Chickens

Overview

Chicken production for meat on Hawaiʻi Island is limited in scale, consisting mostly of small, pasture-based farms and backyard flocks. The island does not have industrial broiler operations; instead, local producers raise chickens on a modest scale to supply fresh meat to farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes, and a few restaurants. As a result, Hawaiʻi Island imports the vast majority of its chicken meat, and locally grown broilers are a niche, value-added product often marketed as “pasture-raised” or “island-fresh” poultry.

Production and Operations

Hawaiʻi Island’s broiler sector is characterized by small farms rearing chickens on pasture or in free-range systems. A typical operation might raise a few hundred meat chickens in batches throughout the year, often using moveable pens or “chicken tractors” on grass. Common breeds are fast-growing crosses (such as Cornish Cross) for efficiency, though some farmers experiment with slower-growing heritage breeds for specialty markets. The island’s climate allows near-year-round production, but farmers must manage predators (mongooses, feral cats) and heat stress on their flocks. According to the 2022 Ag Census, fewer than 1,200 broiler chickens were sold on Hawaiʻi Island that year. This extremely low number highlights that commercial broiler farming is still in its infancy locally. By contrast, a single mid-sized farm on the mainland might produce tens of thousands of broilers in a year. On Hawaiʻi Island, several farms have taken advantage of a federal exemption allowing on-farm processing of up to 20,000 birds per year (with state inspections). In practice, few farms reach that upper limit.

Without large processing plants for poultry on the island, producers often process birds on-farm in small USDA-inspected facilities or under state health department supervision. This direct control allows farms to sell fresh or frozen whole chickens (and cut portions) straight to consumers. Many advertise their birds as organic-fed (using imported organic grain) and free from antibiotics, appealing to health- and quality-conscious buyers. The lack of local feed mills means feed is typically the same pre-mixed ration used by backyard growers, just on a slightly larger scale – an expensive input due to shipping costs. Some producers mitigate feed costs by supplementing with local inputs (e.g. spent grain from breweries, kitchen scraps via permitted waste-feeding programs, or insect forage from pastures), but grain concentrate is still essential for broiler growth.

Market and Economic Data

Because of the small output, market data for broilers on Hawaiʻi Island is limited. The recorded ~1,189 meat chickens sold in 2022 likely undercounts backyard consumption and informal sales, but it underscores that locally raised chicken meat supplies only a tiny fraction of the island’s demand. Hawaiʻi residents consume a large amount of poultry per capita, most of which is imported frozen or chilled from mainland producers. In the absence of large-scale local competition, the price point for Hawaiʻi Island pasture-raised chicken is relatively high – often ranging from $6 to $10 per pound retail, reflecting high feed and labor costs. Consumers who purchase these birds are typically motivated by freshness, flavor, and supporting local agriculture rather than seeking low prices. A 2011 statistic (when more data was available) noted Hawaiʻi produced 65.5 million eggs that year but very little broiler meat, implying that even then the chicken meat sector was negligible. By the late 2010s, local broiler production had dwindled further as the last large chicken farm closed decades earlier.

Nonetheless, there has been a recent uptick in small-scale poultry farming, with new entrants often crowdfunding or obtaining grants to build infrastructure. For instance, on Maui (which faces similar challenges as Hawaiʻi Island), one company expanded from quail into broilers and ducks to meet “surging demand for local, Maui-produced poultry”. On Hawaiʻi Island, micro-scale operations like 4-H projects and homesteaders raising meat chickens for friends and family also contribute incrementally to local supply.

Value-Added Products

Given their scale, Hawaiʻi Island’s chicken farmers focus on direct-to-consumer sales and value-added offerings. This includes marinated or spatchcocked whole chickens ready for grilling, chicken parts (breasts, thighs) vacuum-sealed for retail, and even chicken bone broth or stock made from carcasses – maximizing the value of each bird. Some farms leverage the story of their production in marketing, e.g. “pasture-raised in Puna” or “fed local fruits and veggies,” to differentiate from commodity chicken. A few restaurants and food trucks intermittently feature Hawaiʻi Island chicken specials, emphasizing the local origin on menus to entice diners who seek farm-to-table experiences. However, without a steady volume or distribution network, local chicken meat remains a specialty item rather than a staple in supermarkets.

