Meet the Team: Adam, Farm Manager at Herb Fed Poultry

 

At Herb Fed Poultry, we believe that great chicken starts with great people. Our free range, herb fed chickens are raised with care, time and attention – and the people behind the scenes play a huge part in making that happen.

Adam is our Farm Manager and spends his days making sure everything runs smoothly on the farm, from caring for the birds to keeping the machinery working and the team organised. We managed to grab a few minutes out of his busy day to find out what life is really like at Herb Fed Poultry – and why he thinks our chickens are so special.

 

What does a typical day on the farm look like for you?

 

“Every morning we all gather over a coffee to discuss what needs doing on the farm for the day. We will then load our trailers up with fresh straw ready to start bedding up each house.

 

We start at opposite ends of the field until all the houses have been checked, bedded up and fed. Of course, with farming, you never quite know what other jobs you will need to do in between!”

 

Adam explains that the mornings are usually spent making sure every chicken house is clean, comfortable and fully stocked with feed and water.

 

“This usually takes us till lunch. In the afternoon we will get on with other jobs such as moving the chicken huts to fresh pasture or doing maintenance on the farm’s machinery.”

 

 

 

What’s the first thing you check on when you start your day?

 

“I normally check that the staff are happy and know what they should be doing for the day.”

 

As Farm Manager, Adam is responsible not only for the birds, but also for the people working alongside him. At Herb Fed Poultry, teamwork is a huge part of daily life.

 

 

 

 

What’s the most rewarding part of working with Herb Fed chickens?

 

“I think the most rewarding part is raising the birds themselves. Despite what people might think, they have real character!

 

It’s also nice to get feedback from customers on how much they’ve enjoyed the chicken – it certainly makes the hard work worthwhile.”

 

At Herb Fed Poultry, we often hear from customers who say they can taste the difference. Raising free range chickens slowly, naturally and with plenty of space to roam creates chicken with exceptional flavour and texture.

 

 

 

 

What makes Herb Fed chickens different from standard poultry?

 

“For me, it’s all about how we produce the birds. We raise the chickens for much longer than your supermarket counterpart. This gives them more time to roam and enjoy their lives whilst on the farm.

 

We also spend a lot of time putting out fresh herbs for the birds to peck at – they certainly favour some herbs more than others. Coriander is their favourite!”

 

This extra time, space and care is what makes Herb Fed Poultry so different from standard poultry. Our chickens are raised more slowly than supermarket chickens, with access to fresh pasture and plenty of herbs to peck at.

 

The result is a bird with better welfare, better flavour and a better life.

 

 

 

 

How did you get into farming?

 

“I fell into poultry at 20 years old whilst looking for work, but it’s now become a career which I enjoy thoroughly.”

 

Like many people in farming, Adam didn’t plan to work with poultry – but once he started, he never looked back.

 

Years later, he is still passionate about the work and proud to be part of the Herb Fed Poultry team.

 

 

 

What do you enjoy most about working as part of the Herb Fed team?

 

“We are a close-knit team. A lot of us are local, so go back way before we joined Herb Fed. I think this makes it a good place to work.”

 

One of the things that makes Herb Fed Poultry special is that it is a genuine family business with a strong local team. Everyone works together and everyone is willing to help, whether that means moving huts, fixing machinery or feeding birds.

 

 

 

What makes this farm special compared to others?

 

“There are several things I would say make it special.

 

We are a family company, so everyone gets involved in whatever work needs to be done – it’s a real joint team effort.

 

Secondly, it’s got to be the way we raise both the chickens and turkeys. It takes some doing, but the amount of care and attention we put into the birds is what sets us apart from other producers.”

 

 

 

 

What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about farm life?

 

“Farming is a day in, day out job – there is never a day when the birds don’t need looking after.

 

This means juggling home and farm life. It can be tricky, but the job always gets done thanks to the team we have here.”

 

Many people imagine farm life as peaceful and quiet, but the reality is that farming is a full-time commitment. Chickens still need feeding, bedding and checking every day, whatever the weather.

 

 

 

If you could describe Herb Fed Poultry in three words, what would they be?

 

“Teamwork, tradition and quality.”

 

We think Adam has summed it up perfectly.

 

At Herb Fed Poultry, everything we do is built around teamwork, traditional farming methods and producing the highest quality free range chicken possible.

 

Keep an eye on our blog for more “Meet the Team” features and behind-the-scenes stories from the farm.