As regenerative farmers, we raise our chickens, ducks, and turkeys in a somewhat unique way.

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Some farms will say that they raise their birds ‘free range’. This can mean anything from chickens not being kept in a cage and freely moving about inside of a building to chickens being kept in natural conditions, which could be something as simple as giving them a straw bed or wood shavings on the floor of their coop. It can also mean they are let out of their coop to roam freely periodically and then brought back inside the coop for feed and safety.

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Other farms will say they ‘pasture raise’ their birds. This typically means that they have built mobile chicken coops. The coops have 4 walls and a roof. The floor is open to the ground and everyday, or every few days, the farmer moves the mobile chicken coop to a new patch of ground and the chickens then have new grass. But ultimately, they are confined to the area of a coop. While this is protected from predators, they are unable to naturally roam.

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At Blue Ranch Farms we practice both free range and pasture raised. Our coops are A-frame structures on wheels, built low to the ground. The structure is lightweight, filled with roosters and can easily be pulled by one person to a new section of land. Our chickens, ducks and turkeys have free choice to come and go in and out of the coop. They spend most of their days eating clover, grass, bugs and grasshoppers. We supplement them with chicken feed that moves along with their mobile chicken shelter. 

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This is why we say our farm birds are raised differently. Our chickens, ducks and turkeys are truly pasture raised, as they live 100% of their life in the pasture. They are also truly free range, as they have the ability to develop natural behaviors like nesting in trees, dirt baths, scratching/pecking the ground and basking in the sunshine. We move the shelter one length every day. This helps to encourage the chickens and other fowl to seek new ground to peck. It also helps us with pasture management by spreading the manure out, rather than having it accumulate in one area. You can walk through our pastures and see the lush green grass growing, signaling exactly where the bird shelters have been placed.

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Though it is the best way to raise farm birds, there are a few adjustments to be made. The biggest problem a farmer has with raising their birds this way is predators. We keep predators away by placing Great Pyrenees with them at all times. We have 6 full-time dogs that care and protect our flocks day and night. They are actually quite fond of each other and have built a great relationship. You can often find a dog curled up with several chickens perched on them and nestled in their fur. The dogs will run and bark at birds of prey in the sky during the day and at night you can hear their warning barks to the howling coyotes in the woods. 

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The result? The freshest, most flavorful eggs you've ever tasted, sourced from healthy, contented birds. Plus, our approach eliminates the need for constant management tasks like locking up and letting out chickens, making bird pasture management a breeze. Also, with little to no odor, our operation fosters a pleasant environment for both our livestock and our neighbors.