Don't forget that we are processing the second batch of chickens on August 7th. That's a week from Saturday! Have your coolers and your final payments ready! Plan to arrive between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. This will give the chickens time to cool down after processing. We don't have a lot of freezer space so it's important that you, or a representative for you, is there. If you have any questions regarding your order, don't hesitate to let us know.
You will need enough cooler space to fit your order. You should have a little ice or cold water in your cooler so your bird will keep on your drive home.
For your final payment, we only accept cash and check at this time.
If you need directions, let me know. We are REALLY excited to see you there!!
FUTURE PLANS
We plan to process the third batch of chickens on September 11th. Again, mark it on your calendar!
The fourth batch has been ordered! We plan to process this batch on September 25th.
If you have any questions or comments, let us know! We'd love to hear from you. Keep checking the blog for the most recent information, or follow us on Facebook. Just type in Legacy Family Farm.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Turkey Trot
Friday evening found us in the basement again. I have lived my whole life in this area and have never experienced the number of tornado warnings that we've had this year. It's incredible. I noted to my lovely wife, as we were huddled around the glow of a Dell laptop, that the worst of the storm was starting in Carleton...of course...that's where the chicken pens are located.
I've been asked on more than one occasion how the chickens and turkeys fair in the rain. It's not really a problem for them. But in our case, because of the types of pens we use, wind is a problem. And thus it was proved out that night.
After the sirens ceased and we had the "all clear", we went back upstairs. In just a few minutes I got the call from my friend who owns the farm.
The wind (approximately 35 mph) had blown the pens over. All the birds were loose and running free.
*Sigh* ....so much for a relaxing evening at home.
The first order of business? GET THOSE BIRDS!
Amazingly, every bird was perfectly fine; slightly damp, but perfectly fine. One of the pens took a severe beating. We estimated that it blew about 75 feet. We fixed it the next morning.
And a good (mosquito bitten, wet, muggy) time was had by all. We rounded up 37 chickens, 10 turkeys, and 5 crazy children. Or, as my wife put it, we did the Turkey Trot.
I've been asked on more than one occasion how the chickens and turkeys fair in the rain. It's not really a problem for them. But in our case, because of the types of pens we use, wind is a problem. And thus it was proved out that night.
After the sirens ceased and we had the "all clear", we went back upstairs. In just a few minutes I got the call from my friend who owns the farm.
The wind (approximately 35 mph) had blown the pens over. All the birds were loose and running free.
*Sigh* ....so much for a relaxing evening at home.
The first order of business? GET THOSE BIRDS!
Amazingly, every bird was perfectly fine; slightly damp, but perfectly fine. One of the pens took a severe beating. We estimated that it blew about 75 feet. We fixed it the next morning.
And a good (mosquito bitten, wet, muggy) time was had by all. We rounded up 37 chickens, 10 turkeys, and 5 crazy children. Or, as my wife put it, we did the Turkey Trot.
Friday, July 23, 2010
To Greener Pastures
Two days after our first batch of chickens was processed, we moved the second batch out to pasture. They were three weeks old. You can see that they love the new terrain. Although there is some grain in the trough, they prefer to take advantage of the greens and bugs laying around. It's such a beautiful site to see the chickens acting like birds instead of like zombies in the confinement operations. We had a major thunderstorm that night. But when I went to check on them in the morning, they were doing well. There was one little guy, however, that somehow got stuck in the rain. He didn't go into the sheltered area with his brothers. When I got the pen, he was lying by the door as though he may have been trying to get out. He shivered and tried to stand only to fall over. I put him in the corner of the pen with some grain while I tended to all the others. When I came back, some of the bigger birds were eating his grain and stepping on him.
While it's an assault on our sensibilities to see the weak taken advantage of, we remember that this is the animal kingdom. Though we attribute complex emotions such as kindness and empathy to animals, they cannot be characterized as having those emotions. What they do have, I'm not entirely sure. But as I watch the chickens, I understand where the term "pecking order" comes from. There is no mistake that in a flock of chickens there is a pecking order. When one chicken is down, the others feel compelled only to torment the hurting, or smaller, bird. If that bird can no longer move, he will be trampled by the others. It's that simple.
