Chicken Farm - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Years ago chickens were a farm staple.

While those days have come and gone, one woman isn't just raising farm fresh eggs for her family, but has made raising chickens a full time business.

Reporter Sarah Gustin takes you near Driscoll for the story.

There's never a quite day in this hen house.

(Steph Ledoux / Raises Chickens) "125 egg layers, 50 meat birds chickens and there is 30 ducks and 4 ducks that are our pets."

Steph Ledoux and her family made the move from California to North Dakota in 2009.

She says she wanted her family to live in the country, with a garden and animals, but not just any animals...

(Steph Ledoux / Raises Chickens) "We were like, chickens, they are less expensive, they are easy to maintain and it's a win win situation. You get meat and eggs."

What Steph soon discovered she isn't the only one craving the taste of a farm fresh egg.

A strong demand for farm fresh eggs keeps Steph and her hens busy.

Increasing the flock from 20 to 125 egg layers.

(Steph Ledoux / Raises Chickens) "Shocked, the demand of eggs. Everyone was asking, are your eggs for sale? I was like no I am not sharing my eggs. And then I kept get bugging me, Can we buy your eggs? Can we buy your eggs? Can we buy your eggs? People want eggs from chickens that run around eat worms, and grass and so I was like, I think this is it, I think this is what I am going to do. It just felt right." 

(Sarah Gustin / sgustin@kxnet.com) "Ledoux's customers don't just enjoy the eggs, but the birds as well, as you can see behind me there's 50 meat birds."

(Steph Ledoux / Raises Chickens) "We've butchered for ourselves ever since we have been here, but then once again, oh you butcher chickens? We want some. I am like oh my goodness. My customers were really happy with the eggs and then they wanted butchered chickens, so we said ok we will do it."

These birds are more than just a business, but a part of this family's American Dream.

(Steph Ledoux / Raises Chickens) "We are going back to our roots, where are forefathers did. Going out and getting eggs. No what it feels like to appreciate the food that you worked hard for. And that's exciting. It's the American dream to us. It's our American dream, is living on a farm."

You can find Steph's Pastured Eggs on Facebook.