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In
1965, the Yellow Chicken of the Landes received the first Label
Rouge in history. To highlight its specific qualities the words
"Free-Range" were added in 1982. This breeding method is
worthy of distinction in that it is the only one which reconciles
organised farming methods and respect for the well-being of the
animals.
Our free-range poultry are free to roam through the forest of the
Landes and are not restricted by fencing of any sort. The secret
behind this success is the imagination of the farmers of the Landes
region, who, many years ago, came up with the idea of a sort of
mobile hen-house called a " Marensine ".
Thanks
to this invention, the breeders
release the chicks
in the heart of the forest so that they are free to develop in the
shade of the pines and ferns.
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By instinct,
the birds prefer to remain in groups and they head back to the Marensine
at nightfall. This shelter is totally mobile. After
cleaning, the breeders set it up on a different site
where the animals will be able to peck in the sandy soil and
vegetation of the undergrowth.
Today, thanks to the exceptional natural space of the Landes,
and to the determination of the Fermiers Landais the survival is assured for a form
of breeding which guarantees poultry of unrivalled flavour.
Their
feed is 100% of vegetable origin and is complemented by what they find
in the wild ( insects, ferns, grasses...
).
Corn
is the main element in their diet (80%) as it is widely grown in the
region. It is produced and stored by the breeders themselves
who crush it before serving it to the chickens in a mixture composed
of soya, alfalfa, vitamins and mineral salts.
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