Winter is Here!

Here it is... another New England winter.  The snow has started flying (much to the dismay of my chickens).  The turkeys are tucked into the freezer and winter squash is in the cellar.  I have more time for relaxing indoor projects- I thought I'd get some reading done and maybe some baking.  Instead, I sit by the fire  consumed with studying seed catalogs and looking at hatchery websites.  The lists I have made keep getting revised with my plans for spring! 

I can't wait to start planting again.  This year I will be adding asparagus, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke (in a confined raised bed), and rhubarb to the garden.  At least one more peach tree will be added to our orchard along with some apple trees which need to be replaced.  My husband and I have even thought about adding some nut trees (thanks to an article in the January/February 2011 Hobby Farms magazine and Fruit, Berry, and Nut Inventory from Seed Savers Exchange). 

Instead of just raising cornish cross chickens as our meat chickens, I would also like to try some colored rangers and/or kosher kings.  I also want to add more variety to my laying flock by possibly ordering some Salmon Faverolles, Dominiques, Buff Chanteclers, New Hampshire Reds, and maybe some Delawares.  I'll probably change my mind on a few of these breeds and/or add more on to my list as winter progresses- like I said the lists keep getting revised.

Chicken Hoarder

My husband calls me the chicken hoarder. This has nothing to do with buying, raising, or cramming as many chickens as I can into my coop. What he is talking about are the chickens we have stored in our freezer. In giving up on store bought meat, I take those chickens very seriously- they need to last us through the winter since I will not be raising anymore until spring. I have found a local source of beefalo which I have also stocked up on (but use more freely knowing I can always get more). In a few weeks, 4 of our 15 turkeys will join our frozen chickens as well.

Back in the spring, when I was trying to organize a list of who would like to order chickens, everyone gave me a hard time about my method. My parents-in-law, for example, wanted only 3 chickens- so I said I would order them 5 to be on the safe side. When they protested, I explained that they need not take all 5 if they all survived. I just was being overly cautious wanting to make sure everyone got what they wanted. We would keep whatever remained for ourselves. I then had the same conversation with both of my brother-in-laws.

Come processing time, I was glad I over ordered because my parents-in-law ended up taking all 5 of theirs. So did one of my brother-in-laws. My other brother-in-law only took his original 3 (which he now regrets and wished he took all 5). After losing 4 birds during an extreme heat wave, and giving a friend 8 he ordered, we were left with 14 chickens. This sounds like a lot, but it really isn't considering this was July and we will not process meat chickens again until May of next year.

This brings me to chicken hoarding. Even though I love eating chicken, I have only made 3 of these chickens with the rest still safely tucked into the freezer. My husband keeps asking when I will make another chicken as he can't understand why I am rationing them so carefully. Worse yet, he has also suggested that I should give my unfortunate brother-in-law (who only took 3 chickens) one of ours.

Raising these chickens was a lot of work and will be the only chicken I have available to me- they are like frozen, juicy, golden nuggets- much too valuable to give away. So, if this makes me a chicken hoarder- so be it. I am a chicken hoarder.

Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini

Anyone who thinks they kill every plant they own should grow zucchini or summer squash. They are the lowest maintenance plants in my garden! They just keep producing rain or shine, cool or hot! This is the time of year when my husband tries to convince me not plant zucchini next year. Everyday I pick zucchini and/or summer squash and (as usual) now that it is August, they are kind of played out. Not giving up the fight, I have been researching what to do with them. Here is what I am trying:

1) I bought a food dehydrator and made zucchini chips (garlic salt flavored and onion salt flavored).

2) All of my canning books have relish recipes which use zucchini instead of cucumbers. I tried the zucchini relish recipe on p.50 of the Ball Blue Book Guide to Home Canning, Freezing, and Dehydration. Since I am growing onions and peppers in my garden as well, all of the veggies in this recipe were homegrown.

3) I have blanched sliced summer squash and zucchini and froze them for use in soups and casseroles this winter.

