Pastured Poultry
Pastured Turkeys
Randle Farms will be offering something new for the holiday seasons this year: pastured turkeys. The turkeys will be heritage breeds, originating from the American wild turkey, perfected and grown for hundreds of years for their hardiness and intelligence.
There's a good chance you've never tasted a heritage turkey, or don't remember it if you have. They were completely replaced by the Broad Breasted White turkey in industrial production by the 1960's, which means it's been 50 years since you could find them in the grocery store. If you can't remember Thanksgiving 1959, the taste was richer and fuller, with more dark meat, and far juicier. The difference is in the genetics, which cause the bird to grow about twice as slow as an industrial bird.
The difference is also in how these turkeys live. The birds raised and processed on our farm will live almost identically to the wild turkeys that now roam our pastures. They will be given the freedom to be turkeys, providing you with a product that not only tastes great, but one you can feel comfortable supporting and serving at your table.
More Information about Heritage Turkeys
100% Alabama Born and Raised
Our turkeys will be hatched in Cullman Alabama by Buzbee Hatcheries. We are excited about working with another small Alabama farm to deliver a superior product to you.
Pastured Chicken
Our chickens are 100% Alabama born and raised, hatched by S & G Poultry in Clanton, AL. The chicks they provide for us are perfect for growing on pasture, and grow almost twice as slow as the factory birds sold in the grocery store. They are better suited for the climate here and have a fuller taste with less fat.
Pastured Duck
We raise two types of ducks on the farm: Khaki Campbells for egg production and Pekins for meat. The ducks are grown in the same way as our chickens and turkeys. They are extremely alert, and protect our other birds from any danger by running from anything that moves.
Our Production Model
All animals on Randle Farms are raised humanely, with respect as fellow living creatures. Our birds are fed locally grown grain when possible. We do not feed animal proteins, and the birds never come in contact with chemicals or additives. We strive to produce a healthy, contented flock in a stress-free environment, which eliminates the need for medications and chemicals, and provides the best meal for your table and ours.
Our birds are raised Salatin-style, by the production models set forth by Joel Salatin on Polyface Farms in Virginia. Birds are rotated throughout our pastures, foraging for fresh grass and insects. This reduces the amount of feed bought, and reduces the amount of fat on the finished bird. The birds live in a house which is opened during the day to let them range at will. These houses are moved as the birds exhaust the resources of the area, allowing the pasture to recover and the birds to reap the most benefit from the land.
From the moment the birds arrive on the farm (around one week after they are born), they will remain on the farm until purchased by a customer. We process all the birds ourselves on the farm, so there is no possibility of cross-contamination from other farms or the mistreatment of our animals in a factory slaughterhouse.