Chickens

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	Our chickens are raised outdoors with access to both open and enclosed shelters where they choose to roam or rest in the shade while enjoying fresh air, sunlight, forage and exercise. They are provided well water and supplemented with laying pellets and scratch grains. Our layers are Golden Buffs which are also known as Golden Comets, Golden Sex Links, Cinnamon Queens or Red Stars. This hybrid strain is a leader in the brown egg market. They lay large eggs and have a quiet temperament. They have a single comb, are cold tolerant and do well in confinement or free range. The average weight for hens is 4 pounds. We also utilize some chicken tractors which allow a penned type of pastured free ranging along with shelter, allowing chickens fresh forage such as grass, weeds and bugs, which widens their diet and lowers their feed needs. Unlike fixed coops, chicken tractors do not have floors so there is no need to clean them out. They echo a natural, symbiotic cycle of foraging through which the birds eat down vegetation, deposit fertilizing manure, then go on to a new area. The term chicken tractor comes from the chickens performing many functions normally performed using a modern farm tractor: functions like digging and weeding the soil in preparation for planting trees or crops or fertilizing and weeding to enhance the growth of crops and trees already planted. With chicken tractors, flock owners can raise poultry in an extensive environment wherein the birds have access to fresh air, sunlight, forage and exercise too, which caged birds in commercial coops do not have. With the coop on only a small area at any given time, the field (or lawn) has time to regrow and more birds can be fed than if they were caged. A chicken tractor also gives shelter from predators and weather. The hens also lay eggs in nest boxes rather than hiding them in foliage. We sell limited amounts (up to 30 dozen eggs/week) of farm fresh eggs year round. Eggshells, from the eggs which are eaten by our family, are used in our Nitty-Gritty goat's milk soap- - an extra- powerful hand scrubbing soap. They are washed and dried and ground into powder and function much like pumice. This soap is great for gardeners or artists. Our poultry is taken to Chauldhry in Siler City, NC and is processed Halal. The chicken is also USDA inspected and it is available for purchase in our Farm Store. It is vacuum sealed, labeled and frozen by our processor. Packages are sold by weight.
	What Does "Free Range", "Pastured" or "Pastured Free-Range" Chicken or Eggs Mean? "Free Range" refers to chickens being allowed to range freely outdoors where they can eat whatever grass, seeds, insects and worms they choose. This results in more nutritious eggs and meat for consumers, and more healthy, humane conditions for the birds. However, some producers abuse this term and label their chickens and eggs as “free range” when in fact all they have done is open a door to allow their chickens to range in an outdoor area of bare dirt or concrete with no pasture in sight. Know your farmer and their products. As a consumer, confirm if your eggs or chicken comes from "pastured" or "grass-fed" free-range conditions. Some farmers choose a modified system that involves keeping birds safe from predators by confining them in pens or inside electric fencing and moving the pens frequently onto fresh pastures. Pastured birds may be true free-range or penned, but either system is correctly referred to as “pastured.” Here at Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC our chickensare raised on pasture. They are both happy and healthy. Their eggshells are thicker, whites whiter and the yolks are larger, firmer and a bright orange. (Don't try cooking a white cake with these eggs if you want the layers to be white.) Our Golden Comet henshave the opportunity to forage and interact with other animals throughout the farm. While foraging for grasses/seeds, grubs and insects, the chickens consume approximately 30 percent of their diet. They receive Vitamin D from the sun while getting protein from their "bug" diet. This free ranging reduces the need for supplemental feed and more importantly improves egg flavor. The remainder of their diet consists of locally purchased feed with no antibiotics, added hormones or animal by-products. Chickens also provide a much needed service on the farm - - they help control flies by eating fly larvae and also cultivate and fertilize the pastures. Each egg is washed individually and provided to you in recycled egg cartons.
	Useful Links: Backyard Poultry Magazine

	Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC 3241 Buffalo Creek Farm Road Germanton, NC 27019 336.969.5698 Robin@BuffaloCreekFarmNC.com