Once you've tasted real pastured chicken, the grocery store stuff just doesn't compare. The smart move is buying several birds at once — but how many should you get, and how much space do they take?
How Much Space Does One Bird Take?
A whole pastured chicken from our ranch averages approximately 4 lbs and takes up roughly half a cubic foot of freezer space — about the size of a loaf of bread.
Here's a quick reference for planning:
- 5 birds (~20 lbs): ~2.5 cu ft — fits easily in most fridge freezers
- 10 birds (~40 lbs): ~5 cu ft — fills a standard top-mount freezer
- 20 birds (~80 lbs): ~10 cu ft — needs a small chest freezer or dedicated space
Cut-up birds stack a bit more efficiently than whole birds since the pieces nest together. Spatchcocked birds lay flat and stack well too.
How Many Birds Does Your Family Need?
One whole bird feeds a family of 4 for one meal with leftovers. If chicken is a regular part of your rotation, here's a rough guide:
- Chicken once a week: ~4 birds per month, ~50 birds per year
- Chicken every other week: ~2 birds per month, ~25 birds per year
- Chicken once a month: ~12 birds per year
Our birds are available seasonally, so stocking up when they're available is the way to go. Most of our families buy 10-20 birds at a time to stay stocked between batches.
Whole, Cut-Up, or Spatchcocked?
We offer three processing options, and each one stores a little differently:
- Whole bird (~4 lbs): Classic roasting chicken. Takes the most freezer space but is the most versatile — roast it, break it down yourself, or make stock from the carcass
- Cut-up (~6.5 lbs per pair): Split breasts, bone-in thighs, drumsticks, and wings — each in their own vacuum-sealed pack. Sold in pairs. Pieces stack flat and are grab-and-go convenient for weeknight cooking
- Spatchcocked (~3.6 lbs): Backbone removed, bird flattened. Grills and roasts faster and more evenly. Lays flat in the freezer, stacks neatly
A mix of all three gives you the most flexibility. Whole birds for Sunday dinners, cut-up for quick meals, spatchcocked for grilling. Check our chicken page for current pricing on each option.
Why Pastured Chicken Is Different
Our broilers are raised on pasture with room to scratch, peck, and forage. They eat 100% certified organic feed with no soy — which matters because most commercial chicken feed is soy-based.
The difference shows up in the meat. Pastured chicken has firmer texture, deeper flavor, and a golden color you won't find in the plastic-wrapped birds at the store. The fat is yellow from the forage — that's a sign of a bird that actually lived outside.
These birds take longer to raise than factory broilers, which means we have limited availability throughout the year. That's why buying in bulk and freezing is the smart play.
Freezer Storage Tips for Chicken
- Keep birds in their vacuum seal: Our chickens come vacuum-sealed, which prevents freezer burn and keeps them fresh for months
- Stack flat when possible: Spatchcocked and cut-up packs stack neatly. Whole birds can go in a row like books on a shelf
- Label by type: If you buy a mix of whole, cut-up, and spatchcocked, group them so you can grab the right one without digging
- First in, first out: Put newer birds at the bottom so you use the oldest ones first
How Long Will They Last?
Vacuum-sealed pastured chicken stays good in the freezer for 9-12 months. As long as the seal stays intact and your freezer holds a consistent temperature, you're in good shape.
For thawing, move a bird to the fridge the night before you plan to cook it. A whole bird takes about 24 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Cut-up pieces thaw faster — usually overnight.
Ready to Stock Up?
Our pastured chickens are raised right here on our ranch in Edmonton, Kentucky — organic-fed, soy-free, and raised on open pasture. Order several birds at once and keep your freezer stocked between batches.