Local Chicken

Let's talk chicken! This past week we processed the pastured chicken we have been raising for ourselves and for others.
These birds lived outside in the fresh air and on grass. They were not injected with hormones or drugs. They ate a non-GMO feed and were treated humanely. They lived their lives as a chicken should live.

 I am always amazed when I read articles such as THIS one about the US chicken companies sending their chicken over seas to China for processing and then back home to sell in your local grocery store.

First consider the fact that commodity farming of chicken (all animals) is obscene. It is truly a disgusting display of what we as Americans have come to accept because we are so very far removed from our food. Chickens are crammed inside a building and fed medications and hormones. Even your free range chickens are not totally treated as *free-range*.

                                              *My chicken processing crew*

Let's consider the processing now. It isn't a pleasant process here in the USA, as chickens are man handles, electrocuted and sliced open by a mechanical knife. The process is so nasty that the birds are chilled in tanks of water with chlorine.
Because Americans want to keep purchasing *cheap* chicken, this process will eventually be moved to China, where workers will process chickens for a mere $1-2 an hour. Slave labor at best. This should upset anyone who has even a slight care for the treatment of people.

We had a couple of families join us on processing day so that they could learn how to butcher and process their own birds. I have seen a movement forming where people who never thought they would raise their own food, are moving to a piece of land and raising their meat. They are getting back to their roots and becoming connected with their food.

Many who cannot move to land are buying local. This year I happily sold all of my chickens and Journee, who decided to raise a batch as well, has sold all of her birds too.
It is NOT cheap chicken.
It is, however, chicken raised as it should: small flocks in the sunshine and on green grass and processed by hand with care and humanity.

Ya'll it has been a busy and hot summer here. Farming and cheese making has been occupying a huge portion of my days, but this is not a complaint.

I have neglected any farm updates because of all the nation news stories. So many controversial and divisive news stories occupy and flood my newsfeeds and I try to steer clear of too many of those *bait and trap* news stories. They exist to divide us. They make us *think* about things that really do not affect us on a daily basis.

The news of our chicken, our food, being sent to China is one topic I will not remain silent over. It's bad enough that we have huge commodity farms to begin with, but over sea processing make sit even worse.

Local farmers are everywhere and they are raising all kinds of food for you to eat. When you buy from a local farmer you are getting high quality food and you are also helping that farmer pay bills.

The best option to fight the abuse of animals in commodity farms is to opt out. Just simply opt out of the system and shop local.  You will find local milk, eggs, cheese, beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, fruit and more!

                                                            *Just harvested Shiitakes*

If you have supported a local farmer this year, I thank you!

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This week will be start busy here as we are participating in a product testing for a multi -cooker appliance. To say this has been challenging is an understatement!
I have spent countless hours in Pinterest looking for recipes to test!
After tomorrow I am done!

I will post about the product testing if I can obtain permission from the company!
Until then.......find a local farmer!

Happy Monday Ya'll!!!!
                         

The Nitty Gritty

Tomorrow is chicken processing day.

No, not these birds. The pastured broilers.
I have raised them the exact same way as last year, using the Joel Salatin model for pastured poultry.
This year, however, I used a non-GMO, certified organic broiler feed. It. Was. Expensive.

It also didn't have the best results for growth, It used split peas for protein and the birds just didn't like the peas. I had to run them an extra week for growth and then the rain came.

It has rained every day for the last week. The ground is saturated and the creeks and rivers are flooded.
Today the sun came out between storms and as a result the humidity is very, very high. The air is almost as thick as the grass.
The pasture is sprouting mushrooms.
The bugs were out in full force. The cicadas are singing along with the toads.
It feels like summer in Georgia.

This evening we have been preparing for the long and busy day tomorrow.
The birds cannot be fed tonight so I gave them fresh water and moved their pens to a fresh spot of grass. They will have the grass eaten  down by morning.
They are all healthy birds.

Part of prepping includes meal preparation for the next day. I have divided chores and duties amongst the children.
The oldest, Journee, will help with the chicken processing.
The next oldest, Quinn, doesn't like the hands on farm processing. That is fine because I will need her to prepare meals and take care of the young children, as well as keep up house chores.
Number three child, Indiana, and number four child, Willow, will milk the cow and do all of the morning chores with the hens and cows.
Later they will help by bringing the chickens to us as we process.

I made sure that we had some food in the house, and then I prepared some easy and quick snacks such as jello and fruit cups. Fletcher was happy to watch and help in the kitchen!

