Frequently Asked Questions

TOPIC: FARMS & RAISING STANDARDS

QUESTION: What do Joyce Farms birds eat?

ANSWER:

Our Heritage birds, and the birds used in our Naked product line, all enjoy an all-natural diet that is primarily corn and soy and contains no antibiotics, or growth stimulants.

 

QUESTION: Are Joyce Farms products non-GMO?

ANSWER:

Our Heritage Grass-Fed Beef and Heritage Pork are non-GMO.

Our cattle graze on open pastures where non-GMO grasses, legumes, and forbs are grown. They are never fed grains, Dried Distiller's Grains (DDG's), or feedlot rations.

Our Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs graze everyday in open pastures where non-GMO grasses, legumes, brassicas, tubers, and forbs are grown. In addition to the forage that they graze, our hogs are supplied with free-choice access to a grain diet consisting of non-GMO corn and soy. We are currently experimenting with potential replacements for soy in the diet.

We are currently working to improve our grain supply to convert the diet of our Heritage Poultry to 100% non-GMO grains.

All of our farms that raise our Heritage breeds are currently operating without pesticides, and we have eliminated the use of glyphosate.

 

QUESTION: Are Joyce Farms chickens raised outdoors or inside a barn?

ANSWER:

The chickens that we raise on our farms are our Heritage Poulet Rouge® Chickens, which are pasture raised after 6 weeks of age. They are kept inside for the first 6 weeks for their own health and safety, and have open access to roam outdoors after that. To keep them safe and comfortable, they're free to shelter indoors when the outside elements are less than ideal.

The chickens that we source for our Naked Chicken line are raised free roaming in spacious heated or cooled barns. They do not have access to pasture.

 

QUESTION: Does Joyce Farms use arsenic in the feeds?

ANSWER:

Absolutely not. Our feed does not contain arsenic or arsenic residue.

 

QUESTION: Are Joyce Farms’ products Organic?

ANSWER:

No. Organic standards allow the use of antibiotics in the first days of life, do not address animal welfare, and do not require testing of soil, water, and feed. We do not use antibiotics in any of our products, ever. Although organic standards are a step in the right direction, we feel our raising standards and animal welfare beliefs exceed the USDA organic criteria; and, the Honest with Nature™ Regenerative Agriculture standards that are used for our Heritage Poulet Rouge® Chicken, Heritage Black Turkey, Heritage Beef, and Heritage Pork far exceed that criteria.

 

QUESTION: Is your grass-fed beef also grass-finished?

ANSWER:

Yes. Our Aberdeen Angus cattle are fed and finished on 100% grass. They feed only on the grasses raised in our pastures and are never fed corn, grain, soy, or distillers grains.

 

QUESTION: Are your products raised in the USA?

ANSWER:

Yes, all of the animals used for our products are born/hatched, raised, and harvested in the USA.

 

QUESTION: How do you verify all of your standards and practices are met?

ANSWER:

Joyce Farms is a family owned company. We own our hatchery, transport vehicles, equipment and harvesting facility, which we utilize for our Heritage Poulet Rouge®, Poussin, Pintade and Heritage Black Turkeys. We are involved every step of the way. We train our growers and employees to meet our protocols, and require each grower to sign an affidavit stating that he or she has followed and met our raising standards and animal welfare policies. In addition, we have annual third party audit verifications to ensure we are meeting our animal welfare and processing standards, and our farms are visited weekly by our trained farm technicians.

 

QUESTION: Where are the animals raised for your Heritage and Naked products?

ANSWER:

Our farm partners that raise our Heritage animals (Heritage Poulet Rouge® Chicken & Poussin, Heritage Pintade/Guinea, Heritage Black Turkey, Heritage Beef, and Heritage Pork) are located in North Carolina and Georgia.

The animals for our Naked products (Naked Chicken, Naked Duck, Naked Turkey, and Naked Rabbit) are carefully sourced from producers on the east coast that have adhered to our strict standards for raising them with nothing added ever -- no antibiotics, no growth stimulants, nothing artificial.

 

QUESTION: Are all of your products raised using Regenerative Agriculture?

ANSWER:

Our Heritage Poulet Rouge® Chicken, Heritage Black Turkey, Heritage Grass Fed Beef, Heritage Pork are raised according to the standards outlined in our Honest with Nature™ Regenerative Agriculture program.

 

QUESTION: Can I visit your farms?

ANSWER:

As requested and able, we do host many of our chef customers on tours of our partner farms where are heritage animals are raised. Please reach out to our team at info@joyce-farms.com for more information. 

 

TOPIC: PRODUCTS

QUESTION: Are Joyce Farms products gluten free?

ANSWER:

Yes. Joyce Farms poultry, sausages, game birds, pork, and grass-fed beef are gluten free.

 

QUESTION: Are Joyce Farms products Halal or kosher?

ANSWER:

No, our products are not Halal. Those programs require ritual live slaughter that does not meet our humane handling standards.

 

QUESTION: Why does the Heritage Black Turkey have what appears to be black spots on its skin?

