Polyface Pastured Poultry: Laying Hens

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April 8, 2024

All Polyface chicks begin their idyllic life on Polyface at about 1-2 days old. Our laying hens are custom-hatched from a breed we've developed over the last decade. They contain bloodlines from Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, and Black Australorops.

After incubation and hatching, the chicks go directly into our "brooder". This brooder houses the chicks and provides a warm, safe, comfortable haven for them until they are big enough to live outside.

After the brooder, they go directly to a grass shelter where they continue growing and are moved every 1-3 days to completely new fresh pasture.

Chickens begin laying at about 5 months of age. At that time, we give them access to cozy nest boxes with plenty of hay and allow them to make their own nests. We do not use industry-standard roll-away nesting boxes. We want to foster the instinct of the hens to lay, protect, and warm their eggs. After all, that's what makes them unique - it's their glory - their chickenness.

We have two types of shelters for these pastured hens. One we call an "egg-mobile". This is a mobile shelter built on house trailer axles and able to move anywhere we choose to put them. This is a land-extensive model. The hens are 100% free-range. Once a day, they get a little...urge...(that mother-hen instinct) that tells them to go back to their nest to lay their egg. They return to the shelter, lay, eat a bite, and they're back off to graze, scratch, run, and bathe. These chickens follow our cows and also act as our pasture sanitation and fly control.

Our other model we call a "Millenium Feathernet". This is a land-intensive model for pastured poultry. These birds are protected and guided by an electric net fence. This fence and the structure are moved several times a week. This model keeps the chickens flocked closer together so that they really focus on ground disturbance. (Remember, things need disturbance to grow.) These hens also act as pasture fertilization.

We still collect all of our eggs by hand every single day. We don't 'grade' our eggs, but we do separate them by size - small (peewee), medium, and large. Because we allow our hens to make their own nests, our eggs are rarely dirty and seldom require real washing. Here you can see one of our team members weighing an egg - she has a carton for medium eggs to her left and a carton for large eggs to her right.

All laying hens' egg production drops off substantially after about two years. Once a laying hen quits laying enough eggs to pay for her food and upkeep, she goes in the stewpot.

"Stewing hens" are our egg-laying hens who have passed their laying days. Because they are too tough to fry or broil, historically they went into stews to be cooked long and slow (hence the name). Crock pots and instant pots today work extremely well. Their attraction is the rich taste and exceptional broth.

Amino acids are complex and take time to develop fully. The reason stewing hens have such a rich taste is through their long life their amino acid chains finish developing and your taste buds understand that full complexity.

Among our team, you'll find several favorite cooking methods for these amazing birds. Joel and his wife Teresa put several at a time in a large roaster pan at about 350 degrees for 4 hours, then pick the meat off. Some of us use crock pots: put the bird into your favorite crockpot, cover it with water, add seasonings, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. For instant pot lovers, we prep the bird in the same way, but cook it on high pressure for about 2 hours, then allow a slow natural pressure release.We then chop the meat into chunks and freeze it in quart containers as precooked chicken, a true convenience food when you need meat salad or casserole quickly on a busy day. We freeze the broth and it is golden rich; truly exceptional. (Learn more in Susan's blog post "More than sustenance".)

Here's a kitchen hack: Keep a bag in your freezer with trimmings from all your veggies! When the bag is full, it's time to make broth. The nutrients in the peels, skins, tops, and odd pieces will power your chicken stock to the next level.

Why Choose Fermented Foods?

