Heritage-Chicken

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What REAL Chicken Tastes Like!!

Free Ranged, Antibiotic & Hormone Free

Heritage Chicken – Dominiques

We raise a few small flocks each year with several of our Dominique being offered for the dinner table. The rest of the flock stays here, hanging out just being chickens foraging and laying eggs for the next years flock.

Longer, slower growth for more depth of flavor!

Email us to inquire about our Dominique Chicken

These Dominque Heritage Chickens are harvested at 20-25 weeks and are sold as whole birds $5.50 per pound.

Average Market weights for our Dominique’s range from 3.5 to 6 pounds pre processing and 3.25 to 5.5 after processing

Our Heritage Chickens live the good life

Lots of fresh air and sunshine. They free range outdoors on pasture, not in houses or small cages drug along a field. They feed on natural grains, earth worms, weeds, seeds, grasses, fodder, insects; all the things your Grannie’s farm yard chickens would eat. After foraging, our chicken are supplemented with Organic, NON-GMO fruits, herbs, veggies and grains

Why Dominque’s?

Like our Bourbon Red Turkey, Dominique’s are one of the Heritage chicken breeds approved by the SLOW FOOD ARK of TASTE. According to the Livestock Conservancy, it is also a breed on “watch” status with fewer than 2,500 annual registrations in the United States and estimated global population less than 10,000. As an endangered poultry breed they need to be protected from extinction.

How do we do that?

Raise them, get the word out on how healthy and tasty these birds are so to build interest and in turn, increase their populations through proper management. Many patrons have found that Heritage Chickens are more succulent, have more flavor and worth the higher cost. When folks enjoy a highly memorable meal, they are also helping to save endangered breeds. Ironically, eating endangered breeds can ensure their survival.

The Dominique chicken is recognized as America’s first chicken breed being seen in the eastern US as early as 1750. Dominique chickens were very popular in 19th century America for their self-sufficiency. They are good foragers that do well on free ranges.

Heritage vs. Commercial

Typical “super market” chicken and many pasture raised chickens are the Cornish Cross

These Cornish Cross have little to no normal chicken behaviors such as scratching & foraging. They were developed by large-scale commercial chicken farmers and became popular during the 1960’s. The Cornish Cross reach processing weights by 7-10 weeks compared to the minimum of 16 weeks for heritage breeds. Our Dominiques take approximately 22 weeks. The goal for this chicken for the producers? Economics! One of converting a minimum amount of feed into a maximum amount of weight & white breast meat in the shortest possible amount of time. With their fast growth, huge breast size they often experience cardiovascular, skeletal and ocular dysfunctions.

What is a Heritage Chicken?

Well, it’s not your supermarket chicken or even one grown on many other farms.

Heritage Chicken must adhere to all the following:

•American Poultry Association Standard Breed

Heritage Chicken must be from parent and grandparent stock of breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) prior to the mid-20th century; whose genetic line can be traced back multiple generations; and with traits that meet the APA Standard of Perfection guidelines for the breed. Heritage Chicken must be produced and sired by an APA Standard breed. Heritage eggs must be laid by an APA Standard breed.

•Naturally mating

Heritage Chicken must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating. Chickens marketed as Heritage must be the result of naturally mating pairs of both grandparent and parent stock.

•Long, productive outdoor lifespan

Heritage Chicken must have the genetic ability to live a long, vigorous life and thrive in the rigors of pasture-based, outdoor production systems. Breeding hens should be productive for 5-7 years and roosters for 3-5 years.

•Slow growth rate

Heritage Chicken must have a moderate to slow rate of growth, reaching appropriate market weight for the breed in no less than 16 weeks. Depending on the season our Dominiques take 20 to 25 weeks to develop fully for the dinner table. This gives the chicken time to develop strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass.

* source: The Livestock Conservancy

Sustainably Grown Pastured Poultry