True Bird Farm

Family-owned pasture-raised chicken farm selling whole birds, cuts, sausage, and prepared foods at Texas farmers markets.

True Bird Farm is a family-owned farm founded by husband-and-wife team Ty and Sara Burk. What began as a backyard flock of Red Dorking chickens in South Austin has grown into a weekly operation raising roughly 300 birds per week on pasture in Driftwood, Texas. We raise air-chilled, pasture-raised poultry using regenerative agriculture practices on over 70 acres. Our product lineup includes whole cuts like boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken breakfast sausage, marinated cuts, and prepared foods like lemon herb chicken salad. Our chicken is served at Austin restaurants including Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Olamaie, Dai Due, LeRoy & Lewis, and Arlo Grey. Chef Mathew Peters — the first American to win the Bocuse d'Or — was an early champion of our birds.

Our birds are raised outdoors on Texas rangeland in open-bottom mobile coops that are moved regularly across the pasture, allowing land to rest and regenerate between rotations. This rotational grazing distributes manure naturally and supports soil health. To supplement pasture foraging, we feed a certified-organic, non-GMO, plant-based ration sourced from a Texas feed mill — free from animal by-products, synthetic additives, and fillers. Note: while the feed is certified organic, the farm and poultry are not certified organic, as the scale and cost of certification are not practical for our operation. We never use antibiotics or growth hormones, relying instead on good husbandry and a low-stress pasture environment. Unlike conventional operations that bring birds to market weight in 4–5 weeks, we raise ours at a natural pace for fuller flavor and better texture. After processing, birds are air-chilled to preserve flavor, improve browning, and avoid water-weight gain.