Mulberry Creek Farm CSA

Heritage Layers

Pastured Poultry

• Mulberry Creek Farm Practices
• What makes Mulberry Creek Farm poultry superior to conventionally raised poultry?
• Layer or Meat?

Poultry Breeds at Mulberry Creek Farm

• Chickens
• Turkeys
• Ducks / Ducklings
• Geese

Egg Share

Egg FAQ

Pastured Poultry Shares

We have a variety of breeds of heritage laying hens and roosters including Rhode Island Red, Dominique, White Plymouth Rock, and Brown Leghorn. See below for breed specifics. In the spring, we keep the roosters and hens of each breed separated so that our flocks remain true. The rest of the time they are free to intermingle.

We also have Golden Comet hens and roosters, a couple bantam hens, and occasionally adopt local chickens in need of a home, so there can be quite a variety of eggs. Incidentally, since our interest is in heritage breeds, we will probably be allowing our Golden Comet flock to dwindle.

Our hens are uncaged and free to enjoy the weather year-round or to camp out in one of our chicken tractors.  In season, we have a limited number of fertilized eggs available for hatching on a first come first served basis. We will be offering heritage breed chicks in the near future.

Your eggs will all be crack free and Medium-Jumbo size, and you will enjoy the variety of shades of brown and white shells. If you would like bantam or pullet eggs (much smaller but still just as yummy) please let us know. We often have an abundance.

Please see our Egg Share below for more information.

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What is Pastured Poultry?

You might have heard the phrases “free-range” or “un-caged”. If you’re confused about the meaning of the labels on egg cartons and chicken, here’s a great place to try to grasp the intricacies of poultry and egg labeling, but you’ll discover that while the confinement of the poultry may be reduced, they may still never see an actual bug or blade of grass, and inhumane practices such as debeaking may still be used.  

In brief, “pastured poultry is a sustainable agriculture technique that calls for the raising of laying chickens, meat chickens (broilers), and/or turkeys on pasture, as opposed to indoor confinement.” – Wikipedia  

Rather than living their entire lives, however long or short, in confined, cramped and often disease ridden quarters, our poultry is given free access to air, sunshine, and weather, bugs, grass, and all kinds of other good stuff. We never resort to chopping off any part of the bird … until it’s time to come to your table! This results in healthier birds, better tasting eggs and meat, and ultimately a healthier you. A test done by Mother Earth News revealed that eggs from hens raised on pasture, as compared to those commercially raised factory farm eggs, contain:

• 1⁄3 less cholesterol

• 1⁄4 less saturated fat

• 2⁄3 more vitamin A

• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

• 3 times more vitamin E

• 7 times more beta carotene

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We raise our poultry outside and free of confinement to the greatest extent possible.  

Our hens are uncaged and free to enjoy the weather year-round or to camp out in one of our chicken tractors. In the spring, we keep the roosters and hens of each breed separated so that our flocks remain true. To maintain egg production, we incubate most of our chicks but also purchase from hatcheries on occasion, especially when adding a new breed. 

All our chicks are raised in the brooder until they are old enough to enjoy the field, at first on a limited basis and later as much as they want.

Once of age, we put them out on a fenced field approximately one acre in size. There are a number of houses within that field for shelter. 

Once they are accustomed to the field, we open the gate to let them roam at will. This provides all the essentials of fresh air, sunshine, bugs, and exercise, as well as protection from the elements. There is a small risk from predators but our more aggressive breeds help keep them at bay.

Although the birds enjoy bugs and grasses, we do also offer them feed, especially in the winter months. Our feed comes from a local mill. There are no antibiotics or hormones added, and we do not use any insecticides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Our poultry is healthy and is healthy for you.