4) The freezer is stocked with zucchini bread. I make a sweet zucchini bread (similar to a banana bread) and my breadmaker has a zucchini herb bread recipe (perfect for grilled cheese with tomato sandwiches).

5) Tonight for dinner we are having zucchini and summer squash Parmesan. I sliced them lengthwise, plunged them into boiling water for a few minutes, then layered them in a baking dish with sauce; mozzarella cheese; some sauteed onion, garlic, and kale (all from the garden); and tomato slices (also from the garden).

6) Ina Garten has a recipe on the Food Network website for zucchini pancakes (similar to potato pancakes). This will probably be tomorrow night's dinner.

7) Out of desperation, I am thinking of trying zucchini pickles.

8) Sauteed with other veggies, I have added zucchini and summer squash to pizza, omelets, egg wraps, veggie wraps, and pasta dishes.

As you can see, I am running out of creative things to do with zucchini and summer squash other than give it away. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Turkey Time!

At 7:00 AM on July 21st I received a call from the post office. The man on the other end of the line told me I had a package to pick up and I could hear them peeping in the background. I raced to the post office and picked up 16 very active turkey poults (I ordered 15 toms, but Meyer Hatchery rounded up and sent me 16).

When I got home, I put them into their brooding box. Most people would think they were chicks. They are yellow and downy, but they have longer necks and a bump in the middle of their head above their eyes which will become their snood (the floppy skin that droops down a turkey's face). They were very alert and energetic pecking at my rings each time I put my hand in the box. Everyone quickly learned to eat and drink, then eventually settled down for nap time.

The information on the box said they had hatched at 5:00 AM on the 19th. This means by the week of Thanksgiving they will be 18 weeks old. This is a little young for toms who are usually processed at 22-24 weeks old, but this is a fast growing breed (Broad Breasted Whites) who will easily become too large to fit into a regular size oven. This makes me think younger may be better. We'll just wait and see!

Frustration!

I don't like a lot of reality TV programs, but I have to admit I have been watching "The Fabulous Beekman Boys" on Planet Green. Recently, they showed an episode where Josh and Brent slaughter their two pigs. Actually, they couldn't do it themselves, so they had other people come to the farm to do it. Their philosophy about raising animals for food is very similar to ours- the pigs lead a happy, healthy life and were allowed to be pigs while they were alive. They were killed humanely on site as to not stress them out by removing them from their home. So, being a fan of the show, I decided to check out their website. This is where I was shocked.

What frustrates me is how many people commented on how disgusted they were by the pigs being killed (this wasn't the shocking part) and suggested that Josh and Brent should buy their meat in a grocery store (this was the shocking part)! It is just obvious that people are too disconnected from their food. How do they think that going to grocery store is better??

1) Guess what? It was still a living creature even if it was purchased as meat at a grocery store. So, these people have still encouraged that an animal be killed for food- they just didn't have to witness it.

2) That animal was most likely raised on a feedlot in miserable, filthy, and crowded conditions. Because of the filth and crowding, it was probably fed antibiotics as well. Don't forget the corn to fatten them up!! (Most animals would not choose to eat corn- it is not a natural diet for them)

3) The animals that survive this factory farm (yes, many die prematurely) are then stressed out as they are loaded up onto a truck and taken to a slaughter house. These terrified animals are then killed in filth.

4) You have less selection when buying meat in a supermarket. For example, all of the chickens are Cornish Cross since they are the most economical, fastest growing bird. You don't have the choice of getting a Jersey Giant or Orpington (which are slower growing, but tastier birds). If it weren't for small farms, many breeds of animals would disappear!

Therefore, buying meat in a grocery store may make someone feel better since they did not witness these things first hand; however, they need to be aware that it happens. By buying meat this way, they are in fact encouraging these practices to continue. This makes them just as guilty of animal cruelty as the companies raising and selling the meat!