My grandparents on my father’s side used to make sauerkraut in wooden barrels in the basement. My mother’s side made cheese and salami. I could smell these concoctions throughout the entire house. Fermenting is part of your national heritage, no matter your family’s country of origin. Alongside nourishing grass-fed/grass-finished pastured meats like Polyface raises, every person should include real fermented foods into their diet. This method of food preservation goes back farther than most realize, reconnecting us with ancient traditions, long before the refrigerator-freezer was invented. Every culture consumed something fermented every day. Here are the reasons why I like fermented foods. Fermentation preserves food without using high pressure, high heat, or chemicals, so it both conserves and increases them. The nutritional value of fermented foods lies mostly in the pro-biotic bacteria that are present, and byproducts of their digestion. The bacteria’s digestive “waste” is a collection of vitamins, enzymes, and co-factors needed for every system of the body. These include: Vitamins B1, B6, B12, C, and K2 Superoxide dismutase (SOD, an antioxidant) GTF chromium (assists sugar metabolism) Glutathione (a potent detoxifier) Phospholipids (cell membrane building blocks) Digestive enzymes Beta 1,2 glucans (present in shiitake mushrooms; modulates immune system) Fermentation neutralizes or eliminates these: Phytic acid (present in seeds, nuts, beans, legumes) Enzyme inhibitors (also present in seeds, nuts, beans, legumes) Nitrites Prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) Oxalic acid (binds minerals) Nitrosamines (known carcinogen) Glucosides Probiotics and enzymes in whey neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, allowing your digestion to access the nutrients in the food. Enzymes are proteins. Proteins are delicate molecules with very complex structure and shape. The structure of the enzyme gives it its function. Without structure and form, the enzyme will not do its job of catalyzing biochemical reactions. Without enzymes, biochemical reactions would cease. Enzymes are denatured (unraveled or broken down) by high pressure, high heat, acidic conditions, toxic chemicals, and electrical disturbances. Once denatured, they lose their form and shape, therefore they lose their function. Unlike canning and commercial processing, fermenting occurs at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, encouraging beneficial bacteria to thrive. Temperatures above 117 degrees Fahrenheit denature enzymes and kill probiotic bacteria. If you wonder what 117 degrees feels like, it’s the temperature at which you cannot touch an object with your bare hands and hold it for a few seconds. If it’s hot, but you can still touch and hold it in your hand and not pull away, it’s under 117 degrees. This innate protection mechanism (i.e., reflex) prevents your own protein (i.e., skin on your finger) from being denatured. It’s also a good indicator of when your food is hot enough to kill probiotics and denature enzymes. For best results, fermented foods must be eaten raw, never hot or cooked. Fermented foods are safe and protective against pathogens. USDA scientist Roger McFeeters, who oversees a fermentation laboratory, says, “The lactobacilli can number a billion per gram of tissue at the height of fermentation. The bad bacteria can't compete." According to McFeeters, lacto-fermentation has caused no known food-borne illness. "As far as we know, it's been going on for thousands of years. It's perfectly safe.” The sauerkraut that my grandparents made had a layer of raw pork chops embedded in the salted cabbage. When the sauerkraut was done, you could safely eat the pork chops raw! They were pre-digested by the bacteria, and “cooked" by the organic acids in the kraut. Probiotics prevented pathogens from establishing. None of us ever got food poisoning. My grandmother lived to be 100. Fermented foods have anti-carcinogenic properties. They normalize blood pressure and heart rate, help to break down fat in the liver, and maintain healthy systemic pH. And they are quite tasty. In the supermarket, look for fermented foods in the refrigerated section, not on the shelf with canned foods. Shelf-stable canned foods were subjected to high temperatures. The probiotics and enzymes have been denatured. Look for “live cultures” or “live probiotics” on the label. Eat something lacto-fermented every day, like your ancestors did. Just a tablespoon or two of sauerkraut or an ounce or two of cheese is enough to have the desired effect. Choose a salad dressing made with raw apple cider vinegar, or a tablespoon of a fermented condiment such as ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise. Try a fermented beverage, like kombucha, beet kvass, or ginger ale. (Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has some great recipes for all of these.) The original condiments were digestive aids. They’re easy to make. Try it. May you be deeply nourished! Susan

Polyface Pastured Poultry: Laying Hens

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