Frequently Asked Questions
How do I place an order for pasture raised chicken?
Ordering our pasture raised chicken is easy. If you have subscribed to our mailing list, then you will receive an e-mail letting you know when we begin taking orders for the upcoming season, and how to place yours. If you have not subscribed to our list, check out the Ordering Information page on our website for current pricing and availability. You can order whole chickens, just packaged parts, or both in any combination.
When do you take orders?
We process chickens throughout the warm weather months of the year. Roughly 15 weeks before our first planned processing date, we will send out an e-mail to everyone that joined our e-mail list letting them know that we are taking orders. We will also announce we are taking orders on the Ordering Information page of our website. Join our e-mail list to get all of the latest information on our delicious, pasture raised chicken.
What happens if I miss the initial production run?
We raise our chickens throughout the warmer months of the year. If you missed the first production run, which is typically in June, you can always order from the next run. Many of our customers, particularly those with limited freezer space, spread their orders across several months during the summer.
What happens if I get my order in late?
If you get your order in late, we might still be able to fill it. Just send it in like you normally would. We generally produce more chicken than we have orders for, just in case. While we will make every effort to fill late orders, our chicken typically sells out very quickly. If for some reason we cannot accommodate you for a given production run we will contact you as soon as possible and refund your deposit.
Processing day has passed. Can I still get pasture raised chicken from you?
If processing day has already passed, please contact us as we still may have some chicken available. It will be packaged, frozen and ready for your freezer.
Today is the day to pick up my chickens! What do I need to know?
Everything you need to know will be in the e-mail we send out about a week prior to the pick-up date. Please try to arrive during the time slot given in the e-mail to pick up your chicken. Also, please bring something to carry your chickens in! If you only live a couple of minutes away and are going right home, a cardboard box or grocery bag will work. If you live more than a couple minutes away, for food safety reasons, we highly recommend bringing a cooler with ice packs to take your chickens home in. When you get here, we will load your chickens into your coolers, print your receipt and collect final payment. We currently accept cash and personal checks (please make check payable to Ironweed Farm). If you would like a tour of our farm, feel free to ask and one of us will be happy to take you around. As always, if you have any questions before, during or after pick-up, please do not hesitate to contact us.
What do you feed the chickens?
One of the reasons our chickens taste so good is that they are pasture raised here on our farm. As a result, they have constant access to fresh grasses, bugs and worms, 24 hours a day. We supplement this fresh daily salad bar with Hiland Naturals Premium Non-GMO feeds (an Ohio company). We share their belief that healthier feed makes healthier animals, which in turn makes healthier people. Hiland Natural is also a participant in the Non-GMO Project and their feed has been verified as GMO free (verification results readily available to the public). They test for over 100 of the top herbicides and pesticides (including Glyphosate) and make those results readily available to prove their feeds are free of those chemicals and compounds as well.
Ordering our pasture raised chicken is easy. If you have subscribed to our mailing list, then you will receive an e-mail letting you know when we begin taking orders for the upcoming season, and how to place yours. If you have not subscribed to our list, check out the Ordering Information page on our website for current pricing and availability. You can order whole chickens, just packaged parts, or both in any combination.
When do you take orders?
We process chickens throughout the warm weather months of the year. Roughly 15 weeks before our first planned processing date, we will send out an e-mail to everyone that joined our e-mail list letting them know that we are taking orders. We will also announce we are taking orders on the Ordering Information page of our website. Join our e-mail list to get all of the latest information on our delicious, pasture raised chicken.
What happens if I miss the initial production run?
We raise our chickens throughout the warmer months of the year. If you missed the first production run, which is typically in June, you can always order from the next run. Many of our customers, particularly those with limited freezer space, spread their orders across several months during the summer.
What happens if I get my order in late?
If you get your order in late, we might still be able to fill it. Just send it in like you normally would. We generally produce more chicken than we have orders for, just in case. While we will make every effort to fill late orders, our chicken typically sells out very quickly. If for some reason we cannot accommodate you for a given production run we will contact you as soon as possible and refund your deposit.
Processing day has passed. Can I still get pasture raised chicken from you?
If processing day has already passed, please contact us as we still may have some chicken available. It will be packaged, frozen and ready for your freezer.
Today is the day to pick up my chickens! What do I need to know?
