FAQ's
NOTICE: If you are making special arrangements to visit us at Watersong Farms or at a Farmers Market that we may be attending, please always contact us either by phone or email to make sure that either the product you are looking for is available, that we are open, or that we are in fact at the market.
steelhead trout
Q: What do you feed the fish?
25% fish meal and the rest are made up of grains, corn, soybeans, canola and flax. Combined into a pellet form.
Q: Do you use any hormones or antibiotics?
Hormones are not used in fish feed. As far as antibiotics are concerned, we cannot use because the bio-filtration system is based on using beneficial bacteria to clean the water. No chemicals can be used.
Q: How long does it take to grow a fish?
From egg to 25 gram fingerling size is approximately 6 months.
9 - 12 months to reach 1 Kg (from fingerling size)
18 – 20 months to reach 2 Kg (from fingerling size)
Q: Do you process the fish directly on the farm?
Currently Mariner Neptune Winnipeg, MB purchases trout weekly for distribution of fillets to stores, restaurants, etc. in Manitoba and Canada. Primary processing is done on the farm.
Q: What are the ingredients?
Regular Smoked
Salt, brown sugar, Natural Wood Smoke
Jerky
Salt, White Sugar, Black Pepper, Garlic, Cayenne, Onion, Chili Peppers, Pickle Cure (Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Glycerol, Salt)
The smoking and jerky products are done in an inspected facility 5 miles west of our farm.
Q: Where are the fish raised?
The fish are raised right here on the farm in an indoor recirculation system (closed loop system), which means there is no interaction between our fish and native stocks of fish. No concerns of cross breading or transfer of pesticides or diseases between wild and domestic stock. There is no environmental impact from nutrient loading to water bodies. The water in our system is biologically filtered before being released back into the environment.
Fresh Chicken
Q: Are your chickens free range?
Our chickens are free run in house. Meaning cage free in an environmentally controlled barn. The floor is covered with wheat straw and fresh water and food is available at all times.
Q: What do you feed your chickens?
Our chickens are naturally fed an all grain diet of our own wheat and soy, fortified with vitamins and minerals. The feed is mixed right on the farm and there are no animal bi-products, hormones or steroids used. It is our highest priority to produce and maintain a healthy flock, so as to provide our customer with the safest and most nutritious food product for their family table.
Q: Sometimes we notice the bones and surrounding meat to be dark, what causes this?
Darkening of bones and meat around the bones occurs primarily in young (6-8 weeks) broiler-fry chickens. Since the bones have not calcified or hardened completely, pigment from the bone marrow seeps through the bones and into the surrounding area. Freezing can also contribute to this darkening. This is an aesthetic issue and not a safety one. The meat is safe to eat when all parts have reached 180°F (fully cooked) with a meat thermometer.
Q: When I cook my chicken and cut into it the fillet, right up against the breast bone, is green. Why is this?
This is called green muscle. On rare occasions, this happens when the chicken flaps its wings (strenuously) and the pectoral muscle is bruised and atrophies. It is not an infectious agent, therefore safe to eat, with no public health significance affecting only the aesthetic appearance of the meat. It is not detectable during processing when the chickens are marketed as whole.
Q: How to be a customer.
Send us an email at info@watersongfarms.com or call us directly at 1 (204) 322-5558 | 1 (877) 322-5558 toll free. We will add you to our eMail customer list for fall ordering eMails (go out 1st week of September), and for spring ordering eMails (go out first week of March). Provide us with your full name, quantity and weight preferred. For fresh chicken (day of), we will give you a pick-up time and date during April and October. You may order any number of birds and they are individually bagged with all necessary info on the label. We also have a limited supply of frozen chicken for order and pick-up.
Just a Note: Many of our customers are reducing their carbon footprint by collecting many orders at once (i.e. neighbours, co-workers, and family). They realize this not only saves fuel, but the environment also, and we are good with that!
Q: Where are you located?
We are 11 kilometres west of Stonewall on Highway #67, north side of the highway with big Watersong Farms sign. You will know where to go once you are in the yard, and see the painted chicken on the big door of the processing building.
Q: What's with the cow?
Daisy was a registered Jersey and resident TV star. Remember Pioneer Quest? That's her! She was usually found with her head over the fence waiting for a scratch behind her ears and a pat. If only she knew she was a cow!
As of October 2013, at the ripe old age of 18 years, our lovely cow Daisy went on to greener pastures. She had a long and great life and we miss her.
* Still have questions? Please contact us.
Farm Fresh Steelhead Trout & Roasting Chicken
Rudy & Leslie Reimer
Warren, Manitoba CANADA
info@watersongfarms.com
204.322.5558 phone
Google Map
#117 Hwy 67
(11 kms West of Stonewall, MB)
