Pastured Chicken — Gray Acres Farm, Paonia, Colorado

Our philosophy comes down to respect for our birds. We know their destiny is to end on our plate, so we take all the measures we can to ensure they enjoy their time on earth. From day one, we give them all the amenities to thrive: a warm brooder, fresh pine shavings, and clean air. Then, they move out onto our lush pasture once they are feathered enough to withstand the mountain nights.

Day-old chicks under the red glow of the brooder lamp

Young birds on green grass, feathered out and on pasture

Free-Range only requires a farm to provide “access to the outdoors,” which typically translates to a tiny door at the end of a HUGE chicken house where the birds poke their heads out. We go above and beyond moving our birds daily so they get fresh grass and bugs. This provides the soil rest, an integral key to soil health, a time to take in the nutrients from the birds and grow new foliage. Better for the birds, better for the soil, better for you.

Three white broilers on green grass at sundown, the chicken tractors behind them

Once the time has come, we hand select, dress, and package our friends, converting their life into sustenance and completing the circle.

Why are our birds the best?

You can find our birds scratching for bugs, sun bathing in early morning rays, and breathing fresh mountain air. They live their days out on fresh grass, and simply get to be chickens. This peaceful lifestyle translates to an unparalleled meat that will nourish and satisfy.

Broilers settled in long grass at golden hour, the edge of a chicken tractor above them

Try it, you’ll like it.

Come by our self-serve farm store to pick up the best chicken you’ve ever had.

Where do I go?: 12273 Crawford Road in Paonia. Heading South on Crawford Road you’ll crest the first hill after passing Back River Road and take a right. There are two drive-ways that split our little farm; after parking, take the bottom road to the white two-story building on the back-side of our house. Enter through the glass room on the bottom floor on the South side of the building.
How does it work?: You’ll enter our Farm Store with frozen birds, cuts, chicken fat, and various other products in a stand-up freezer. You can Venmo, Paypal, or leave us cash or check in the mailbox on the wall on your way out.
When can I come by?: Come by during daylight. We are often around, but folks come in and out all the time.

Map of the farm off Crawford Road: parking on the right, the home in the centre with the dairy kitchen and retail store behind it, the gut hut for wholesale pick-ups, the goat barn, and the garden

For more information, visit us at MountainBird.co.