Happy. Healthy.
What is our philosophy here at Graywhale Farms?
Love Our Chickens
We take our role and responsibility as a hatchery as both an honor and a privilege. Until our chickens grow up and move to their new homes, their needs come first. When we wake up, they’re the first to eat. Before we retire for the evening, they have food and water. Loving the chickens is more than their nutrition.
It’s important for chickens to have enough space to grow and thrive both in their coop and in their pens. Additionally, each one of our coops spends the majority of their day free-ranging. They love foraging and socializing with us and with one another. As they become bigger, we relocate our rare breed chickens to larger pens on our 15-acre farm. When some of the chicks are bullied, we make sure they have an opportunity to be happy and healthy, too. So, they’re relocated to the Bully-Free Zone.
We prioritize positive energy around the chickens. We talk to them, pet them, hold them, and even sing to them. Just like any animal species, chickens let you know when they are happy and healthy — they chirp and coo just like city birds. They’re so quiet.
Love Ourselves
Loving ourselves is part of loving our flock. We encourage each team member to set healthy boundaries through observation, introspection, healthy communication, and rest.
We cultivate an environment that facilitates each team member to be honest with themselves, speak up if they need help, and keep an open and curious mind. Loving yourself means allowing yourself to grow and learn. Chickens teach us many things as does caretaking at the farm, building coops, installing fencing, as well as tending our organic garden — that feeds the team and the chickens.
Love Each Other
Loving one another is the other key component of the Graywhale Farms Way. This means we show respect for one another’s boundaries, roles, and responsibilities as well as empathy and understanding. We also cross-train so we can be able to lend a hand during busy times like veggie harvests or herding a flock to a new coop. We don’t work until exhaustion; rather we all participate in caring for the chickens at Graywhale Farms.
The Serenity is Contagious
Would you ever think that happy chickens would be quiet? Neither did we until we started this venture. Having had full and successful careers in tech, our partners know the realities and dangers of burnout. Coming back to nature, balancing our screen time, and caring for animals allows us to be the best and fullest versions of ourselves. The life lessons are never ending and completely inspiring.
Meet the Partners
Jason Knill, Farmer
Jason runs the chicken hatchery. He is focused on creating a more sustainable lifestyle for families all over the country through a conservation effort with rare and designer chickens.
In his free time, he golfs with a 4 HCP, bow hunts big game, and targets Cow Pacific Bluefin offshore.
Bridget Willard, Sings to Chickens
Being part of the Graywhale story has completely changed her own. Bridget moved to Sturgeon Bay so she can hatch chickens, sing to them, and take chicken selfies. How fun is that?
In her free time, Bridget enjoys watching sports with Diesel the Cat, chatting with people in town, and reading books.
Graywhale Farms is Making Families Happy and Healthy.
When searching for backyard chickens, we have happy, healthy rare-breed chickens. We focus on diet, environment and time with our flock.
Graywhale Farms is on a mission to increase sustainability for families around the country. From our farm to your homestead, backyard and kitchen