Chicken

Our table birds

The way most chicken in this country is produced for meat is quite honestly shocking. Birds are bred to simply eat and eat to the point that they can't support their own weight because their legs have not be used enough. Even free range chickens are designed to fatten up very quickly (12 weeks tops) and rarely display natural chicken behaviour such as foraging and scratching.

Due to the selection of our breeds, our birds reach an excellent table weight with an entirely free range life where much of the day is spent wandering around and scratching in the grass.  They take a little longer then the modern breeds (we slaughter at between 4 and 5 months) but their active life and varied diet produces a far superior flavour and texture to the meat.

We charge £15 for a whole chicken, which usually weighs around 2kg and will feed 4-6 people.  This may sound a lot, compared to supermarket prices, but please compare our prices online (with similar products eg. Organic or free range) and you will see that it is actually quite reasonable; we feed quality food and our welfare standards are, in our view, as good as they get. You really do get what you pay for and once you have tasted our chicken meat we believe you will be back for more!

Please contact us for further information about when we will next have chicken available to buy.

Raising your own table birds

We are hoping to run one day courses in rearing your own table birds, starting next year. If you are interested please see our courses page for further details and dates.

Egg to Oven scheme

We hatch chicks regularly both in incubators and under broody hens.  Similar to our 'Farrow to Fork' scheme, you can buy one of our chicks at hatching and receive regular updates during it's life, with pictures of it scratching around and displaying happy chicken behaviour. If you live locally or are on holiday in Cornwall you are welcome to visit your chicken here at Gilbury. Yours will be individually identifiable by a coloured ring on it's leg, so you will know the updates relate to your chicken.  Once your chicken is old enough it will be humanly slaughtered prepared for roasting (or into joints as per your requirements) and delivered to you.

It's a great way of knowing exactly where your chicken has come from and how it was raised and gives children a healthy appreciation of the food chain and animal welfare. Furthermore you will be doing your bit to help preserve the Indian Game breed and the Light Sussex breed, both traditional British rare breeds. How about buying a loved one a chick or two as a birthday or Christmas present?

The cost is the same as for a whole chicken, £15, but we require a 50% deposit on booking and the remaining 50% before delivery.