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It’s easy to taste the difference between conventionally grown chicken and pastured chicken. Unfortunately, this difference in taste reflects the abuses and cruelties endured by the conventionally raised chicken. From the cramped cages coated with heavy layers of fecal dust, to the de-beaking process which prevents cannibalism of seriously unhappy birds, factory farmed chickens undergo some of the most inhumane treatment of any livestock. The health issues that spin off of these mistreatments are numerous. The diet of conventional broilers contains no grass or greens (you'll see the label "grain fed" on egg cartons), and thus the chickens are vitamin deficient and sickly, leading to the injection of antibiotics and hormones. Conventionally grown chickens have no access to fresh outside air, they are exposed to no sunshine, they aren’t able to forage for bugs, and they don’t even get any exercise. In addition, processing undergone at a conventional (inspected) facility is done mechanically, making a disgusting mess. According to Joel Salatin, the original pastured poultry guru who spent time as an investigative journalist, about 9 percent of the weight on most chickens bought in the grocery store is ...“soup” soaked up from the chill tank where chickens are stored after processing. To deal with this health hazard, the carcasses [may be] given up to 40 chlorine baths as well as treatments such as irradiation. And all of this takes place under proper USDA inspection, to supposedly ensure the customer that the product they are buying is safe for consumption. When conditions are this bad, it is easy to see how a different model can provide not only a much healthier product, but one that actually tastes a great deal better. (Thanks to Cedric and Sarah Shannon.) 

More on poultry and factory farms.

Besides all this, we choose to raise heritage variety poultry. Most of our poultry might have been seen in the farmyards of 150 years ago, they can reproduce without human intervention, and they have not been cross-bred since at least the 19th century. See below for breed specifics.

In general, the traditional breeds look a little different from what you would buy in the store.  A roasting fowl of a traditional breed will be substantially larger than a broiler of commercial hybridization, but smaller than a roasting size hybrid.  The breast will be a little narrower and the legs a little longer.  Commercial hybrids have been developed to have short legs so they don’t move around as much and so the bird looks as if it is all breast meat when you see it in a package.  See below for why we do not raise the commercial strain hybrids.

We have selected our birds mostly from those breeds generally called “heavy meat” or “dual purpose” breeds.  They are all breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association as real breeds, although not all are of American origin.  Many of these heritage breeds have histories going back hundreds of years, and were part of the earliest farmsteads in this country.   You can hear the history of their development in their names: Plymouth Rock; Rhode Island Red; Narragansett; Cayuga.  In some names, you can spot the county in England or the country where their ancestors originated: Dark Cornish, Black Java, or Black Spanish.

Most of our heritage layers are also reasonably good meat birds. We do occasionally offer our 2-year old hens as "soup chickens". They're a bit tough for plain eating, but make excellent soup or chicken salad. Although our turkey and duck eggs are certainly edible and delicious, most consumers would rather have the meat from these birds.

We do have one variety of chicken that is not as prolific a layer and is a better meat bird, and it warrants its own paragraph. Our primary meat provider is the Dark Cornish. Most pastured chickens that are raised on organic and natural farm shares and CSAs are cage-free Cornish Cross hybrid chickens. These are the very same chickens you buy at the grocery store but raised in a natural environment rather than in confinement. We will not be offering Cornish Cross meat chickens. They were and are bred for size and growth rate. These poor chickens can't move comfortably and their poor little hearts can't keep up with the rapid rate of growth.

We are raising heritage variety meat chickens, which means that they may look a bit smaller (because they’re built differently) and have more dark meat than the birds at the grocers. In addition, you'll have to wait a bit longer for our chickens than for poultry shares from farms continuing to raise Cornish Cross. We want all our poultry to have healthy and comfortable life-styles for as long as they are with us.

We like what Nila Robinson of Wistleberry Farm has to say on the topic: We do not raise the over-sized, double-wide birds you see in the grocery store.  Almost all of the chicken you have ever seen in a supermarket is of one general type, derived from the Cornish Cross hybrid.  The Cornish Cross is a large broiler/roaster designed for commercial production, but amazingly adaptable for pastured, no-drug rearing.  The controversy over this bird arises from the fact that it owes its existence to the industry’s desire to create a creature that could survive the abuses of confinement rearing, grow at an abnormal rate and be ready for butcher in 6-8 weeks.  It is not a breed; it will not reproduce true to type.  It's the end point of selective hybridization and the industry will create more next year from the same hybridization methods.  It is a food source whose genetics are owned by corporations.  It has been developed to withstand the cruelty and abuses of the commercial poultry industry.  If it disappeared tomorrow, those abusive management practices would have to change.  All of that has led me to be concerned about raising these hybrids, as has the fact that raising them is disapproved of by people whose opinion I respect, like the folks from the Animal Welfare Institute, and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.  It concerns me even though pasture rearing that bird is an improvement over buying one in the store, for you and the bird.  On balance, I have decided against doing so.  In part that is because I have raised them on pasture and concluded that while they thrived and foraged in a pastured, no-drug environment, their failure to run around like other chickens suggested that they were not comfortable trying to support their immense bodies on what are after all, little chicken legs.

