Purchase
All of our meat birds can be purchased by contacting us directly.
Meat is NOT available at the Farm Boutique.
Available in August 2018
Whole Stewing Hens: $4/lb
Available in September 2018
Whole Frozen Chickens: $4.25/lb
Whole Frozen Ducks: $6/lb
Pickup/Delivery
Pickup of meat birds will be made on-farm.
Bring a cooler
with sufficent ice packs as necessary.
Delivery to the Greater Toronto Area can be arranged for a minimum order
(6 birds) and with an additional fee.
Please contact us to make arrangements.
Roast chicken marinated and stuffed with garlic scapes sitting in a 10" pan.
Our chickens are a commercial dual-purpose breed. As chicks, they are fed a non-GMO starter mix and then as they age, they are put on whole grains to finish: wheat, blackoil sunflower seeds and millet. Their diet is also supplemented with vegetable scraps and they often forage for other natural goodies.
They begin their lives in a special room in our straw bale chicken coop. At about 3 weeks old, we move them into their new home which is a mobile "chicken tractor". We move their home around the gardens and paths every two to four days to make sure they have fresh grass and to not allow their waste to accummulate. Once they are large enough, they are allowed to wander the gardens and pastures to forage, scratch and play.
After living with us for 15 to 20 weeks, we bring our birds to a government inspected abattoir for processing.
Meat bird chicks in the straw bale chicken coop.
For 2018, we are trying new housing for our chickens! This type of 'chicken tractor' is called a "Cackellac" and is made of galvanized steel and a woven poly fabric top (which rolls up for additioanl ventilation). The Cackellac is made in Southwestern Ontario.
Inside the Cackellac. The chicks in this picture are close to one month in age.
Meat birds free ranging. These birds are about twelve weeks old.
As farmers and as consumers of meat, we try to utilize all the parts of the animals that we raise. In addition to the whole birds, our abattoir provides us with other tasty parts of our chickens such as:
+ Chicken Feet – Traditional meal in Chinese and other cultures. Makes fantastic soup base (aspic).
+ Chicken Necks – Makes a delicious soup base.
+ Chicken Giblets – Hearts and Liver. Used as-is; in stuffing and in gravies and sauces. Can also be fed to dogs.
Call or email for prices and availability.
Stewing hens are mature (older) female hens that are prized for their robust flavour in stews and soups. In commercial operations, hens are considered old when they are 10 to 18 months old. Keep in mind that most commercially-raised chickens are younger than 15 weeks of age when they are brought to market!
Our stewing hens are our older egg-laying ladies that we can no longer keep due to limited space in the yard and coop. These ladies are one to three years old. We have had (and continue to have) chickens that live out their days with us as retirees who are the matriarchs of our flock – elders of the Thistlecroft Yardbirds! Currently, our oldest hen is seven years old!
As mature birds, stewing hens no longer exhibit soft, flexible bones and cartilage, and they tend to be more fatty. Therefore, their meat performs best in slow and moist cooking methods such as stews, soups and braised dishes. These dishes produce very flavourful rich broths and sauces.
Stewing Hens: $4/lb
Call or email us for availability.
Winnie - seven years old and going strong!
Charlie and her 17 babies (2017).
Our ducks are a mix of colours - pure
white, white with dark green and black and some are brown. As they age,
all our ducks develop the Muscovie characteristic canucles around their
face. Carnucles are the red, featherless areas around their eyes and
sometimes around their necks or beaks.
Although they were originally a jungle bird, we find them to be a hardy
breed in our northern climate and it is a joy to watch them fly around
the property!
In the spring, they can be found bathing in the snow-melt ephermeral
pools. During the summer, we provide duck baths under rain spouts to
allow them to bathe and frolic in the water. Our whole ducks range in
size from 5 to 9 lbs.
Babies bathing in a rainwater pool.
Duck swimming in one of our seasonal ponds.
All our chickens and ducks are fed a mix of whole grains and legumes (wheat, sunflower seeds, millet, legumes and peas), supplemented with fresh vegetable bits and naturally sourced calcium. We do not treat our birds with anitbiotics or pharmaceuticals. When a bird is sick we treat her with apple cider vinegar, oilve oil, garlic and herbs, and bring her into the house where we can nurse her back to health.
The chickens and ducks spend the day foraging in the yards, gardens, and pastures, socialising with the other farm animals. At night, we protect our flocks from preditors in spacious buildings where they have access to grains and fresh water.
Farm Boutique Open May to October, 24/7!
845 Galway Road, Kinmount, Ontario
Location
Contact
Contact us:
farmers (at) thistlecroft.ca