Introduction

My name is Taylor, and Carolina Pines is my hobby farm that focuses on sharing my passion for rare poultry with hobby chicken keepers and breeders alike. Adhering to the Standard of Perfection is only second to my birds health and happiness. I treat my birds like pets - they all have names, and I respect their individual personalities. Unlike many commercial hatcheries or large scale breeders who produce chickens to make a quick buck. I breed for preservation, and show. Because of this, my flocks of carefully selected breeding birds are fairly small, and I only allow the very best into my breeding programs. My chickens deserve a healthy, natural life - they are bred for disease resistance and hardiness. With that being said, there is simply no replacement for some vaccines. All of my birds and chicks are vaccinated for Mareks disease.

Ethical Breeding

I believe that the choice to breed any animal comes with a moral responsibility to do so as ethically as possible. Because of this, I do not dispatch chicks or chickens due to appearance only. Chickens that do not meet or exceed my standards, and SOP for the breed, are not allowed into my or anyone else’s breeding program, but they are not euthanized due to purely aesthetic reasons. Culling is still big part of my breeding practices, but this comes in the form of ensuring culls are never bred. I am able to operate this way by having started with the absolute best stock I could find, and only allowing the best birds into my breeding program thus minimizing the number of “culls” I produce. I sell or gift all culls to folks who raise chickens for eggs, have pet backyard flocks, or who raise chickens humanely for meat. With that being said, I put extra care into ensuring they go to homes where they will not be bred, which otherwise would have a negative impact on the breed overall.

The Life of my Birds

My farm is nestled on 10 lush acres of forest and field in Eastern NC. The pond and trickling streams create a thriving ecosystem that our chickens love. While they free range on a rotating basis, they scavenge for bugs, dig natural dust baths for themselves, and perch on branches in the trees. Sometimes I’ll find them splayed out in the grassy field soaking up the sun. All the chickens are fed a bountiful diet that consists mostly of a locally milled high protein game bird feed, as well as live insects, fermented feed, home-grown fodder and fruits. My husband often takes them leftovers and kitchen scraps. Chicks are fed chick crumble until they are 12 weeks old, and they are given live crickets and garden scraps as treats starting at 8 weeks. Many other creatures have made their homes here, some of which are predators to chickens. Sufficient cover, protective roosters, and secure housing keeps them safe from a variety of predators from birds of prey, to common raccoons and coyotes. My wonderful dog, Oliver, keeps a close eye on all the chickens anytime he is outside with me. I strive to create a “chicken heaven” for the birds in order to keep them as healthy and happy as possible.

Around the Farm