ANSWER:

Unlike commercially bred white turkeys, when dark-plumed turkeys are processed, pigment from their feathers extrudes into the skin, turning parts of the skin into a blue/black spot. This does not affect the bird in any way other than appearance. It is a trait of the old world heritage breed.

 

QUESTION: Do you sell eggs?

ANSWER:

No. We reserve all of our eggs for hatching.

 

QUESTION: What's the difference between Naked Chicken and Heritage Poulet Rouge® Chicken?

ANSWER:

Joyce Farms' Poulet Rouge® Chicken is a heritage breed that we raise on our partner farms in North Carolina. This bird comes from the French Label Rouge program and we selected it for its superior culinary qualities. The meat has an exceptional texture, and it is an ideal roasting bird. One difference that you will see right away is that the Poulet Rouge® is a thin-skinned bird. This is one of the things that makes it superior for any roast chicken recipe. It is going to have a robust chicken taste, because it is a slow-growing breed, and you will notice a terroir (the taste of the land), like a fine wine, because the birds are pasture-raised and allowed to forage. These birds are raised using regenerative methods and with nothing added ever - no antibiotics, no growth stimulants, no animal by-products, nothing artificial.

Birds used for our Naked Chicken line are not raised on our partner farms. We carefully source these products from a trusted network of producers, and we individually inspect, hand cut/trim and package them for additional quality at our plant. Birds in our Naked line are a domestic breed, and are raised with nothing added ever - no antibiotics, no growth stimulants, nothing artificial. These products are superior in taste and quality to what you might typically find in the grocery stores, due to the chickens' higher quality diet, growing conditions, and processing methods.

 

QUESTION: Do you sell live animals?

ANSWER:

No, we do not sell live animals.

 

QUESTION: How can I purchase your products for my restaurant or retail store?

ANSWER:

To find out more about our wholesale and foodservice options, please submit an inquiry through this form, and a member of our team will contact you to discuss your specific needs. We offer a variety of products packaged for both foodservice use, and for resale at retail locations.

 

QUESTION: What is the shelf life of your products?

ANSWER:

All of our frozen products have a freshness guarantee of 2 years from the pack date. After that, you may begin to see a decline in quality.

 

QUESTION: Is chlorine used in the processing of any of your poultry?

ANSWER:

All of our Heritage birds that we raise and process at our plant are air-chilled, there is no chlorine used. Our Naked birds come from a co-op of farms and are processed using a water-chilled method, which uses a chlorine concentration of 50 parts per million.

 

TOPIC: ORDERS AND SHIPPING

QUESTION: Do you have a retail location that is open to the public?

ANSWER:

We do not have our own storefront location, but you may order through our website for local pickup at our plant by selecting the local pickup option at checkout on our web store. You can choose your preferred date and time to pick up. Our pick up hours are Tuesday - Friday from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Our plant is located at 4787 Kinnamon Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. You can also find our products at select, specialty retail stores.

 

QUESTION: Why didn't I receive an email confirmation for my online order?

ANSWER:

Automatically generated emails like email confirmations can sometimes be flagged as spam by common email service providers. To prevent this, please add our email to your safe senders list or whitelist.

 

QUESTION: How will my web order be packaged for shipment?

ANSWER:

Our web orders are packed in coolers (depending on size of your order, this may be a reusable styrofoam container or an eco-friendly, disposable Greencell cooler), within a recyclable corrugated box. Dry ice will be used to ensure safe temperatures during transit. The dry ice is likely to evaporate during shipment, and empty dry ice packs upon arrival are normal and to be expected. As long as the items are still partially or fully frozen when they arrive, they are safe to use or refreeze. Your order will contain instructions for safe disposal of any remaining dry ice.

 

QUESTION: How long will it take to receive my web order?

ANSWER:

We ship web orders Monday - Wednesday. When your order ships will depend on when you place the order. Find more details on our shipping schedule on our Shipping & Delivery page. Your order will be shipped to arrive to you within 1-2 business days.

 

QUESTION: What should I do if my order is delayed?

ANSWER:

Our web orders are shipped to arrive to you within 1-2 days of shipment. However, they are packed to withstand a delay of a day or two in case something happens along the way. Your order may have begun to thaw during transit, but as long as it's still partially frozen it's perfectly safe to freeze right away or use as you like. In the event your order arrives completely thawed, please let us know and we'll make it right for you.

 

QUESTION: What should I do if I have a problem with my order once it arrives?

ANSWER:

If you have a question or concern about your order once it arrives, please reach out to us. Customer service is available Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm EST. In order to be eligible for a refund, store credit, replacement product, we ask that you email us at info@joyce-farms.com and provide the following information for our review:

  • Photo(s) of the package as received
  • Photo(s) of specific products related to complaint, including photos of the label
  • Order number or email address used to place your order
Once we have reviewed the problem internally, we will contact you with an update. If you are unable to email us this information, please call 336-766-9900 to discuss alternative methods for providing these details.