Spring Chickens

When the first baby chicks arrive in the spring, the season is officially underway.

Cozy baby chicks ready to enter the brooder.

We take time to remove each chick, one-by-one, dipping their beak in water so they get acquainted with the drinker and ensure hydration after transport.

We source our birds from Sunnyside Hatchery, just across the St. Croix river. We have been thrilled with the health of the birds and the quality of the meat when processed.

Chicks enjoying their new home in the brooder for the first 3-4 weeks

Within 3 days the yellow fuzz gives way to wing feathers as they begin their “awkward teenage phase.”

After 3-4 weeks, they’re ready to be moved onto pasture as soon as they can handle nighttime temperatures and navigate the foliage.

A steady diet of grass, clover, grasshoppers, and certified organic feed from Cashton and Fresh Starts Farm will produce fully grown chickens ready to process in 4 more weeks (8 weeks total).

We’re excited for another season Rust Hill Ranch, and we look forward to serving our customers in the year ahead.