Poultry FAQ
Dark Cornish rooster
(our primary meat bird)
What breeds of poultry do you have?
Please visit the Maggie's Farm Poultry page
Are your poultry caged?
We rarely have any birds in isolated cages and never for more than a few days at most. We do lock them in the hen house for their own protection in winter months, for the protection of their range at other times, and when we’re collecting hatching eggs from specific breeds. Most of the year, though, they are free to roam wherever they will (and lay their eggs wherever they will, too!)
What do your poultry eat?
Most of the year, our poultry all have access to whatever they can find naturally: grasses, bugs, gravel, as well as ground feed, plus added soybean supplement if they need it, and oyster shell if shells are getting fragile. We prefer to grow our own grain for feed, but are not always able to do so. The exact content of their feed varies depending on what else is available to them and they get to choose what they think they need, as well as what we are able to produce on the farm. The more bugs and grass are available, the less frequently we need to fill their feeders.
If your poultry are free to roam and can eat yummy bugs and grass, why do you have to feed them?
In the winter, early spring, and late autumn, we have to feed them because there aren't enough insects and plants growing to feed them. The rest of the year, we have to feed the chickens if we want them to consistently produce eggs all season. Like other animals who produce for young (for instance milking animals), a hen needs protein (as an aside, grass-fed cattle, sheep, and goats eat legumes like alfalfa for protein). The most cost effective way to get protein to egg layers is through soybean meal. Some people prefer not to consume anything involving soybeans, primarily because it's extremely difficult and usually expensive to find non-GMO soybeans, but soy-free chicken feed is prohibitively expensive, which is why soy-free eggs are typically so much more expensive. We don't promise soy-free eggs, but our hens have free choice when it comes to their feed. They only eat it when they can't find enough out in the woods and fields. The amount of soy they consume is minimal.
For even more on this topic, and using chickens as an example, in the natural world a hen can subsist on bugs and grass and will lay one nest of eggs somewhere, hatch chicks, and spend the rest of the season caring for those chicks. In the winter, she would die if she didn't have a warm place to go and food to eat. All chickens are descended from native jungle fowl of Southeast Asia where there's plenty to eat all the time. Hence, feeding them!
Do you have any vegetarian chickens?
No. Chickens are omnivores. They eat bugs. Bugs are not plants. We don't believe there is any such thing as a vegetarian chicken. Chickens eat bugs. Bugs are not plants. Unless they are raised in a vacuum, there are bugs available. We do not believe there is any such thing as a vegetarian chicken. There are some poultry producers who provide vegetarian feed to their chickens, but, as we said, there are always bugs.
Honestly, we have to wonder what is the point of a vegetarian chicken? The meat is, well, meat. And an egg is not a plant.
How late can I order a turkey or goose for Thanksgiving or Christmas?
SINCE OUR RELOCATION IN OCTOBER 2018, WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE TURKEYS OR WATERFOWL.
For when we eventually (hopefully) have them available again, and for general information, you can always try waiting until the last minute before you make your decision. However, keep in mind that it takes a good 6-8 months to grow a heritage turkey or goose to a decent size. We will grow a certain number of birds regardless, but we will also offer our poults and goslings for sale and we like turkey dinner, ourselves, from time to time. Your best bet is to order as early as you can to guarantee your bird. When you order early, you also will have the option of making payments along the way rather than having to pay the whole thing at pick-up. AGAIN WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY TURKEYS OR WATERFOWL (GEESE OR DUCKS).
Please visit the Maggie's Farm Poultry page
Are your poultry caged?
We rarely have any birds in isolated cages and never for more than a few days at most. We do lock them in the hen house for their own protection in winter months, for the protection of their range at other times, and when we’re collecting hatching eggs from specific breeds. Most of the year, though, they are free to roam wherever they will (and lay their eggs wherever they will, too!)
What do your poultry eat?
Most of the year, our poultry all have access to whatever they can find naturally: grasses, bugs, gravel, as well as ground feed, plus added soybean supplement if they need it, and oyster shell if shells are getting fragile. We prefer to grow our own grain for feed, but are not always able to do so. The exact content of their feed varies depending on what else is available to them and they get to choose what they think they need, as well as what we are able to produce on the farm. The more bugs and grass are available, the less frequently we need to fill their feeders.
If your poultry are free to roam and can eat yummy bugs and grass, why do you have to feed them?
In the winter, early spring, and late autumn, we have to feed them because there aren't enough insects and plants growing to feed them. The rest of the year, we have to feed the chickens if we want them to consistently produce eggs all season. Like other animals who produce for young (for instance milking animals), a hen needs protein (as an aside, grass-fed cattle, sheep, and goats eat legumes like alfalfa for protein). The most cost effective way to get protein to egg layers is through soybean meal. Some people prefer not to consume anything involving soybeans, primarily because it's extremely difficult and usually expensive to find non-GMO soybeans, but soy-free chicken feed is prohibitively expensive, which is why soy-free eggs are typically so much more expensive. We don't promise soy-free eggs, but our hens have free choice when it comes to their feed. They only eat it when they can't find enough out in the woods and fields. The amount of soy they consume is minimal.
For even more on this topic, and using chickens as an example, in the natural world a hen can subsist on bugs and grass and will lay one nest of eggs somewhere, hatch chicks, and spend the rest of the season caring for those chicks. In the winter, she would die if she didn't have a warm place to go and food to eat. All chickens are descended from native jungle fowl of Southeast Asia where there's plenty to eat all the time. Hence, feeding them!
Do you have any vegetarian chickens?
No. Chickens are omnivores. They eat bugs. Bugs are not plants. We don't believe there is any such thing as a vegetarian chicken. Chickens eat bugs. Bugs are not plants. Unless they are raised in a vacuum, there are bugs available. We do not believe there is any such thing as a vegetarian chicken. There are some poultry producers who provide vegetarian feed to their chickens, but, as we said, there are always bugs.
Honestly, we have to wonder what is the point of a vegetarian chicken? The meat is, well, meat. And an egg is not a plant.
How late can I order a turkey or goose for Thanksgiving or Christmas?
SINCE OUR RELOCATION IN OCTOBER 2018, WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE TURKEYS OR WATERFOWL.
For when we eventually (hopefully) have them available again, and for general information, you can always try waiting until the last minute before you make your decision. However, keep in mind that it takes a good 6-8 months to grow a heritage turkey or goose to a decent size. We will grow a certain number of birds regardless, but we will also offer our poults and goslings for sale and we like turkey dinner, ourselves, from time to time. Your best bet is to order as early as you can to guarantee your bird. When you order early, you also will have the option of making payments along the way rather than having to pay the whole thing at pick-up. AGAIN WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY TURKEYS OR WATERFOWL (GEESE OR DUCKS).