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We are in the process of defining not only what kinds of livestock we will invite to live here, but also the specific breeds. Breeds at Mulberry Creek Farm will ultimately be heritage breeds.  

We are especially interested in those breeds on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy priority list. There are five levels: 

• Critical: Fewer than 500 breeding birds in the United States, with five or fewer primary breeding flocks (50 birds or more), and globally endangered.
• Threatened: Fewer than 1,000 breeding birds in the United States, with seven orfewer primary breeding flocks, and globally endangered.
• Watch: Fewer than 5,000 breeding birds in the United States, with ten or fewer primary breeding flocks, and globally endangered. Also included are breeds with genetic or numerical concerns or limited geographic distribution.
• Recovering: Breeds that were once listed in another category and have exceeded Watch category numbers but are still in need of monitoring.
• Study: Breeds that are of interest but either lack definition or lack genetic or historical documentation.

We select breeds that are:

• heritage breeds that have been around for over a century,
• unique to North America,
• and somewhere on that priority list. (For instance, many of the critical chicken breeds are of more recent development and not truly heritage or are not North American breeds.)

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Poultry breeds that may be at Mulberry Creek Farm this year are as follows:

NOTE: At the moment most of our poultry images come largely from other sources, such as Cackle Hatchery, as we don't have our own good photos showing most different breeds. That will change this spring! Poultry descriptions attributed to McMurray Hatchery and ALBC.

Cornish (Dark) used to be known abroad as the "Indian Game" and originated in Cornwall, England. Admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1893.  They have thick, compact bodies and very close fitting body feathers. They usually weigh more than they look. The hens lay brown eggs. The cockerels are an excellent meat bird with broad, deep breasts, which have a range of mixed colors in the feathers.  Eggs: small, light brown; ALBC Priority status: Watch.

Java (Black) is a breed of chicken originating in the United States. Despite the breed's name, which comes from the island of Java in Indonesia, it was developed in the U.S. from chickens of unknown Asian extraction. It is one of the oldest American chickens, forming the basis for many other breeds, but is critically endangered today. Javas are large birds with a sturdy appearance. They are hardy, and are well suited for both meat and egg production, especially by small-scale farms, homesteads, and backyard keepers. Mulberry Creek Farm is actively seeking a source for Black Java, rarer than Mottled Java, and plan to have a flock begun later this year. Eggs: medium, brown; ALBC Priority status: Critical.

Dominique has been around in the old English history long before poultry standards existed. Originated date is unknown and many of today's recognized breeds were developed by using Dominique bloodlines. A great bird with a notable rose comb, barred feathering, and a dual/all-purpose chicken. Eggs: medium, brown; ALBC Priority status: Watch.

Rhode Island (Red) originated in Rhode Island and recognized as a distinct breed in 1904. The Single Comb Rhode Island Red is a prolific egg layer year round. Eggs: large, medium brown; ALBC Priority status: Recovering.

Leghorn (Brown) was admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1874 and originates from Italy, Denmark, and England.  This breed is very athletic and hardy. Eggs: medium-large, pearl white; ALBC Priority status: Recovering.

Plymouth Rock (White) recognized as a distinct breed and admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1888. The White Rock is a good dual-purpose chicken and a member of the Plymouth Rock family.  The cockerels make very good fryers. Eggs: large, light (or pinkish) to medium brown; ALBC Priority status: Recovering.

The Golden Comets are one of three Modern Day Brown egg-laying strains from hybrid breeding that produce fast body development and fast egg production.  These strains will start to lay eggs at a younger age than most standard breeds and produce big brown eggs.  We may decide to keep them around just because they're nice birds.

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We've never done it but always wanted to raise turkeys. This year we are introducing heritage pastured turkeys to the farm. We will raise them in a system similar to our chickens, out on pasture in a fenced-in area with shelters available.  We are promised from other heritage turkey farmers that they will make for one fantastic Thanksgiving dinner and we believe we will sell out months in advance.  So get your orders in early.

That being said, the rest of the information below is gleaned from the experience of others.

