Decades ago, the College operated a large poultry farm near campus. After it closed in the 1980s, there were no chickens raised on the Farm for a time. In 2009, as part of the ANR course Animal Science, students raised a small number of chickens on the Farm. In the years following, poultry production increased. The Farm currently produces eggs, broiler chickens and turkeys.
Life on the Farm
The Farm produces around 2,500-3,000 broilers (meat chickens) annually. Production begins in the spring and continues into fall, avoiding the colder months. When the chicks arrive at the Farm, they are raised in a heated brooder until they’re old enough to move out to the pastures. The broiler chickens are fully pasture-raised after leaving the brooder, in line with the Berea College Farm’s commitment to humane and ethical practices. The birds are divided into groups and placed in large chicken tractors, which are moved daily. The mobile units provide shelter from adverse weather, as well as protection from predators. Chickens produced on the Farm are sold through the Farm Store and to the Dining Hall.
The Farm is also home to a flock of 200–300 layer chickens. The layers are pasture-raised in a fenced-in area with a large “egg-mobile” that provides shelter, perches and nesting boxes. The shelter and fence get moved each week to provide fresh pasture. During the winter months, the layers are moved indoors for protection from the weather and to prevent the eggs from freezing.
Feed for chickens and turkeys is milled on the Farm and comprised of corn, soybeans, and a vitamin and mineral premix. A balanced diet provides all the nutrients essential to optimal growth. Students working with poultry have the opportunity to participate in all areas of chicken and turkey production. These opportunities include grinding feed, working on shelters, installing and maintaining watering systems, rotating the flocks through fresh pastureland and evaluating the animals’ overall health.
Farm to Table
One hundred turkeys are raised on pasture and marketed through the Farm Store in the fall. Laying hens supply eggs for the Farm Store, the College Dining Hall, Boone Tavern, and locally owned Native Bagel.