What Is Pastured Poultry?

When it comes to choosing poultry, the labels can be confusing — “cage-free,” “free-range,” “organic,” and more. But if you're looking for chicken and eggs raised the way nature intended, pastured poultry stands apart.

Pastured Poultry, Defined

Pastured poultry refers to chickens, turkeys, or other fowl that are raised outdoors on pasture, where they can forage for bugs, worms, seeds, and grasses. Unlike industrial poultry operations, where birds are confined indoors for their entire lives, pastured birds have daily access to fresh air, sunlight, and soil — and that makes all the difference.

At Creswick Farms, our poultry are moved regularly to fresh pasture using mobile shelters. This ensures they have a clean environment, access to nutrient-dense forage, and protection from predators and the elements. It's farming that honors the animal, the land, and your plate.

How It’s Different from “Cage-Free” or “Free-Range”

• Cage-free birds aren't in cages, but they still live indoors in crowded barns.

• Free-range means birds may have access to the outdoors, but it doesn’t guarantee they actually go outside — or that the “range” is anything more than a small, bare patch.

• Pastured poultry, by contrast, lives primarily on pasture. It’s a return to traditional farming — birds grazing, scratching, and moving under the sun.

Why It Matters

• Healthier Birds: Living naturally on pasture promotes stronger immune systems and lower stress.

• More Nutritious: Studies show pastured poultry and eggs often have higher levels of omega-3s, vitamins A and E, and lower cholesterol than conventional poultry.

• Better Flavor: Our customers tell us they can taste the difference — the meat is richer, more satisfying, and just feels right.

• Better for the Land: Pastured systems build soil health through natural fertilization and rotational grazing, reducing the need for chemical inputs.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

At Creswick Farms, we believe your food should come from farmers who care about their animals and the land. That’s why we raise our poultry the way it should be — on pasture, with plenty of space to roam, forage, and thrive.

Come taste the difference that real, responsible farming makes. Visit us at the farm or check out our pastured poultry products online!