Our laying flock is comprised entirely of Rhode Island Reds.  We purchase new layers every spring  and maintain a healthy laying flock of 50 hens.  We chose the Rhode Island Red because it is the most popular American heritage breed in our area and very possibly the most popular in the entire country.   They are dual-purpose birds (meat and eggs) and prolific layers of large to extra-large brown eggs.  We order our chicks from reputable hatcheries and when they arrive on the farm they are only two days old.  We keep them in a brooder and feed them a chick starter/grower feed until they have feathered out.  When they reach this stage, we move them to the hen house and keep them there until they grow too large to slip through the poultry netting that we use to protect them from predators out on the pastures.  In our first year of operations we used a small enclosure and a mobile coop that allowed us to move the hens to fresh pasture as needed.  We have since switched to permanent coops within very large enclosures.  This is much less labor intensive, less stress on our hens, and still provides them with ample access to fresh grass and insects.  

When you buy eggs from Porter Valley Farms, you are buying pastured eggs from hens that live within enclosures that are large enough to allow the birds to free-range for forage and insects.       

Consider this.  In the United States, USDA free-range regulations currently apply only to poultry and indicate that the hens have been allowed access to the outside.  The USDA regulations do not specify the quality or size of the outside range, nor the duration of time the hens must have access.

The USDA Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) requires that chickens raised for meat have access to the outside in order to receive the free-range certification.  There is no requirement for access to pasture and there may be access to only dirt or gravel.  Free-range chicken eggs, however, have no legal definition in the United States.  Likewise, free-range and pastured egg producers have no common standard on what the terms mean.

When you buy eggs from Porter Valley Farms, you are buying pastured eggs from hens that live within protective enclosures large enough to allow for free-range forage on grass and insects.   

Look at the picture above. The egg on the bottom is a certified organic egg purchased from a national chain supermarket. The egg on the top is one of Porter Valley Farms Rhode Island Red pastured eggs.  You can see the difference and you can certainly taste the difference, but did you know that pastured eggs are healthier for you?  They have…

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2x more omega-3
• 3x more vitamin E
• 7x more beta carotene

So, be sure to buy local and be sure to visit the farm where your eggs are being produced. Find out if they are truly pastured or free-range. Know what you are eating! Call and arrange a visit to our farm. We’d love to show you our operations!

What is a stew hen? 

A stew hen is simply an older chicken that has been processed for consumption. 

Why are they called stew hens? 

As the bird ages, the meat becomes tougher and best results are obtained when cooking the birds in stews and soups (they are also called soup hens).

Do stew hens taste good?

Absolutely! In fact, although the meat gets tougher as the bird ages, it gets more flavorful. Our stew hens are Heritage breed birds which are slower growers and therefore more flavorful than many of the crossbreeds used for egg production at other farms.  

Where do your stew hens come from?

Our laying flock is comprised entirely of Rhode Island Reds. These are dual-purpose heritage breed birds. Dual-purpose means the birds are good layers and big enough to serve as meat birds too. Hens typically start falling off in egg production around the 2-year mark. We cull them from the flock between 2 and 2.5 years of age as new and younger layers are rotated into the flock.

Where can I get one of your stew hens?

Until we have an on-site farm store, we will sell these birds at local venues in our community.  

How do I cook a stew hen?

There are many recipes out there. Just google “stew hen recipes” and you will have plenty from which to choose. Be sure to check back here too as we will be assembling a collection of our favorite recipes. We hope you will have some you can share with us as well! Until then, here is a link to over 138 stewing hen recipes on yummly to get you started…

https://www.yummly.com/recipes/chicken-stewing-hen 

What is a broiler?

A broiler is a chicken that is bred and raised specifically for meat production.  Most broilers have a yellowish skin with white feathers and reach a processing weight in as little as 4 to 7 weeks.  

What is a Cornish-Cross?

A cornish-cross is a broiler that we have raised successfully here at Porter Valley Farms with fantastic results.   This particular breed is a cross between the Commercial Cornish chicken and a White Rock chicken. They were developed for the commercial meat chicken market and have been dominating it for the past fifty years.   Although, these are the same meat birds you find at your local grocery store, when you buy from Porter Valley Farms, you may know you are eating a healthy, humanely-raised, top-quality bird. 

How do broilers from Porter Valley Farms differ from commercial broilers at large chain super markets?

 When our chicks arrive from the hatchery, we begin feeding with a quick-starter grower that is USDA certified organic, non-GMO verified, and stored in a certified safe food/safe feed facility.  It’s an expensive feed, but we are attempting to raise the healthiest and tastiest chickens possible.  Our chickens are also raised in large outdoor pens that provide ample access to fresh grass.  This grass, along with insects, provides a natural forage that is healthy for the chickens and produces a more flavorful meat as well.

How big do these broilers grow?

The dressed weight of these birds will be determined by the processing age of the bird, the care and feed received by the bird, and the sex of the bird (roosters generally weigh more).  We like to process them between 8 and 9 weeks of age as this makes for a good sized fryer.  Our hens typically dress out between 5 and 6 pounds and our roosters between 6 and 7 pounds.

Where can I get one of your broilers?

Same as the stew hens, until we have an on-site farm store, we will sell these birds at local venues in our community.