Processing Day: From Pasture to Plate

Every farm has its rhythm, a cadence that pulses through the seasons, shaping our work and our lives. One of the most significant beats in that rhythm at 7 Arrow Ranch is processing day—the day our pasture-raised chickens make their final journey from the field to the freezer, ready to nourish your family, and ours.

It Starts the Day Before

Processing day actually begins the day before. When we process more than 60 chickens at a time, we take them out to Windy Meadows Farm, a USDA-inspected facility, and the same place we purchase the chicks from. They are much more efficient than I am, so it's worth the drive! Processing Day for them is on Wednesdays. So we begin our ritual on a Tuesday.

We pull the chickens’ feed 24 hours in advance. This might seem like a small step, but it makes a big difference—it ensures a cleaner, smoother processing experience. Less feed in their system means less mess, making the process more efficient and sanitary.

That same day, we also set out the transport crates next to their pens. Chickens are creatures of habit, and anything new can make them wary. By letting them get used to the sight of the crates ahead of time, we reduce their stress when it’s time to load them up.

The Early Morning Load-Up

Wednesday morning begins at 4:30

AM. I need a bit of caffeine to get me started that early in the morning, especially with the long drive ahead of me. By 5 AM, Darrin and I are out in the field. The world is still dark and quiet, and so are the chickens.

While they’re still half-asleep, we move swiftly and gently, gathering them into the crates. Catching chickens is no small task, but in the pre-dawn hours, they’re calmer and easier to handle—less stress for them and less chasing for us.

Once they’re loaded, I hit the road, usually solo. Today, my son Noah woke up at 4:30 to help Darrin and I load chickens, and to join me on this adventure. Darrin is an engineer who moonlights as a farmer 😂, and we have other kids at home who need supervision.

The processor is more than two hours away, so I settle in for a long drive, often in silence, watching the sun rise over the fields.

Waiting in Limbo

The birds are dropped off between 7 and 8 AM. I back up the trailer, usually with LOTS of guidance, unload the crates, and then... I wait. Processing takes anywhere from five to seven hours, and since driving home just to turn around again isn’t practical, I camp out in the local Walmart parking lot.

This in-between time is its own ritual. I wash my hands for the first time since waking up, grab some snacks for breakfast, eventually eat some lunch, and catch up on reading about marketing, or listening to podcasts about marketing. Basically I go to school. 😂 It’s a strange kind of limbo—being neither here nor there, waiting for the call that it’s time to head back.

The Return Journey

When the processor calls, it’s time to pay the bill, load up the finished birds, and drive home. The freezer in the trailer is already prepped with ice, keeping everything at the right temperature. By the time we pull back into the farm, it's been a long day, but the work isn’t over yet.

We roll the freezer into the garage, plug it in, and set it to "refrigerate" mode. This step helps the meat chill slowly, ensuring better quality. The next evening, we switch it to "freeze."

Bringing It Full Circle

By the weekend, it’s time for inventory. Every item is counted, every number updated in the online farm store. When Monday arrives, the store opens, and you can once again place your orders, bringing our pasture-raised poultry to your table.

The Bigger Picture

Processing day isn’t easy. It’s long, physically demanding, and full of logistics. But it’s also a necessary part of what we do, and a responsibility we take seriously. It's an honor, truly, to be able to do thongs this way, the way we feel our Lord God has called us to raise these animals. Each bird represents months of care, daily paddock moves, a balanced ration, fresh air, sunshine, and a life well-lived.

When you choose pasture-raised chicken, you’re choosing more than just food. You’re choosing a way of farming that respects the animal, the land, and the people who make it happen.

And when you crack open that first package of our chicken, ready to cook up a nourishing meal for your family, know that every step of the journey was handled with care—from the pastures of 7 Arrow Ranch to your plate.