Your Farmer's Opinion on Bird Flu + Local Source of Soy-Free & Organic Feed!

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March 1, 2025

Good morning from the farm!

With Bird Flu in the news, egg prices soaring, and bare store shelves in some places, I thought you might be interested on what things are looking like here on the farm and what my perspective is on HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza)!😀

Bird Flu

Avian influenza is found in virtually all wild waterfowl in it's low pathogenic form, but when it mutates to the highly pathogenic form (such as the current outbreak of H5N1) it can be deadly for poultry — especially those with compromised immune systems...

Over 95% of eggs in the U.S. come from confinement poultry farms where the the chickens are confined in a barn with contaminated air and NO sunlight.

The thing is that Avian Influenza is particularly sensitive to ultra-violet radiation which is exactly what is found in direct sunlight!

There are several things in our outdoor, pasture based model of raising chickens that contribute to a lower chance of contacting Avian Influenza:

#1 Sunlight - I can look out from my desk right now and see our laying hens outside their winter housing enjoying the sunshine! The sun is nature's sanitizer — the more the merrier!

#2 Less Stress - Most commercial egg farms provide only 1.25 sq. ft. per hen of indoor housing space (including commercial pasture raised farms). Our hens are enjoying over double the amount of space inside the coop and plenty of area outside to enjoy as the weather allows! Just like humans, less stress promotes a stronger immune system.

#3 No GMO's - GMO feeds "may predispose the birds to inflammation, immune stress and microbial imbalance" according to APPPA (American Pastured Poultry Producers Association).

#4 No Vaccines, Antibiotics... or other immune system compromising toxins!

The unfortunate thing is how the government is trying to control the disease — by complete extermination of all the chickens in a flock if one hen tests positive. The problem with this (from my farmer perspective) is that the chickens that would have survived and built immunity are killed along with the rest of them - so there is no way to strengthen the genetics for the future...

It's important to realize that Avian Influenza is found in virtually all wild waterfowl, and short of exterminating all wild populations, it's not going to be going away anytime soon.

In my opinion, the commercial egg production model is fundamentally flawed resulting in immunocompromised chickens. The future for a more stable and resilient food system starts with smaller flocks of chickens being outside and on healthy pasture in their natural environment!

You as the consumer are in the drivers seat for making this change to the food system — by investing your food dollars in small family farms instead of huge national corporations!👏❤️

Does bird flu impact the eggs?

From what I've seen, the risk of contacting the bird flu from eggs is extremely minimal, so using your usual cleanliness standards is what I would recommend.

Our Egg Supply

Thankfully our flock of hens has been laying extremely well this winter so we have a good supply of eggs right now! It has been exciting to hear from at least one customer how she can handle our soy-free eggs just fine but other eggs don't settle very well with her. It's always encouraging to here how our hard work is making a difference in someone's life!❤️

Local Organic & Soy-Free Feed Source

Several people have asked recently where they can get high quality feed for their chickens locally so I thought that there might be more of you with the same question!

I just wanted to pass on that I found out from one of our customers (thanks Kacy!) that Jed Martin in Eureka grinds feed right there on his farm and sells it to people with backyard flocks! All of his feed is organic and he also has options for soy-free which is amazing!

Since learning about Jed, we've started using his feed and have been impressed with it so far! You can get ahold of Jed at this cell phone 309-224-1730. Feel free to mention that you had heard about him from me!😀

Have a blessed weekend!

Your Farmer,
Corbin
Prairie Creek Pastures

Raw Life or Sterile Death?

