Our Birds

The breed of chickens we raise for consumption are known as the Cornish Cross. This breed is known for it's short growth period, abundance of meat, and large appetite. We raise our birds for 8 weeks and their weight averages out at 8 lbs. before processing. In that time a single bird will consume 20 lbs. or feed. That equates to 20,000 lbs. of feed per year for our flocks. 

Here at Primrose Poultry we have 4 dedicated poultry houses that were built specifically for our birds needs. 

House Dimensions

Inside: 100 square feet

Outside fields: 500 square feet each 

Each house houses 125 chicks giving each bird around 5 square feet of space. To put that into perspective, commercially raised chickens are each provided with just 1 square foot of space. Because this breed does not grow an under coat of feathers (known as the down layer) it is harder for them to regulate their body temperature so, each house is fully insulated and equipped with thermostat controlled radiant heat flooring and fans. The floors of our houses are covered in 2-3 inches of pine shaving bedding and is changed as often as needed. Once our birds are 3-4 weeks old and have all of their feathers the chicken doors on the houses are opened to allow the flocks outdoor access to a field. Each house has 4 field spaces that are rotated. Once a field starts to get dirty we simply shut that door and open another allowing the birds to have clean, fresh, grass filled field space at all times.

Our farm is located in an area abundant with predators. To ensure the safety  of our flocks each field is lined with paneled poultry fencing (made by us) which stands 2 feet high with another foot of fencing buried to prevent any tunneling. The top of that fencing is lined with electric fencing to prevent any predators from going over the top. This type of fencing allows us easy access to the houses while providing the birds with as much open space as possible. We put forth every effort to ensure that our birds are kept as comfortable as possible. 

All of the grain used at Primrose Poultry is specially formulated by us and contains no medications, no hormones, and no steroids. Our grain is purchased locally through Van Hornesville Feed Corporation and is made and delivered by Bowns Feed Inc. 

For the first week of life our chicks are provided with grain crumbles. These have the same formula as all of our other feed, but are broken down into sprinkle sized pieces that are easier for the chicks to swallow. At one week old they are switched over to grain pellets which they continue to eat until processing occurs. 

Our flocks have access to as much clean water as they want. Water and feed levels are checks 2-4 times a day depending on bird age and are refilled as needed. 

Our birds are feed and watered with circular gravity fed feeders and waterers.