My visit to Georgie Cartanza’s organic poultry farm began with a brief presentation of the poultry industry in Delaware.  We were then taken on a tour of the farm, including the chicken houses, the composter and the generator shed, which holds one of the most vital pieces of equipment on the entire farm.  In the event of a power failure, Georgie explained that she has approximately 20 minutes to restore power using the generator before the chickens begin to suffer adverse effects, up to and including death.

There was a large fenced area between each house which allows the chickens to roam freely during the day once they reach a certain age.  They are provided with shade structures to keep them out of the sun.  This playtime, along with several other specifications, are required to grow organic poultry.

Inside one of the houses, Georgie discussed how the chickens are fed and watered, as well as the role of tunnel ventilation and temperature control, which is closely monitored through a central control system.  She explained that it’s much easier to use this relatively new piece of technology as opposed to manually controlling the temperature in each house.

It was interesting to hear that the chickens are provided with wooden ramps to climb on, and that the lights are turned off for several hours each day to provide them with a period of time to rest.

While I have been exposed to bits and pieces of the poultry industry since I was a kid, I have never been presented with such a comprehensive view of the poultry industry.  I greatly enjoyed my time at Georgie’s farm and found her to be very informative.