Good morning! I go way back – thousands of years actually. I was a huge part in the success of society; making the youth grow strong with my rich nutrition, helping digestion with my enzymes, boosting people's immune systems, and preventing allergies with my special compounds. People even let me sit at room temperature so I could work with other good guys to make probiotic rich superfoods like kefir, yogurt, clabbered milk, cultured buttermilk, cultured cream, and raw cheese. Everyone who interacted with me came away better because of our relationship!💪 But then something happened... In the mid 1800's some dairies were moving into big cities. The problem was that the cities didn't have pastures or clean water. The cows were kept in deplorable conditions and also fed byproducts from alcohol distilleries that made the cows sick. People started getting sick from me - some even died.😔 Their solution? KILL EVERYTHING in me by pasteurizing! And it has continued to this day... Now, when you set me out at room temperature, I rot instead of fermenting. Without enzymes, absorption of my nutrients is like trying to eat saltines without water. People's bodies react to me because my proteins are unrecognizable. It's demoralizing being rejected.😢 BUT I HAVE HOPE! People are starting to come around to the idea that RAW LIFE is better than STERILE DEATH. That what has nourished them for thousands of years might be a good idea. That maybe I do have something to offer them! I feel like I'm becoming a celebrity with the number of people that are finding out about the raw me!🥳 GO RAW MILK! Raw Milk - Nature’s Superfood According to the Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) "In many ways, raw milk is similar to breastmilk: both are completely natural, fresh, and unprocessed milks. They both contain a wide variety of essential nutrients, fats, proteins, anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes, bioavailable vitamins, and minerals, all in a natural form which is most easily utilized by the body." Raw Milk Helps Lactose Intolerance "In addition, raw milk facilitates production of lactase enzyme in the intestinal tract, allowing many people who are lactose intolerant to digest raw milk with no problems." Conventional medicine will tell you that raw milk does not help with lactose intolerance. However, one of their often cited studies is based on a very small sample size of 16 people as well as using a testing method that is questionable in its accuracy. Personally, we've had numerous people report that while they are unable to drink pasteurized milk, they are able to drink our raw milk just fine without any discomfort or reaction! For ones who have been off of dairy for years, this is a major breakthrough! In one survey of 155 raw milk drinkers who had been diagnosed with lactose intolerance by a healthcare professional, 76% reported that they did not have any symptoms when drinking raw milk! In addition to our milk being raw, we've also chosen to select cows that have the A2A2 gene. The difference between A2A2 and A1A1 is a gene mutation that some cows carry that developed several thousand years ago. When A1 milk is broken down in your gut, it releases a potentially harmful opiode BCM-7. A2A2 milk on the other hand does not release BCM-7 and is the original milk that humans have consumed for thousands of years. Many people who struggle with the A1 gene in milk handle A2A2 milk much better. Dr. Sina McCullough also notes that for people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, A1 milk can elicit a immune response similar to eating gluten due to A1 milk looking similar to gluten to the body. As a final comment, I wanted to mention that while many people do have success with our A2A2 raw milk, there are some people whose bodies are still not able to handle even our milk. Raw Milk Reduces Asthma, Allergies, & Fevers Numerous studies have shown benefits to drinking raw milk in reducing Asthma, Allergies, and Fevers. According to RAWMI: "One study of over 8,000 children showed that raw milk consumption is associated with significantly lower rates of asthma and allergies. Another study of over 4,000 children found that consumption of raw milk was associated with a strong protective effect against eczema. And finally, a study of over 900 children concluded that, "Early life consumption of raw cow's milk reduced the risk of manifest respiratory infections and fever by about 30%"." Our customers have also shared first hand experience of allergies improving when they start drinking our raw milk! Regeneratively Pastured = Nutrient Dense Raw Milk I recently attended a presentation by Dr. Allen Williams – a leading researcher and practitioner in regenerative farming. He presented some mind blowing numbers comparing the nutrient density of milk from regeneratively pastured cows to conventional confinement cow milk. In the slides below, the center column is the best regenerative dairy's numbers, while the column to the right is the mean (average) of all the regenerative milk samples. This is as compared to conventional confinement milk. I don't know about you, but I am impressed! You are getting many times the nutrients in your milk when you get it from a farm that practices regenerative grazing like we do! It gets even better when you keep the milk raw instead of pasteurizing it. Raw milk contains compounds that encourage the growth of large numbers of lactobacillus and bifidobacterial in the gut. These help to build a balanced gut microbiome as well as increasing the absorption of essential nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, folate, and B12. Sign me up!🙋‍♂️ Safety of Raw Milk It is important to note that there is no such thing as a perfectly safe food. According to RAWMI, "An analysis of foodborne illnesses from 2009-2015 showed that the top food categories commonly linked to illnesses were chicken, pork, and seeded vegetables. Pasteurized milk is not perfectly safe, either, and is implicated in foodborne illnesses and outbreaks every year." An independent assessment of raw milk risks from 2000-2007, showed that there was a 1 in 94,000 chance of becoming ill from drinking raw milk, and a 1 in 6 million chance of being hospitalized. In 2007 there were around 9.4 million people drinking raw milk in the U.S., and despite increasing legal distribution and an explosion in consumer interest and consumption, the outbreak rate per capita has come down significantly since then. The best way to verify the safety of your milk is to make sure that you are getting it from a farm that has a high standard of cleanliness! As a verification of our milk's safety, we follow a routine testing protocol that verifies that we are continuing to produce clean, safe milk. Finally, at the end of milk bottling, the crew will often drink some of the milk - not as a test of safety - but because they love it and trust it completely! Raw Milk as Medicine Interestingly, raw milk has been used as a cure for many diseases by reputable doctors in the past. Dr J.E. Crewe MD, one of the founders of the Mayo Foundation, successfully used raw milk in his medical practice for over 15 years. I also recently learned from RAWMI that, "From 1893-1999, the American Association of Medical Milk Commissions (AAMMC) certified clean, safe raw milk for human consumption and even medical therapeutic use. This certified raw milk was recognized to be of therapeutic benefit for infants, children, and adults. This milk was used effectively in hospitals around the United States and was used to treat a wide variety of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, renal disease, liver disease, hypertension, edema, asthma, arthritis, tuberculosis, and diabetes." Wow, wouldn't that be amazing if hospitals treated patients with raw milk again!💥 So there you have it! My story going back thousands of years and how I'm making a comeback again today. Which version of me will you choose? My RAW LIFE amazing self that has nourished your ancestors for thousands of years? Or my unrecognizable STERILE version that has been pushed for the last hundred plus years because of dirty farming practices in the 1800's? If you are ready to give me a try you're at the right place! Click the link below and let's meet up. I don't think you'll be sorry!😀🥛 Shop Raw Milk!Sincerely, Your FarmerCorbinPrairie Creek Pastures