So, being human, and understanding my role as a steward of God's earth, I took the chicken back to the barn and gave him some grain. This is what we call "The Hospital".
I paid a visit to the hospital the next day. He looked just fine to me.
Update - Of course I post this on a nigh when the storms are much worse than the one this little guy suffered through. And the results were much worse too. But right now I'm tired. I think you'll have to wait for the next post.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Updates and Schedule Changes
Thanks again to all who made the processing of our first batch a success. We pastured the chickens on a shorter schedule than we did last year and found the weight to average between 3 and 4 pounds. We'd like to offer a better selection to our customers by delaying the processing dates and allowing the chickens to grow slightly larger. For those looking for 3 pound birds, we anticipate they will still be available. For those seeking larger birds, we hope to have those as well. The prices will remain the same.
That said, please review the schedule changes listed below. They are listed in chronological order.
Ordering the 4th batch - You still have till Friday, July 23 to place a final order. We have very limited space left so hurry. Remember that for each bird ordered, a $5 non-refundable deposit is required. You can let us know by responding to this email or leaving a message on our Facebook Page or our Blog (see below for details).
Processing the 2nd batch - The new processing date will be August 7th. That's a Saturday. As we get closer to that date, I'll send out reminders and maps to those who are involved.
Processing the 3rd batch - The new processing date will be September 11th. This probably works better anyway. The original date was for Labor Day weekend and we didn't realize that. Again, I'll send maps and reminders.
Processing the 4th batch - The new processing date will be September 25th. I know we're deep into fall at this point (and back to school) but we trust the selection will be more well rounded by waiting. And yes, I'll send maps and reminders.
Thanks for your patience on the date changes. We strive for the best quality and selection available to us. We've all become accustomed to walking into a store and pulling chicken off the shelf, but we often don't see the process that gets the chicken to market. Raising livestock is not an exact science but it's a whole lot of fun. Come on out on the Processing days and we'll show you around. We'd love to see you there!
That said, please review the schedule changes listed below. They are listed in chronological order.
Ordering the 4th batch - You still have till Friday, July 23 to place a final order. We have very limited space left so hurry. Remember that for each bird ordered, a $5 non-refundable deposit is required. You can let us know by responding to this email or leaving a message on our Facebook Page or our Blog (see below for details).
Processing the 2nd batch - The new processing date will be August 7th. That's a Saturday. As we get closer to that date, I'll send out reminders and maps to those who are involved.
Processing the 3rd batch - The new processing date will be September 11th. This probably works better anyway. The original date was for Labor Day weekend and we didn't realize that. Again, I'll send maps and reminders.
Processing the 4th batch - The new processing date will be September 25th. I know we're deep into fall at this point (and back to school) but we trust the selection will be more well rounded by waiting. And yes, I'll send maps and reminders.
Thanks for your patience on the date changes. We strive for the best quality and selection available to us. We've all become accustomed to walking into a store and pulling chicken off the shelf, but we often don't see the process that gets the chicken to market. Raising livestock is not an exact science but it's a whole lot of fun. Come on out on the Processing days and we'll show you around. We'd love to see you there!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
One Batch Down
We finished processing the first batch of chickens this past Saturday. And what a day it was! We arrived at the farm (my friends homestead) at 6:30 a.m. to set up. From there it was a whirlwind of a day. 65 chickens were plucked, processed, and bagged. I'd go into more detail....well, maybe not.
Several friends showed up to help and all were veteran chicken processors from last year. What a wonderful thing it is to have strong relationships. Only one person was specifically asked to come and help, yet several showed up, some unexpectedly, simply to show their support and love. That's what we hope our little farming venture does; we hope it leaves a legacy of Biblical community through agriculture.
There were some who managed to escape the camera, but they were a very real part of the experience. And I promise that after 12 hours it was not all smiles. I thank you all for your help.
This year, we used something new. It's a chicken plucker fabricated by a good friend. The design came from a man named Herrick Kimble. You can read more about him here. The parts came from all over. Some new and some not so new. It worked pretty good, but needs a couple of tweaks before our next processing day. It plucked them clean...which is more than I can say for the few I hand plucked!