Turkey sizes:

Before you request a specific size turkey, like "18 lbs", please remember that when you order a turkey we cannot guarantee a specific weight. Unlike the mega-farms who raise untold thousands and can offer a consistent range to choose from, we only raise a limited number (fewer than 20 this year). Also, because they are raised outdoors they have other factors affecting their growth.  So, when you come to pick up your bird we will work with you to get you as close to the size you want, and we think that you'll ultimately be happily matched up with your turkey.

As with our chickens, our turkeys will be heritage breeds. Turkeys will be ready for Thanksgiving.  Expect to pay quite a bit more per pound than you paid for your Butterball last year. Because these birds take twice as long to raise as the white turkeys, even compared to pastured white turkeys, the heritage breeds end up costing quite a bit more. 

So why bother?

When you consider that over 90% of turkeys raised in America are of one breed, namely the broad-breasted white, many other breeds that traditionally were found on family farms are now flirting with extinction.  This is not just an aesthetic issue.  A basic principle of Nature for surviving the countless challenges to the livelihood of any ecosystem is diversity.  Thus the saying, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.  Animals bred to grow at such fast rates (like the broad-breasted whites) are generally less hardy and more susceptible to disease and such, which means that the basket containing all the eggs is at a high risk.  If some strain of virus were to hone in on the BB whites, we may find ourselves unable to stop an epidemic that wipes out nearly all of our country’s turkeys, making Thanksgiving a very different experience.  A more serious example of this happening in history is the potato blight in Ireland during the 1800s.  When the fungus hit the potatoes, the Irish were raising a very limited variety of potato and thus nearly all their plants were affected, leading to severe famine.  Today we find ourselves with the ironic tenet that if you don’t eat them, you’ll lose them.  So we thought we’d take a small part in trying to keep alive the diversity.  (Thanks to Cedric and Sarah Shannon.)  

Narragansett - This beautiful bird descends from a cross between the Eastern Wild Turkey and domestic turkeys brought to this country by European colonists. It is named for the Narragansett Bay of Rhode Island. They are a rare, multicolored, medium-sized breed. Their body plumage is primarily black with bands of steel gray. The tail is dull black, regularly penciled with parallel lines of tan, edged with steel gray. They are known for being calmer than most and are good mothers.  Standard weights are hens weighing up to 17 lbs. And toms up to 30 lbs. ALBC Priority status: Threatened.

Bourbon Red - Many people feel that this turkey is one of the most beautiful of all turkey varieties. It has a very dark, rich, chestnut color that is edged in black on many of the feathers. The wing tips and the back one-half of the tail are white giving it a very striking appearance. Developed in Pennsylvania and taken to Kentucky with the long rifle, this breed was given the name Bourbon Red from its popularity from Bourbon County, Kentucky. Standard weights for Bourbon Reds are 23 pounds for young toms and 14 pounds for young hens. ALBC Priority status: Watch.

Black / Black Spanish - These turkeys are solid black with a beautiful greenish luster and no barring. This breed can be traced to when explorers in the 1500's carried this Mexican Turkey to Europe and then later carried it back to the Americas. They are about the same size as the Bourbon Reds. ALBC Priority status: Watch.

Slate / Blue Slate - Originating in Mexico 2000 years ago, Blue Slates were taken to Europe and then brought to the American Colonies. They were recognized as a standard breed in the U.S. in 1874. They come in three color phases: solid black, solid blue and blue flecked with black spots. Many times the birds are a combination of each phase coloring. They are about the same size as the Bourbon Reds. ALBC Priority status: Watch.

Royal Palm - A remarkably attractive bird, the Royal Palm displays some of the nicest colors of all turkey varieties. They are striking in appearance. These beautiful birds have a white base color and most feathers are banded with a bright metallic black color. The contrast of this black/white combination is truly radiant. The Royal Palm Turkey is considered a little smaller than other heritage turkeys with standard weights at 16 pounds for young toms and 10 pounds for young hens. ALBC Priority status: Watch.

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Ducks have been a part of the Mulberry Creek Farm landscape almost as long as chickens. We'd like to see more of them around, but also offer duckling as a meat option to our customers. 

