Chickens
Roaming free in the Rosy Tomorrows pastures from dawn till dusk, our chickens scour the grounds for tasty morsels of seeds, grains, petals, and insects. At night, their home is a converted landscape trailer – with plenty of nesting boxes and room to roost. This ‘chicken tractor’ is moved to a new location every few days, giving them fresh pasture to explore and even more bugs to eat.
Our chicks start out with their mothers in the ‘Coop de Ville’, a large and airy coop that provides protection — from the elements and from predators — until they are old enough to range free in the pastures.
At the top of the pecking order is ‘Roo’, the head Dominique rooster, who makes sure any treats are shared equally and shepherds his flock home every night.
In addition to their foraging, we supplement our chickens a certified organic soy free and non GMO proprietary blend of whole grains, kelp, alfalfa, calcium and flaxseed. We add a splash of unfiltered,organic apple cider vinegar to top up their enzymes and friendly bacteria.
Our fine-feathered friends are a mixed flock — including Dominiques, Silver Laced Wyandottes and Australorps. All three breeds are named on The Livestock Conservancy’s Conservation Priority list and both the Dominiques and Silver Laced Wyandottes feature on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste (championing foods that are delicious, at risk and sustainably produced). It’s hard to understand why, until you look at the numbers — our Dominiques take twenty-one weeks to hit market weight, while intensively-farmed chickens take just five weeks.
The Dominique is considered America’s first ever chicken breed — but by 1970, only four flocks were known to remain. Today the breed, noted for its calm and genial manner, has found a place to peck and forage and lay fresh eggs every day at Rosy Tomorrows. Australorps are not only striking to look at but are prized for their egg production. Our other heritage breed, the Silver Laced Wyandotte, not only has fabulous feathers, but lays rather special eggs — an extra treat for those who enjoy their remarkably creamy taste.
