Honor the Bird, Honor the Planet

Here at Kaya Bird, we foster a reconnection to our food by honoring the birds we raise while simultaneously focusing on nature to guide our agricultural practices. 

How do we honor the bird?

We start by giving our birds a great life. Our pasture-raised Freedom Ranger chickens live in mobile coops that provide them with safety, fresh grass, bugs, air, and sunshine every day.  Free to move about each spacious coop, every bird gets to engage in their natural behavior.  We practice pasture rotation, this means that we move each coop to fresh pasture constantly, keeping the birds in a clean and exciting environment.  One of the best things is watching the birds go after bugs and forage in the grass after they have been moved! They are provided with water and supplemental organic feed just to make sure they never go without.  When their big day comes, they are dispatched by us, on the farm, in a respectful and humane way.  We strive to use the whole bird whether that be as food or as an important part in compost.  

How do we honor the planet?

We focus on soil. As we rotate our chickens through the pasture they leave behind rich nuggets of poop that feed the soil.  Did you know that chicken poop has all 13 essential elements for optimal plant growth!? Freedom Ranger chickens are also good foragers and when they scratch the surface of the soil looking for bugs and worms, it helps to delicately aerate the soil without disturbing the abundant life further beneath their feet.  A chickens’ natural behavior actually helps build organic matter in the soil and when soil begins to thrive, the ecosystem around it follows. This form of raising birds falls under the umbrella term of Regenerative Agriculture. Our birds regenerate our soils with each poop and scratch they make!  It is simply amazing that when you humanely pasture-raise and rotate chickens, you directly do right by the earth.  This is how we honor the bird and honor the planet every day.

What is in the name?

Kaya Bird is named after a dog.  Yes!  A dog!  Probably one of the best dogs you would ever meet! Kaya was the sort of dog that looked into your soul.  She made lasting connections with everyone she met.  She belonged to my brother and together the two of them shared so many adventures.  On these adventures, she loved to chase squirrels, the occasional skunk, and even more occasional bear!  Running free in the wilderness of California she lived the life she deserved.  Kaya loved everyone and everyone loved her.  She was the sort of positive, uniting force that went beyond her existence, and I think about that each day I raise my birds.