Ordering information
We sell whole chickens, without giblets, average weight 6 lbs, wrapped and ready for your freezer. Price for 2022 was $6.50/lb. We are sold out for 2022, but you can get on the reservation list for 2023. Chickens sell out prior to slaughter in July/August, so plan to reserve yours ahead of time. To make a reservation, or for more information, please contact us.
How we raise and harvest our chicken
We start our new chicks in a cozy brooder space in our "animal house", a greenhouse we built per Michael's design to house livestock. They have access to shade and sun, lamps for heat, windows for ventilation, and we put in plenty of fresh dug greens from their first day. They love to eat plants, and the soil contains important beneficial bacteria (did you know that yogurt bacteria originally came from soil?) When they are 3 weeks old, they are moved to pasture, where they roam freely and eat all the plants, soil, and bugs they want, to supplement their 100% organic grain diet. We fence a large area to protect them from predators, and move them to fresh pasture often. At 12 weeks, they weigh 8-9 pounds, and our family does the slaughter ourselves. We take pride in humane handling, and our slaughter days are open to customers.
How we use our chicken
Our favorite way to cook chicken is to roast it in a cast-iron dutch oven. We surround the chicken with potatoes, onion, and garlic, and sprinkle the top with sage...all goodies from our garden. Cover with a lid, and cook at 325 or 350 F for a couple hours, depending on the size of the bird. The juices make outstanding gravy. We cook the remaining bones, skins, and juice to make a lovely stock, great for soup or stew. Another favorite of ours is pulled barbecued chicken, especially when we make the time to bake homemade rolls. We save feet for our farm dog, and she loves having them for treats.
Socks Family Farm
156 Urban Farm Way / PO Box 94 Cabot VT 05647 802.498.7785 |