Properly Free Range Chicken

Our free range chicken's diet is made up of straightforward cereals (corn, barley and wheat) and grass, with the emphasis on developing a healthy digestive system. Chickens are monogastric animals, which means they can’t survive on pasture alone – their stomach systems are not sophisticated enough to extract the energy and protein they need. This means nutrient-packed grains and proteins are a crucial part of their diet. We do not use any additives or chemicals in our feed. We want our chickens to grow slowly, healthily and lead a properly free range life. Soya is present in the feed for our chickens. We use the minimum amount possible to ensure the welfare of our chickens, this protein is crucial for our birds to thrive while living a properly free range life. Traditionally, fishmeal from local ports and harbours would have been fed to chickens instead of soya, however this was outlawed in the 1996 following the outbreak of BSE. Fishmeal, as a by-product of the local, inshore fishing fleet is a totally sustainable source of 'high quality, protected protein'. With the ban in place, it has meant that our local feed mills have had no option but to use soya. We are hopeful that the ban on the use of fishmeal by-products will be lifted. In the meantime we are actively looking at alternatives such as lupins. It is stimulating the challenge to combine the resourcefulness and skills of our local feed millers with our family farmers working these crops into traditional crop rotations. We will continue to actively seek alternatives to soya and remain hopeful for changes in regulations that will allow us to feed our chickens a completely sustainable diet.

When we founded Pipers Farm 30 years ago our purpose was to produce food that is a pleasure to eat because it tastes fantastic and is grown ethically and in harmony with nature. Every farming decision we make is influenced by those simple objectives.We strongly believe in the principles set out by the original pioneers of the organic movement. However right from the outset, we felt the word ‘organic’ would eventually lose its meaning. The term ‘organic’ has come to be understood by most consumers as grown without synthetic chemicals, which to most people’s surprise, does not always mean that farming practices are sustainable. Sustainability is at the core of our mission here at Pipers Farm. So, to put it simply we decided against adopting the organic certification, instead opting to produce food with our own set of standards and total transparency about what we stand for.

90% of all chickens reared in the UK for meat are kept indoors - in large scale, automated factory units which can hold hundreds of thousands of birds. Only 8% of birds are reared in a 'free range' system and just 2% are reared as 'organic'. You'll notice we do not use any marketing labels for our birds, there’s free-range, and then there’s Pipers Farm - Properly Free Range. The UK farming standards legally required to label a bird as 'free range' are surprisingly low, with birds only required to have access to the outdoors for half their lives. Some may be kept in barns with natural light, and be given 'enrichment devices' such as perches and pecking objects, but it is not a requirement. In contrast, the starting point for the way we rear our poultry is the life we want to give our birds. Our chickens are free to forage, dust bathe, venture and unfurl their feathers, all of which adds up to a healthy, happy bird with a robust bone structure and tendons, and ultimately contributes to the taste and nutritional value.

All our cooking instructions can be found on each of our products pages on our website. Simply search the product and scan down the page to find the cooking instructions. Alternatively, you can phone our friendly customer service team on 01392 881380. They are always on hand to ensure you get the very best out of your Pipers Farm produce. We also have plenty of inspiring recipes on our journal.