One of the most important things we grow is the connection between our community and their food sources. We’re nurturing that connection with the return of one of our favorite programs, Feathered Fosters. This April, bring home a pair of newly hatched broiler chicks and care for them for seven days!
Many area farms have noticed a trend in recent years of folks looking to re-home chicks and ducklings purchased from feed stores as a spring novelty. We agree that baby poultry are adorable, but we know how quickly their needs change as they grow! Instead of buying chicks and struggling to place them later, consider fostering a pair of our Cornish cross hatchlings. These birds are being raised in partnership with our farming friends, Moutoux Orchards, as part of their humane livestock program. Through fostering, you are actively participating in local agriculture.
The Farm will give you information and materials you’ll need to keep your new feathered friends healthy during their stay- you provide the love! Your foster chicks will come with a box to house them for the week, food, bedding, and instructions for their care. You’ll need to choose a place for the box inside your home that is free of drafts and safe from curious pets. Baby chicks cannot effectively regulate their own body temperature, so your box will also need to be properly set-up with a desk lamp and 100w incandescent bulb for extra warmth.
Through this program, your family can have a truly memorable ‘hands-on’ learning experience in the joys and responsibilities of caring for baby livestock animals. We hope you develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the way Willowsford Farm raises our own livestock. Our mission, as always, is to nurture both the land and animals in our care; we invite you to share that mission with us for this special week.
Advance reservations through our online calendar are required. Chicks and their supplies may be picked up at Willowsford Farm Stand on Saturday April 18th between 11 AM and 1 PM; please return them to the Farm Stand on Saturday April 25th between 11 AM and 1 PM.
