Veldt reared

Veldt Reared husband and wife team Steph and Rob have a small family farm located in Somerset West, and they have recently moved to Wolseley to extend their regenerative farming there. They will continue managing both farms.

"Chicken the way nature intended // Always outside, in the veldt, with fresh air, sunshine, organic and no other weird stuff. When we say PASTURE REARED CHICKEN - we mean it. Every single one of our chicks spend the majority of their lives on fresh pastures and fynbos, where we rotate them to fresh forages every single day once they big enough and have feathers. This allows them to peck and scratch for bugs, worms, grasses, seeds, flowers, weeds all day every day in the open air."

Their farming approach is that of regeneration, where the land is nurtured, food production is humane and the soil’s natural ecosystems are allowed to flourish. Their chickens grow at a slower, more natural and healthier rate, producing the most tender and delicious chicken meat.

*They mix their chicken feed sourced from Eddie's Eggs or Profile Feeds with individually sourced ingredients, ensuring they get the range of nutrients they need.

Feed from Profile feeds is GM free grain, however it is mixed in a factory which also makes GM feed. For this reason, there can be traces of contamination. Feed from Eddie's is certified GM free. GM grain is glyphosate resistant. This means it is grown in order to resist large doses of the very toxic pesticide roundup/glyphosate. Therefore, GM free grain is grain that is not glyphosate resistant, which means little to no glyphosate is used in the growing of that grain.

They are able to capitalise on the economies of scale of their main business, selling day old chickens to bring us great prices for regeneratively farmed chicken.

Q1: Can you tell us a bit about your farm and where it’s located? Our farm is a small family-run operation started on Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West. We then moved our regenerative farming practices to our family farm outside Wolseley, where we have 18.7 hectares with 2 cows, 37 sheep, 34 pigs and around 5000 chickens. This allows us to grow while staying true to our principles of sustainable and humane farming to offer quality meat.

Q2: What do you mean by Pasture Reared Chicken"? When we say "Pasture Reared Chicken," we really mean it! Our chickens spend the majority of their lives outdoors, in the veldt, enjoying fresh air, spring water and sunshine. Once they are big enough and have their feathers, we rotate them daily to fresh pastures and fynbos. This natural environment allows them to peck and scratch for bugs, worms, grasses, seeds, flowers, and weeds all day, every day.

Q3: How does your approach to farming contribute to the well-being of the chickens and the environment? Our farming approach is rooted in regeneration. We nurture the land, allowing the soil’s natural ecosystems to flourish. Our chickens grow at a slower, more natural rate, which is healthier for them and results in tender, delicious meat. By allowing the land to regenerate and practicing humane food production, we create a sustainable cycle that benefits both the environment and our chickens.

Q4: What do you feed your chickens, and how do you ensure they get the nutrients they need?  We mix our chicken feed with individually sourced ingredients to ensure they receive a balanced range of nutrients. We source our Non GMO feed from  Profile Feeds. We’re committed to providing our chickens with the best possible nutrition and GM-free grain is crucial because it is not resistant to glyphosate, a highly toxic pesticide found in GM crops. We do send feed samples a few times a year for independent Glyphosate testing to ensure that the feed is not contaminated. By using GM-free grain, we minimize the use of glyphosate, promoting healthier crops and, in turn, healthier feed for our chickens. This aligns with our commitment to sustainable and regenerative farming practices.

Q6: How does your main business help in keeping prices affordable for regeneratively farmed chicken?  We’re able to offer great prices for our regeneratively farmed chicken by capitalizing on the economies of scale from our main business, which involves selling day-old chickens. This allows us to manage costs effectively while maintaining our commitment to high-quality, ethically farmed chicken.

Q7: How do you manage your chickens in winter? We put little wood burners in the moving mobiles to keep them warm. The chickens love them! They still are smaller since chickens put more into feather production during winter, so it’s an education with our buyers that they should expect slightly smaller birds.