Thoughts on Cornish Cross

Over the winter, as I poured over hatchery catalogs, my husband and I talked about the possibility of raising meat chickens. We had eaten our excess Leghorn cockerels, but there were only a few of them. Now we wanted to stock the freezer in our goal to grow as much of our own food as possible. I was not sure I wanted to raise the Cornish Cross hybrid after reading too many articles from various magazines about how difficult they can be; however, my husband convinced me to give them a shot since they are most economical. So, I priced these hybrid meat chicks from many hatcheries and got some friends and family on board. In spring, I decided to order from my local feed store since they offered the best price. I placed my order for 40 Cornish Cross chicks and 12 layers (4 Rhode Island Reds, 4 Orpingtons, and 4 Barred Rocks).

A few weeks later, I received the call that my chicks had arrived and needed to be picked up ASAP. After work, I raced to the feed store where I was handed a box of 41 Cornish Cross and 13 layers (the 2 extras were freebies). When I got home, I knew who was who just by the color of their feathers. The Cornish Cross were the only yellow chicks in the box- there wasn't really a noticeable size difference- until I started feeding them.

The Cornish Cross chicks seemed to be bigger every time I checked on them! I fed them on a 12 hour on/ 12 hour off schedule as recommended. Within the first week, I noticed one not growing as fast as the others and it died. Another one died the second week- but it seemed as healthy as the rest (not sure why it died). Those two deaths left me with 39 fast growing chicks. Before I knew it, I was changing bedding material twice a day to keep the now 3 large brooding boxes of meat chicks clean and dry. These chicks were eating and pooping machines!

In contrast, my layers were less smelly, more active, and much smaller. They were all still in one brooding box and very healthy! Picking them up, I would feel a light body and breastbone in my hand. The meat birds felt almost "squishy" when picking up their juicy bodies. Sounds horrible, but I don't know how else to describe it.

At 4 weeks old, the squishy meat birds moved out into an 8ft. x 9 ft. chicken tractor which is moved daily to a fresh area of grass and berries. They are still on their 12 on/ 12 off feeding schedule (I raise the food up out of their reach at night). They didn't forage much to begin with, but now at almost 7 weeks old, they all but clear each patch daily. They love the wild blueberries!

We had one hen go lame on us. We noticed and removed her last week. She was being stepped on by the other birds and was not getting food or water. Putting her back in one of the brooding boxes, we gave her food and water within reach. We wondered if we would see her get stronger and be able to stand again as she seemed otherwise healthy. After 3 days, we knew her time had come- she was no worse, but she was not showing any sign of improvement. Our goal of raising our own food included making sure our food lives a happy life while it is here. This chicken was not a normal, happy chicken. Now down to 38 meat birds.

Every time I check on the chickens, they come running to the edge of the chicken tractor to see me. They have associated me with food and fresh water (I am not naive- I know they don't like me for ME). Still, they make me laugh with their awkward antics. I open the door to their tractor and they will waddle out. They gather around me and stand on my feet as I fill their waterer and feeder. Pecking at my shoes, they almost seem like regular chickens until they turn and try to run with their weighted breast slowing them down. They will flap their wings and try to get some flight, but don't get far off the ground (sometimes they get a good jump in, but not usually). I have to mention, this group is much more active than I thought they would be.

Coming upon butchering time, I find myself reflecting on my experience with these birds. They are totally different from my layers whom I love. This is a good thing because I have not become attached to these birds. I have always kept in mind that these were going to be food and not pets. Even still, they are like a "frankenbird" growing too fast and becoming front heavy with an abnormally large breast. Other than that one hen, I haven't seen any others develop leg problems or experience sudden death (flip over) yet. I worry about the next week- knowing the older and larger they get, the more likely problems are to arise.

