Farm
Chickens are very sensitive to temperature.  Before the chicks arrive at the farm, the temperature in the house is raised to 90-92°.  If it’s too hot or too cold, chickens get stressed.  Our houses have cutting-edge electronic systems to monitor conditions around the clock, to provide year-round climate control and to insure optimal temperature and air quality in the house.

Unlike the conditions depicted in Food Inc., ­ we remove all manure and litter, after each flock of chickens, then thoroughly cleans and disinfects the house.  Our houses have cement floors with raised sides.  It makes it easier to clean and guarantees rodents cannot tunnel under the floor and up into the house.  Rodents are the major cause of salmonella and campylobacter, as well as stress, in chickens. The house remains empty for approximately two weeks to make sure any virus life cycle has been broken, then a new bed of clean, wood shavings is laid down...unlike other poultry producers who just add new litter on top of old manure.  Fresh litter and constant fresh air circulation keep dust and ammonia in the house to a minimum. Our chickens do not suffer from hock burns.  These marks are where the ammonia from the waste of other birds has burned through the skin on the bird’s leg.

In this environment our chickens are calm and non-aggressive.  They’re never stressed by being de-beaked or de-spurred and have plenty of room to move about as they choose.  Our farm families even provide ‘toys’ to keep the birds active. Chicks love to play in-and-around cardboard tubing. Older chickens peck at and climb on straw bales, ramps and perches.  At our Bell & Evans’ organic farms, the chickens are free to go outside or take shelter inside the house if the weather is bad.  The outdoor pens are enclosed so no predators can attack the chickens.  These activities encourage the chickens to jump and play...building healthy bodies and strong muscles.  Since Bell & Evans chickens remain active throughout their lives, they rarely suffer from breast blisters, a condition caused when birds spend too much time resting on their breasts.

Raised Without Antibiotics
Raised naturally in a low-stress environment, our chickens start out healthier, so we have no need to pump our birds full of antibiotics throughout their lives.  Some producers say their chickens are antibiotic free, but it only means they were antibiotic free when they’re sold.  It doesn’t mean they weren’t given antibiotics sometime in their life cycle.  Bell & Evans chickens receive no antibiotics, ever.

Feed
Our birds thrive on their all-vegetarian diet.  Well-fed chickens are happy and less-stressed.  Our feed is Bell & Evans’ special blend of locally-grown corn and extruded and expeller-pressed soybeans, blended with essential vitamins and minerals.  And unlike commodity-produced chickens, we never feed our birds junk food such as rendered meat scraps; bone, feather or fish meal; animal fats; expired bakery goods; used cooking oils or grease; or feed additives containing arsenic.  We take the extra step to pelletize the feed, because it makes the feed more digestible and less likely that contaminants enter the food chain.  Each batch is electronically monitored to make sure it meets our formulation standards.