Shed Jumpers

Picture this:

Two farmers in warm winter woollies, waterproof boots, sporting headlights over their knitted beanies, are dashing around the Wimerra Mallee woodlands in the minus 2c darkness.

It’s challenging to spot rocks, fallen branches, or streams until one ends up with wet feet or a stick to the head. Why? These farmers are focused trying to locate ‘shed jumpers’ – wayward Grassland Sommerlad Heritage chickens roosting on the ‘wrong side of the creek’.

These chickens, known as shed (or fence) jumpers, are so named from days when all chickens were raised in barns or sheds.

In this case, however, since all Grassland Heritage chickens are grown completely outdoors, these chickens might have grown a bit faster than their cousins and managed to fly over (or run under) the protection of the acre-wide electric fences before the Maremma dogs could nudge them back to the flock.

Sometimes they find their way to different outdoor chicken areas. From time to time, they cross the creek and spend up to 26 weeks doing their own thing. Or they move into a younger flock and try and blend in, away from their similar aged counterparts. 

Those that survive the goss hawks and foxes need to be rounded once or twice a year, to avoid attracting predators, which is neither good for the farm nor fair to the birds.

These birds are impressive, weighing between 3.5 and 5 kg live weight, with beautiful long plumage. They’ve spent months exploring the bushes, drinking from streams, eating bugs, lizards, and greenery, and roosting high in treetops by the stream. When it’s time to collect them, It’s done it by hand, and at night, thus avoiding traps or other inhumane methods.

Eating Quality

Shed jumpers are a treat if you enjoy strong flavours and well-defined textures. The meat is firm, not tough, and adheres well to the bone. They are perfect for pot roasting, soups, braises, and low and slow cooking, offering a rich, ‘chickeny’ flavour. Cooking them whole allows you to benefit from the collagen and marrow from the bones, adding to the deliciousness and goodness.

3.7kg shed jumper on the slow rotisserie.

How to Get a Jumper

Jumpers have been collected, processed, and are being held in the blast freezer.  They are not available in stores.

They come in cartons of two, three, or four, depending on size. Sometimes these birds are too large to vacuum pack. If that’s the case, they’ll be in shrink wrap bags with clips or double-bagged and clipped before being placed into their food service lined carton, ready for dispatch.

These birds have a freezer life of 12 to 18 months – and if you’ve used them before, you know they last even longer.  Watch our newsletter feed for opportunities to nab these beautiful birds. You will love them!