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Antibiotic
and GM free
Our aim is to produce the finest possible free range chicken for your table. Our system is
based on old fashioned values of high animal welfare, traditional
outdoor rearing and low food miles. Having
researched the market and various production methods we decided that
we can best achieve this by keeping total control over all
aspects of the raising and processing of the
birds. Our chickens are not the normal 'Free Range' chickens
that are being mass produced on large units but are a return to past
times where traditional methods and home milled feed ensure a unique
product.
The birds are bought in as day olds and brooded in
sheds for three to four weeks until they are
hardy enough to go out. They are then transferred to field pens in groups of no more than
1000
with large grass paddocks. Birds are naturally shy
and if they have food and drink inside will often never venture out of
the hut. To overcome this, the feeders and drinkers
are outside to ensure that the birds spend as
much time in the field as possible. Another difference to most units
is that our birds have 24hr access to the field. They take full advantage
of this and are often out feeding on moonlit nights and in summer
often sleep outside in fine weather. This
activity increases the variety of food as they eat grass, insects and
anything else that takes their fancy, this is the essence of a
good free range chicken.
Another factor that makes our system unique
is that we believe we can give a better provenance
with the birds if we feed home milled food.
All the wheat, peas, barley, oats and triticale are home grown
on the farm. We buy in some GM free soya,
minerals, vitamins and spices to balance the ration to our own
formulation. Unlike many other free range chicken producers WE DO NOT USE ANTIBIOTICS OR GROWTH PROMOTERS.
When the birds are ready around about 12
weeks old (shed birds are killed at about 6 weeks)
they are killed, plucked, dressed and wrapped on
the farm. After plucking the birds are air blasted to cool and
dry the skin then hung in the chiller for at least 4 days.
At all times stress is kept to an absolute minimum and this combined
with a lack of travel to processing plants is, we believe, reflected
in the end product.
Products
As well as whole free
range chickens
we also supply cut birds to order. We have developed a range of
chicken burgers and chicken sausages made with meat from filleted
whole birds. These are proving to be really
popular and since we launched them, we have been very busy trying to keep
up with demand! At Christmas we produce our famous free range capons which are
justifiably popular and can get weights up to 15lb oven ready.
Availability.
We sell through local
butchers, farmer's markets and at the farm gate by prior arrangement. We have seen our sales
increase at an excellent rate and as such are usually sold out every
week.
"A step back
in time,
A leap forward in quality."
We sell at the
following Farmers Markets.
Penshurst 1st
Saturday
Shoreham.
2nd Saturday.
Shops stocking our Free
Range Chickens
Gibb & Evans
Effingham
Surrey Hills.
Oxshott.
Roberts and Edwards
Oxted
Roberts and Edwards
Reigate
A&R Baileys
Warnham
Thomas Bros Lindfield
Middle Farm
Firle
Boathouse Organic Farm
Shop Lewes
The Intolerant Food
Company Sheffield Park
Bridge Farm
Lingfield
Nutfield Quality Beef
Nutfield
CMB Foods
Lingfield
Lizzys Larder
Holsworthy
C H Wakeling
Godalming
Crumbs at Shoots
Washington
Chanctonbury Butchers
Steyning
Goodwood Farm Shop
Goodwood
Bramptons of Brighton
Back to Nature
Chipstead
Snowtes Farm Shop at
the Red Barn Lingfield
Occasionally Yours
Lingfield
Flower Farm
Godstone
Archers
Brighton
Murrays
Loxwood
Restaurants and
Pubs using our chickens
The Royal Oak
Staffhurst Wood
The Hop Poles
Brighton
The Eagle
Brighton
The Percy Arms Chilworth
The Inn On The Hill
Haslemere
Chartwell
Westerham
Silvios
Ravey St. London CHOOSING A CHICKEN |