That is how I organize and prepare for the long 12 hour day we will likely have tomorrow.
Devin is putting up his large canopy so that we will have cover in case it......rains:-)

It's the nitty gritty of raising pastured poultry.

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Circle of Moms has again nominated My Barefoot Farm into the Top 25 Mom of Large Families contest.
It is an honor to place the badge on this blog. Will you please vote HERE? You can vote once a day.
Thank you!

Here's the Latest...

1. Summer will officially kick-off tonight with our first Outdoor Movie Night of the year. We are showing The Hobbit and expect quite a few friends to attend. If you are local, come on out! Movie starts at dusk.

2.  A cousin of mine taught me how to make clay beads for bracelets. I admit that they are super cool and will be gifts this year. I might just post a tutorial this fall as well, so all of you can make some. In fact, Rose and Zeb made some a couple of days ago! I needed another hobby, right?

3. My hens have suddenly decided to stop laying. Is it the heat? Lack of food? I have no idea. This happens occasionally, and I will go through my list of possible causes and try to remedy the issue. Sometimes farming can be a pain in the bootie.

4. In another week I plan to get my heifer calf, Stella, haltered and brought to the paddock near Lucy and Belle. We need to start getting her haltered trained and all that fun stuff while she is still small:-)
She will not be bred until she is 2 years old, but it's wise to get her used to us now as a baby.
I bet it will be little bit like a rodeo at first.

5. My pasture chickens are not growing very well on the certified organic food I bought for them. In fact, the food is a huge disappointment to me. There are yellow peas in it that they will not even touch. What a waste of money!
Yesterday we had to separate the small birds (very small) from the larger birds and put them in a tractor pen together. I will feed them extra food and clabbered milk to get them growing properly.

 The kids obligingly crawled into the pens to catch the smallest chickens for me.

I guess I can't blame it all on the food. Some of the birds ARE growing but I do not think they are growing as well as last year. The bigger kids helped catch the birds and guess who helped fill feeders?

                                Yep, even a 2 year old can help with farm chores!

We are expecting a little rain on Sunday here! That is great news for the garden! Until then we will be outside soaking up the sun and fun.

What are your plans this weekend?

Spring Workshops

We have three workshops lined up for this spring.
Although a newsletter went out last week, I wanted to give some details here for all of the local folks who might be interested.

First a Backyard Chicken Workshop.

This workshop will give you the knowledge and confidence to keep and raise a small flock of laying hens in your own backyard. The eggs provided by back yard hens are much more healthy than store eggs and a few hens are very simple to care for, plus they provide a great experience for children.

This workshop will be held March 16^th from 10am until 2pm. The cost is $100 and includes a starter brood kit (box, light, water, feeder and food) for baby chicks PLUS 4 baby pullets (hens). You will leave the class with your own baby chicks and all the supplies to begin caring for them. *attendees are responsible for checking with the city ordinances for laws regarding back yard poultry.*The chicks will be a combination of Buff Orpington, Black Australop, and Easter Egger (blue egg layer).

A deposit of $50 is required by Feb 16^th. Class size is limited.

Second, Basic Beekeeping Workshop

This our second year offering this workshop. Attendees will learn the basics about bee life cycle, keeping a hive, and the equipment needed. An observation hive will be set up so that the bees can be observed closely.

Date of workshop is April 13^th from 10am-2pm with a rain out date of April 20^th.

Cost is $50 and includes a copy of book Backyard Beekeeping.

Deposit of $25 is due March 13^th. Class size is limited.

Third, Vermi Composting or Worm Farm Work Shop

 

This workshop is for those who always wanted a worm farm for kitchen compost.

Attendees will learn the basics of composting with worms and will go home with a complete worm farm ready to go (with 2000 red wigglers!). I do suggest keeping the farm in your home until the weather warms up.

 

Here is a picture of the farm:

 

 

 

This workshop will be May 18th from 10-2pm and the total cost is $85. A deposit of $40 is due April 13th.
This will be a fun workshop that I think kids will love too!


Pastured Chicken will be offered again this year. The chicks will arrive the first week of May and will be processed the end of June.

The price is the same as last year $15, and a deposit of $5 is required per chicken.
If you are interested in ordering any pastured raised chickens, I suggest you do so soon! I have a limited number available.
If there is enough interest I will run a second batch in September and have them ready the first week of October.

 

Thank you for being part of our lives and our farm. If you are interested in any of our workshops, please send an email to barefootfarm@catt.com