LIVESTOCK & PRODUCTION
Status: DEVELOPING — commercial RLF poultry production has not yet begun.
Poultry is central to the early RLF production plan because it can generate food and customer relationships earlier in the farm’s development while fitting portable, pasture-based systems.
Pasture-raised broilers
The current approved broiler design is based on approximately 300 birds per production batch divided among four human-movable pasture shelters designed for approximately 75 birds each.
Dividing a batch among four smaller units instead of one large tractor is intended to keep daily movement practical, spread animals more evenly across pasture, reduce the consequences of a single equipment problem, and preserve flexibility if field layout requires the group to be managed differently.
The 300-bird figure is a planning batch size, not a current production claim or guaranteed future capacity. Chick orders, feed requirements, pasture availability, processor dates, weather, labor, customer demand, and operating cash will be checked before each production cycle.
Laying hens
A laying flock is part of the early farm plan. Eggs can provide recurring local demand and help establish predictable customer relationships, but flock size will be tied to housing, predator protection, winter management, feed economics, and demonstrated sales rather than to a fixed number in a planning document.
As food sales become available, customer-facing egg sales are expected to route through Cricket Hill Farmstand channels such as farmers markets, scheduled pickup, delivery, standing orders, or subscriptions.
Turkeys
Turkey production is planned as a separate complementary enterprise. Heritage turkey lines are of particular interest because of their production characteristics and potential market story, but exact breed or line, launch timing, processing pathway, batch size, and pricing remain under development.
Seasonal turkey reservations should not be offered until production, processing, regulatory, and demand gates are satisfied.
Poultry on pasture
Where conditions support it, poultry may follow grazing livestock as part of the broader nutrient-cycling and pasture-management system. Actual timing will depend on pasture conditions and animal needs rather than a fixed calendar.