08/30/2026
We finally put our 8-week-old Hogwaller chicks on the scale today, and the hard work is paying off. After a few years of selective breeding, we finally have these dual-purpose lines exactly where we want them.Our Northern Rocks came in at 14.12 oz, and the Northern Rangers are all the way up at 19.55 oz. That's well over a pound at just two months old, which is exactly where we want them on their growth curve.Now, I know a lot of people will say, "but commercial meat birds are done and processed at 8 weeks." We get that. But while those fast industrial birds are running up massive grain bills, these Hogwaller birds cost us next to nothing to feed because they entirely forage on pasture. We put (4) 2.5-gallon feeders of broiler mash out a week ago, and they haven’t even touched it. They are completely ignoring the bag feed to go out and find their own food. They’ve taken over our post-harvest garden plot right now, clearing out bugs and turning the soil for us for free.Unlike commercial meat birds that suffer from leg blowouts, heart issues, and constant health defects from growing too fast, these birds are built to live. They actually live instead of dying on you. We have selectively bred them specifically for our tough northern weather, so they are incredibly robust, highly active, and have solid bone and feather structure. They are tracking perfectly to hit that 4 to 5-pound dressed carcass sweet spot at 20 weeks naturally, without the health problems or the massive feed store bills. Plus, they taste way better than anything you can buy in a store, producing a great carcass with deep, authentic flavor and that rich yellow pasture fat.And you can't forget about the eggs. Since these are true dual-purpose lines, the hens that you keep will turn right around and stock your incubator or kitchen with a steady supply of high-quality eggs.Because this is a brand new line for this year, this upcoming spring will be the very first time anyone else can get their hands on them. We will be offering a limited batch of day-old, straight-run chicks as a mixed bag blend from our top pasture-proven lines. They are going to produce excellent, winter-hardy dual-purpose birds.I'll post pricing and reservation details as we get closer to spring, but drop a comment below if you want to be on the first notification list when orders open!
