Raising chickens for meat and eggs: how we do it

In this world of continuously escalating food prices, and ever-increasing knowledge of the poor quality of commercially grown food, our family has tried to become a little more self-sufficient. We have learned through trial and error how to significantly increase our success, with the chickens that we raise for food.The recent economic downturn and a renewed interest in locally grown, organic foods have contributed to the new interest in raising chickens for eggs and meat. Raising chickens organically simply means to raise them without synthetic chemicals, and only with chemical free food sources. Our chickens are fed medicated feed for the first thee weeks of life. Then the food that they eat is completely free of hormones or any other non-organic substance. Free-range chickens that are let out of their enclosures, get direct sunlight and fresh air, and are much healthier than those that are caged throughout their lives.Our free-ranging chickens through their freedom of movement eat insects, seeds, and plant roughage, which contribute to their good health, and the healthy products that they produce for us. This is how we raise our chickens.