The biggest question I get asked is "What will they look like when I come to pick them up?" For our area, that's a valid question. This is so new to most of us. When you come to pick them up you'll find that they have no head or feet. They will be plucked clean. All of the insides are taken out. Then we bag 'em and tag 'em. In the end they get weighed so you know what you'll pay. It's that simple.
Here is a picture of a bagged chicken. This one's been frozen, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like.
We don't quarter them or de-bone them...that would take a lot of time. For a good tutorial on quartering chickens, look to your favorite chef. Most of them have a section in their cookbooks on how to butcher a chicken. I think it's a lost art.
So many people came out. Some were customers and some just came to check out the action. All of them left as customers. It was exciting to watch it all happen. Thanks to those who bought and those who helped. We couldn't have done it without you!
Several friends showed up to help and all were veteran chicken processors from last year. What a wonderful thing it is to have strong relationships. Only one person was specifically asked to come and help, yet several showed up, some unexpectedly, simply to show their support and love. That's what we hope our little farming venture does; we hope it leaves a legacy of Biblical community through agriculture.
There were some who managed to escape the camera, but they were a very real part of the experience. And I promise that after 12 hours it was not all smiles. I thank you all for your help.
This year, we used something new. It's a chicken plucker fabricated by a good friend. The design came from a man named Herrick Kimble. You can read more about him here. The parts came from all over. Some new and some not so new. It worked pretty good, but needs a couple of tweaks before our next processing day. It plucked them clean...which is more than I can say for the few I hand plucked!
The biggest question I get asked is "What will they look like when I come to pick them up?" For our area, that's a valid question. This is so new to most of us. When you come to pick them up you'll find that they have no head or feet. They will be plucked clean. All of the insides are taken out. Then we bag 'em and tag 'em. In the end they get weighed so you know what you'll pay. It's that simple.
Here is a picture of a bagged chicken. This one's been frozen, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like.
We don't quarter them or de-bone them...that would take a lot of time. For a good tutorial on quartering chickens, look to your favorite chef. Most of them have a section in their cookbooks on how to butcher a chicken. I think it's a lost art.
So many people came out. Some were customers and some just came to check out the action. All of them left as customers. It was exciting to watch it all happen. Thanks to those who bought and those who helped. We couldn't have done it without you!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
It's Almost Time
Don't forget that we are processing the first batch of chickens on July 17th. That's a week from Saturday! Have your coolers and your final payments ready! Plan to arrive around 1:00 p.m. This will give the chickens time to cool down after processing. We don't have a lot of freezer space so it's important that you, or a representative for you, is there. If you have any questions regarding your order, don't hesitate to let us know.
You will need enough cooler space to fit your order. You should have a little ice or cold water in your cooler so your bird will keep on your drive home.
For your final payment, we only accept cash and check at this time.
Attached you will find maps that show the location of the farm. We are REALLY excited to see you there!!
FUTURE PLANS
We plan to process the second batch of chickens on July 31st. Again, mark it on your calendar!
The third batch has been ordered! We can probably squeeze in a couple small orders if there are any last minute takers. We plan to process this batch on September 4th.
For the fourth batch, we'll need your orders and deposits in no later than July 23rd. We plan to process this batch on September 18th.
If you have any questions or comments, let us know! We'd love to hear from you. Keep checking the blog for the most recent information, or follow us on Facebook. Just type in Legacy Family Farm.
You will need enough cooler space to fit your order. You should have a little ice or cold water in your cooler so your bird will keep on your drive home.
For your final payment, we only accept cash and check at this time.
Attached you will find maps that show the location of the farm. We are REALLY excited to see you there!!
FUTURE PLANS
We plan to process the second batch of chickens on July 31st. Again, mark it on your calendar!
The third batch has been ordered! We can probably squeeze in a couple small orders if there are any last minute takers. We plan to process this batch on September 4th.
For the fourth batch, we'll need your orders and deposits in no later than July 23rd. We plan to process this batch on September 18th.
If you have any questions or comments, let us know! We'd love to hear from you. Keep checking the blog for the most recent information, or follow us on Facebook. Just type in Legacy Family Farm.
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