How Piddle Valley Chicken came to be…
When Kev was a young lad, he used to rear pheasant chicks in the summer for a chap named Paul. Paul & Kev began to rear 50 chickens for the table a couple of times a year friends, family and their own freezer. No chicken could compare to the taste of their own, and if they found their chicken this tasty then surely other people would too?
Kev started to supply half a dozen local shops, butchers and pubs in the summer of 2015. Both Kev and his wife Jenna had full time jobs and so they had to squeeze the work on the farm in after hours and at the weekends. Jenna was chief chicken plucker and the delivery driver – making deliveries in her lunch breaks and after work!
As they established their outstanding reputation their flock size slowly increased to meet the customer demand, and they now have over 25 customers.
What do the chicken get up to?
From sunrise to sunset the chicken of Piddle Valley have total free range over 12 acres of lush pasture. Jenna says that they seem to like to roam furthest from their houses in the mornings – as if they are racing to see who can eat the best bugs! They are excited in the mornings like cattle let out in the Spring, stretching and flapping their wings. On a daily basis Kev checks the chickens are safe, have fresh water, plenty of food, clean beds and are happy. He takes great pride in his job as a chicken farmer and this shows in the quality of the meat he produces.
Where do the chicken live?
After every flock the houses are moved to keep the pasture fresh as they soon eat off the grass and clover that is close by. The houses do not contain any wood and are regularly pressure washed with disinfectant to ensure that they are always clean.
How long do they live for?
Piddle Valley chicken are more than twice the age of a typical intensively reared chicken that you would find in the supermarket. The chicken live happy lives, Kev and Jenna waste lots of time sitting amongst them and watching them explore and how they interact. Jenna says that there is definitely a pecking order! The younger chicken in particular are very inquisitive and enjoy climbing and jumping off anything and everything! Kev and Jenna now have their own little chick Alice who is 9 months old. She finds the chicken very entertaining, especially when they flap their wings and follow them across the field! Jenna says that sometimes Alice flaps her arms and legs about so much that she wonders if she thinks she is a chicken! If Kev is busy with processing, Jenna and Alice along with the help of their dogs will let the chicken out each morning. The dogs and the chicken get on well and the chicken aren’t afraid to put the dogs in their place with a peck on the nose!
This hardworking family truly love what they do and it shows in the incredible product they produce! Support your local chicken farmer by shopping with us today
