The red ranger chickens enjoying the fresh grass of their tractor pen. (Contributed photo by Laura Berlage)

The red ranger chickens enjoying the fresh grass of their tractor pen. (Contributed photo by Laura Berlage)

“How many birds do we have on the farm right now?” I wondered aloud at the breakfast table the other morning. Late June is when we’re at our peak for poultry numbers, as everyone has either arrived in the mail or been hatched from the incubator, and butchering season doesn’t start until late July.

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