally) provide meat instead of live birds. I'm working hard on this, as there seems to be a real shortage of locally and organically raised chicken and turkey here. As a part of the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, I am sure you are surrounded by like-minded individuals. Feel free to get the word out that I'm interested in starting up this type of co-op, in case there are others that would share interest in providing a local source for organically and humanely raised turkey and chicken.
    • Rachel > Erin June 25, 2009 at 4:30pm
      Very cool. What about having a co-op makes it legal where it is illegal otherwise? I can't even imagine that she'd make any money at $10/bird, are those organic or just local/pastured?
    • Erin > Rachel June 25, 2009 at 9:13pm
      The legalities of it, I have no idea. In her Local Harvest write up she says they are organically fed and live on pasture.
    • Jane Doyle > Erin June 28, 2009 at 3:12pm
      Perhaps the fact that they live on pasture has enabled her to cut the feed cost big time, though even with that, I can't see a profit on $10 a bird either.
      I've given some thought to raising and selling "pre butchered" lol meat chickens, but that's going to depend on how it goes w/the ones I'm buying from Rachel.
      Rachel, have you said before that we should not keep them with our layers? I was hoping to keep them in a fenced-off area near the layers - not intermingled due to different diet requirements.
    • Rachel > Jane Doyle June 28, 2009 at 9:28pm
      That's fine Jane, just not with them. Also, they REALLY stink but your property is big enough that it wouldn't be a problem
  • Dana June 20, 2009 at 5:30am
    http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Raising-Chickens...

    This story was in the most recent issue of Mother Earth News regarding this very subject...take a look.

    Good Luck!! I don't think I could do it.
    • Kristin Parsons > Dana June 23, 2009 at 3:02pm
      I love reading my mother earth news! Yes that article was very interesting to me, but it would be next year before I could join in. Good luck to those of you who are getting started!
    • Erika > Dana June 20, 2009 at 9:46am
      That was great! I wonder if there is anyone who would be interested in raising and harvesting chickens together? Groupwork is something I never thought of.
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