My final thoughts- I think I would like to try a different hybrid (one that is more like a "real" chicken) like Freedom Rangers or Kosher Kings next time. They may take a few more weeks, but it would be worth it since they are healthier over all instead of risking heart attacks, respiratory difficulties, flip over, and leg problems. This fall, we will also probably have a few extra roosters for the freezer from the batches of chicks we hatched this spring (Rhode Island Reds, some Australorp crosses, and Wyandottes). In the future, we could also use our laying flock, as they are all dual purpose birds, to raise some birds for meat. Choices! Choices! All I know is that I am thankful I have choices which people who buy their chicken in the grocery store do not!

Where we are now...

This blog is being created as a way for us to document our attempt at homesteading. We have already come a long way, but still have so far to go!

Back in 2003, we purchased 172 acres of land (mostly wooded) which abutted 8 acres my husband already owned (originally purchased by his grandfather and was landlocked). We were married in our field (after a lot of tree removal and brush cutting) in July of 2004. We have logging roads (from when previous owners logged) which we maintain as hiking/ATV trails. We had our land surveyed. I found the history paper trail for the survey- of each abutter all the way back into the 1800's, and my husband cut the lines for the survey around our perimeter.

Last year, we started an orchard of mostly apple trees and 2 cherry. We planted 20 trees in spring and some didn't make it through winter. This spring, we replaced those and added more. We now have 1 self-pollinating cherry, 1 self-pollinating peach, 1 mulberry, and the rest are a variety of apples (about 25). It looks like we may actually have some apples this fall as there are some small ones starting on a few of the trees! We also planted 10 blueberry bushes this spring. They should do beautifully as we have a ton of wild blueberry all over our land, especially in the field.

Also last year, I hatched White Leghorn chicks in my class with every intention of returning them to 4-H. We were going to wait until we built our house on our land before having farm animals, but my husband knows me better than that! Of course, I couldn't return the chicks and decided to keep them, then went on to buy other chicks to add to my flock- I couldn't have just White Leghorns! So, I bought 2 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Maran, 1 Plymouth Barred Rock, and 1 Black Star (all were supposed to be pullets). Well, of the 7 Leghorns we hatched, 5 were cockerels and my Barred Rock "pullet" also turned out to be a cockerel (fairly aggressive one at that). At 6 weeks old, their mobile coop was done and they moved out to our land. We also built them an enclosure which attaches to their coop so they have a secure outdoor area. I learned quickly that our neighbor's dog really likes chicken as he stole and killed one of my 2 Leghorn pullets. Ironically, he got the other Leghorn pullet over a month later when the adolescent cockerels were chasing the heck out of her. She jumped the fence right into his jaws! Needless to say, I was done with the excess cockerels at the time and they became dinner. We kept one (Father Runty) and inherited another flock from some friends of friends. That 2nd flock came with an older Australorp rooster, Big Guy, who was fairly tame. Come winter, I lost a hen and Father Runty to a hawk (stopped ranging chickens and started keeping them locked in their coop and secure enclosed area for the rest of the winter). In spring, they were moved to our orchard and their old yard has become my 2nd garden (already have one at home). More losses and gains occurred in the flock. Big Guy got an infection from the hens picking at his feet and he died. I purchased some Golden Comet chicks back in March and some straight run Rhode Island Reds. I had a broody hen (who I was not going to commit myself to breaking) which I let hatch some of my own flock's eggs (before Big Guy died, obviously- have no adult roosters anymore). Mama hen now has 5 chicks she is caring for. I also hatched eggs in my class again with the help of an electric incubator and another broody hen, Matilda. The eggs were donated by the Hancock Shaker Village and I was told they were all Rhode Island Reds- surprise when 2 of our 9 chicks turned out to be black, not red! They are either Wyandottes or Dominiques since those are they only other breeds the Shaker Village has. I'll find out more as they get older. Matilda is happily raising all 9 even though she only hatched 4. I also ordered 40 meat birds and 12 layers from a local feed store. They gave me 41 meat birds and 14 layers (extras were free) and I have lost 1 layer and 2 meat birds. They are about 2 1/2 weeks old now.

This is the short version as there obviously were other small projects and on going maintenance of the land which has occurred, but you get the idea.