Market Trends and Competitiveness (Broilers)

Import Dependence and Food Security: Hawaiʻi’s chicken meat market is almost entirely supplied by imports, mainly from mainland U.S. mega-producers. This reality has prompted discussions about food security and resilience, especially after pandemic-related disruptions. Policy makers and advocates have highlighted poultry as a gap in Hawaiʻi Island’s local food system. For example, the Aloha Challenge food security initiative notes that the “high cost of importing chicken feed is one of the largest challenges” to producing local poultry and eggs in Hawaiʻi. Feed typically accounts for 60-70% of production costs in poultry, and in Hawaiʻi those costs are roughly double the U.S. average due to shipping. This makes locally raised chicken inherently more expensive than mainland chicken, which benefits from cheap grain and economies of scale. According to Ulupono Initiative, shipping feed from the mainland adds $150–$200 per ton, often doubling the total feed cost for island farmers. As a result, Hawaiʻi Island’s small chicken farms cannot compete on price with $1.99/lb supermarket chicken imported from the West Coast.

However, recent initiatives aim to improve competitiveness on quality and sustainability rather than price alone. Several Hawaiʻi Island farms have formed cooperatives or informal networks to bulk-purchase feed, reducing costs through collective buying power. There is also interest in alternative feeds: a pilot study by the Oceanic Institute and others looked at local ingredients (like algae and papaya waste) as partial replacements for imported corn and soy in poultry rations. These experimental diets showed it was possible to replace ~30–40% of imported ingredients without hurting production, pointing toward future feed innovation. Additionally, as mentioned under cattle, new ideas such as processing invasive species (gorse, guinea grass, etc.) into feed could one day benefit poultry producers too.

One notable development in the state (though on Oahu, not Hawaiʻi Island) is the startup of Villa Rose – a large-scale egg farm with capacity for broilers. Villa Rose’s primary focus is eggs, but its infrastructure signifies renewed interest in large poultry operations. While Villa Rose imports feed initially, it actively researches local feed sources, knowing that sustainability hinges on that. Such projects could have spillover effects, like reviving a feed mill industry or providing day-old chicks and processing services that Hawaiʻi Island growers could access through inter-island collaboration.

Consumer Trends

On the demand side, consumers are increasingly supportive of local meat from reputable producers. According to Hawaiʻi’s local food advocates, many families are willing to pay a premium for locally raised chicken if they perceive it as healthier, tastier, or ethically produced. Pastured poultry is often touted for its flavor and animal welfare. Farmers capitalizing on this create CSA meat boxes and use online farm-to-table marketplaces to reach customers beyond their immediate community. While this direct market is relatively small, it is loyal and may grow with effective storytelling and outreach. Community education – such as cooking classes on how to use a whole pasture-raised chicken nose-to-tail – can further increase the value derived from each bird and justify the cost.

Scalability and Future Outlook

For broiler production to significantly expand on Hawaiʻi Island, several challenges would need addressing: feed cost (perhaps via a local feed mill or feed crop program), processing infrastructure (a regional poultry slaughter facility to serve multiple farms), and technical support (biosecurity and disease prevention, since Hawaiʻi’s isolation is a double-edged sword – it keeps some diseases out, but also means limited local veterinary expertise). One positive note is Hawaiʻi’s relative freedom from poultry diseases like avian influenza so far, which has devastated mainland flocks; maintaining strict biosecurity will be crucial as any local production grows, especially to protect small farms’ multi-species operations (many of which raise chickens alongside ducks, turkeys, etc.).

In conclusion, Hawaiʻi Island’s chicken (broiler) sector remains small but symbolically important. As reported by the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and others, increasing local poultry production is a priority for improving Hawaiʻi’s food self-sufficiency. Progress will likely be incremental – driven by dedicated small producers and supportive consumers – unless larger-scale investment makes island chicken farming more economically viable. In the meantime, locally raised chickens will continue to be a premium product, competing on freshness and local pride rather than volume, and serving as a stepping stone toward greater food system resilience.

• Sources:

  • EWG (USDA Census of Agriculture 2022) – Hawaiʻi County poultry data

  • Honolulu Civil Beat – “A New Chicken Farm Wants to Reduce Hawaiʻi’s Dependence on Imported Eggs” (Nov. 2021) (context on feed, waste, regulations common to poultry)

  • Ulupono Initiative – Local By-Products for Poultry Feed study (2020)

  • Hawaiʻi Business Magazine – “The Need for Feed” (Nov. 2016) (feed cost impacts on local meat/poultry)

  • Farm Link Hawaiʻi – Punachicks Farm profile (2020)