Everything you need to know will be in the e-mail we send out about a week prior to the pick-up date. Please try to arrive during the time slot given in the e-mail to pick up your chicken. Also, please bring something to carry your chickens in! If you only live a couple of minutes away and are going right home, a cardboard box or grocery bag will work. If you live more than a couple minutes away, for food safety reasons, we highly recommend bringing a cooler with ice packs to take your chickens home in. When you get here, we will load your chickens into your coolers, print your receipt and collect final payment. We currently accept cash and personal checks (please make check payable to Ironweed Farm). If you would like a tour of our farm, feel free to ask and one of us will be happy to take you around. As always, if you have any questions before, during or after pick-up, please do not hesitate to contact us.
What do you feed the chickens?
One of the reasons our chickens taste so good is that they are pasture raised here on our farm. As a result, they have constant access to fresh grasses, bugs and worms, 24 hours a day. We supplement this fresh daily salad bar with Hiland Naturals Premium Non-GMO feeds (an Ohio company). We share their belief that healthier feed makes healthier animals, which in turn makes healthier people. Hiland Natural is also a participant in the Non-GMO Project and their feed has been verified as GMO free (verification results readily available to the public). They test for over 100 of the top herbicides and pesticides (including Glyphosate) and make those results readily available to prove their feeds are free of those chemicals and compounds as well.
What is the Non-GMO Project?
The Non-GMO Project is an independent, non-profit organization that works to document that products are indeed not genetically modified. A resource for people who want to be more aware of what products contain GMO's, the Non-GMO Project’s verification consists of mandated, regular testing of an applicant’s products. They also work to educate consumers and the food industry, helping build awareness about GMOs and their impact on our health and food systems. One of the inherent risks of genetically modified crops and food items is that they can contaminate non-GMO crops and foods through cross-pollination and/or contamination. The Non-GMO Project also works with food manufacturers, distributors, growers, and seed suppliers to develop a standard for detection of GMOs and for the reduction of contamination risk of the non-GMO food supply with GMOs.
How big will the chickens be?
Our birds generally weigh between 5 – 6 pounds after processing. Unfortunately, we cannot take orders for or guarantee specific weights; the birds just won’t cooperate!
How will the chickens be packaged?
Whole birds are packaged attractively in shrink wrap bags. Packages of parts (thighs, wings, breasts, etc.) are vacuum sealed in heavy plastic envelopes. Both are ready for your freezer and can be frozen for a year or more with no lost of flavor.
Where do you get your chicks?
We get all our chicks from Mt. Healthy Hatcheries, located in Mount Healthy, Ohio. They are a third generation family owned and operated poultry business. The hatchery was started in the mid 1920's by Hugh "Chick" O'Hara (a local pipe fitter) who started out by hatching just a few chicks in his basement for friends and neighbors. From there, Mt. Healthy Hatcheries has grown to produce over 4 million chicks, ducks and game birds annually. Their success has been achieved through a combination of good old fashioned hard work, attention to detail and use of the newest hatching technologies.
Are you “Certified Organic”?
The short answer is no. To be honest, we do not feel we need a government label to deliver a highly nutritious and delicious product, one that’s raised and processed locally, responsibly and humanely.
While not “Certified Organic”, we do organically manage our pastures. We use no chemical fertilizer or pesticides. In fact, the only thing we use on our pastures is the chicken manure from the chickens we raise. Additionally, we use a certified Non-GMO feed and never use antibiotics or growth hormones on our chickens.
Why is pasture raised chicken better for me than store bought chicken?
There are a number of important reasons why pasture raised chicken is better for you than any chicken you can find in a grocery store. Here are some of the more compelling ones:
Our chickens’ diet of grasses, bugs and high quality feed provides them a greater amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. This results in nutrient dense protein which in turn gets pasted on to you.
Our chickens, through the grass they eat, ingest a large amount of chlorophyll which is a natural detoxifier. So, our chickens are a cleaner food for you and your family.
The better diet, fresh air, sunshine and exercise all contribute to the stress free life that our chickens experience. This contributes directly to lower cholesterol levels in the chicken itself and hence, a healthier product for you to eat.
No hormones, steroids or antibiotics are ever used on our chickens. Therefore, no hormones, steroids or antibiotics are ever passed on to you.
Each of our pasture raised chickens is processed by hand on the farm, so transportation stress and fecal contamination is non-existent. Grocery store chickens are processed in high volume by machines. As a result, they require multiple chlorine baths to kill the pathogens that always occurs with this type of processing.
All in all, pasture raised chicken is a healthier product for you and your family to eat. These birds, raised humanely in small batches, receive daily doses of fresh air, sunshine and exercise. They forage on green leafy vegetation and and non genetically modified feed. All of these factors combine to produce a superior product that is much more nutritious and delicious than any chicken you can find in a grocery store. We guarantee it!