The Cayuga is the only duck that is a heritage duck of North America and on the ALBC Priority list. The Cayuga takes its name from Lake Cayuga, New York (very near Gail’s home turf) which makes it one of the few duck breeds with an United States origin. The Cayuga is a quiet duck that is very hardy and is known primarily for its brilliant “beetle” green plumage. The hens, which weigh 5 to 6 pounds, lay a light blue or gray egg and the males grow to between 6 and 7 pounds. Ducklings have black feet and bills, black down, and have an occasional trace of yellow on their breast. Status: Threatened

White Pekin ducks are used in making the AFLAC commercials. Originating in China in ancient times, White Pekins were brought to the Western World in the middle 1800’s. Their fine meat quality and egg laying ability quickly made them the first choice of American duck growers. Both the male and female are creamy white in color, yellow skinned, and very large breasted. The males carry a fall weight of 10 to 11 pounds and the females weigh 8 to 9 pounds. They are the easiest domestic ducks to pick and prepare for eating. The Pekin is a very common duck, but we like them and choose to keep them around!

Flying Mallards are very self-reliant, good foragers and the hens make outstanding mothers. What a treat it is to see these brightly colored ducks winging about your yard. The color pattern is the same as Rouens but Mallards are much smaller and the meat has a gamey taste not found in domestic ducks. Another breed that is very common but that we just happen to like a lot. The eggs are a light green, about the size of a chicken egg and quite tasty!

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In August we will be adding a trio of Pomeranian geese to the farm. We are also actibely looking for a supplier for either eggs or goslings for Cotton Patch geese.

Our Pomeranians will be coming to us from PB&J Farm. 

 Here's what the ALBC site says about them:

Pomeranian Goose

Pomeranian geese average 15-17 pounds and lay 15-35 eggs annually. Northern German farmers developed the Pomeranian goose. Literature references date its origins to as early as 1550. In their native Germany, the term Pomeranian refers to a utilitarian goose breed. German Pomeranians are colored white, gray, saddleback buff, or saddleback gray. Only the Saddleback Pomeranian exists in North America. While some Pomeranians are docile and pleasant to show, others are quick to read nervous body language and respond aggressively. Pomeranians tend to greet visitors noisily so make good watch birds.

Pomeranians are a good all-around breed for a colorful home flock. While the plumage markings are fairly fixed genetically, producing a properly marked specimen is a challenge. Ganders can be mated with three to four geese.

Status: Critical

Cotton Patch Goose

Once commonplace on farms in the southeastern U.S., the Cotton Patch is a breed of goose that gets its name from the job it performed. These geese were used to weed cotton and corn fields up until the 1950s. Cotton Patch geese are remembered in the rural south for helping many farmers and their families survive the Great Depression by providing a regular source of meat, eggs, and grease.

The breed’s beginnings are not clear but it is thought to have derived from European stock brought to the U.S. during the colonial period.

Cotton Patch geese have the ability to fly well beyond their first year, easily clearing 5-6 foot fences without a running start. Although this may seem like a fault to some, this ability often allows the birds to escape predators unlike the heavier geese. Status: Critical

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Our flock has grown as has their production! We are moving from selling eggs a dozen at a time to offering an egg share. We will continue to sell eggs by the dozen when they are available. 

In season, we have a limited number of fertilized eggs available on a first come first served basis. If you are interested, please contact us.

Your eggs will all be crack free and Medium-Jumbo size, and you will enjoy the variety of shades of brown and white shells. If you would like bantam or pullet eggs (much smaller but still just as yummy) please let us know. We often have an abundance.

Please print out the complete order form or simple order form to mail or drop off. Information concerning locations and days for pick up will are included in the complete form.

Pick up will always be available at the farm on designated days. If there is a pick-up site you would like to see added, let us know. If there is enough demand, we'll look into adding that site.

We offer eggs year-round in three separate seasons. To help keep confusion down, we ask that you sign-up on a season by season basis. Each season is 17 weeks long.

CHICKEN: Broilers sold whole w/giblets and weigh 3 to 5 lbs. Purchase one or more shares of 6 chickens to reserve yours for the season. Chickens available July, August, September.

TURKEY: Dressed birds sold whole w/giblets and weigh 8-20 lbs. Purchase individually by number of birds, not by weight. We will do our best to get you as close to your preferred weight as possible at time of pick-up.

DUCKLING: Dressed birds sold whole. Purchase individually by number of birds. 

We will contact you with pickup dates for your meat orders. All meat pickups are at our farmstand. See the complete order form for details and pricing.

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