Every year Windy Woods Farm does a batch of meat chickens. We have always used a Cornish Cross breed as they are bred to be meatier and grow fast. Some people are amazed we take on this chore, but honestly… although they are a lot of work while we have them, the time from baby chick to butcher is usually 7 to 8 weeks. Not bad for your own homegrown meat!

We also chose the Cornish Cross breed because they don’t look like other chickens. They have a white domestic-bird look while our laying hens are colorful with rich plumage. This makes them a little easier to raise as food and less likely our kids will become attached.

Cornish Cross chickens also do not behave like other chickens. They are a little more awkward and quite silly to watch. We actually call them our little “monsters” as they are little eating machines that stumble over each other in their haste to get to their food.

This year we increased the size of their pen and put them out in the pasture. After spending a month indoors with heat lamps and water-trough pens – we were all glad to have them out in the fresh sunshine!