Cheaper by the 1/2 Dozen

It's official!  Sometime in May we're expecting another little Rough Rider on our homestead!  For those who are keeping count, that'll be a 1/2 dozen young'uns running around our little 900+ square foot home.

I know not everyone will have large families like us.  I wouldn't expect that.  God blesses as He chooses.  Some He blesses with children.  Others get blessed in other ways.  He calls each family to a certain role.  For us, we've been called to raise a large family.  How large?  Your guess is as good as mine.

It's been interesting to hear some of the conversations, and see the reactions, to a family our size.  When we had three, people were amazed at our "large" family.  When we had four, they gasped in shock and awe.  When we had five, some were disgusted.  With six on the way, I can assure you of some of the things we'll hear.

You'd better have a good job to support all these kids.

You can't give enough love to each child when there are so many.

The older children do nothing but act as small parents their whole lives.

I sure am glad it's not me.

Don't you know what causes that?

There are, of course, many more.  I'm sure a few came to your head.  You can't help it.  The stereotypes are handed to us in so many ways and most of them are subtle.  When was the last time you heard a song where the singer referenced more than two children (occasionally three)?  When was the last time you watched a serious drama that had more than a boy and girl?  Ever look at a tax form?  There will be four lines for your dependents.

If you have less than three children, or none at all, I will not look down on you or question your reasons.  You are to fulfill God's calling on your life whatever that may be.  But why is it that everyone assumes you should have a small family?  I think there are many reasons that play into that assumption.

As for my family, the bottom line is this: This is what we've been called to do and this we will do.

But, just for kicks, let's address this perceived problem.  What if it is somehow wrong that I have such a big family.  What do I do now?  Which one do I get rid of?

They're all so unique, and, in their own way, so integral to the family unit. I have to ask myself some questions.  Questions like how do you function without your first born who nurses his mother, of his own free will, when she's struggling with "morning sickness"?  He brings her food and drink, books, and anything else she may want.  And who will handle all the detailed chores that no one likes if the second born isn't here?  He can fold the laundry just as good as his mother and he comes up with creative solutions to problems.  But the third born, he likes the rough and tumble tasks that challenge him physically.  He likes to run in and give his mother hugs and kisses and let her know she'll be okay and then run out again once he's sure of her love.  Then what of the fourth born and only daughter?  Who will add that softness that only a daughter can possess?  And where would we be without the fifth, the 2 year old, who is ready with a smile all day long.

It's no easy thing.  Having all these people in one house brings its own set of challenges.  But its funny...I can't think of a single one I'd get rid of.

Talking Turkey - Part 2

In a part 1 of Talking Turkey, I promised I'd document the rest of the season so you could get an idea of what it takes to raise turkeys.  So here I am.

And what a ride!

When we last left our little band of wild rebels, they were about 12 weeks old.  I really had no idea how long to keep them.  I had reports from different sources that you could keep them anywhere from 12 to 25 weeks depending on the size you wanted them.  The "size" of a farm raised animal, however, can be very subjective.  Size is based on a variety of factors: breed, feed, additives, pasture quality, conditions, weather, hatchery (or sire for non-poultry), stress, other livestock on the premises, etc.  So you can see that to really plan your flock (as much as that is possible) requires a historical pattern that you can glean from.  You have to know your feed, your pasture, your conditions, and the final outcomes of your livestock.

In this case, I had none of that.

As you may recall from a previous post, I fully expected to lose some or all of the turkey flock because of how I raised them.  But God was merciful and we lost none of the 10 poults we purchased.  So I let them grow.  Around the 12 week mark, or so, I began to realize that they were putting on weight fast.  And although we all like a big Thanksgiving Day turkey, there are limits.  So we put a cap on the season at 18 weeks.

I am so glad we did that.  We'll get to why I'm glad we did in a minute.

We ordered the Broad-breasted Bronze turkeys and, if you remember, I ordered a straight run.  I found them to be a hardy breed that withstood a variety of less than perfect circumstances.  They endured:

• Living with chicks
• Having their pen blow away
• Living for several days in a small chicken coop (while the pen was repaired)
• Wind gusts up to at least 30 miles an hour (see the point above about their pen)
• Heat well into the 90's (fairly high for Michigan)
• Unforgiving rain
• Nighttime cold into the mid 30's (fairly typical for Michigan in the fall)
• An insane farmer
• Lot's of insane farmer's kids
• Lot's of insane farmer's friends and family (read on...)

And in spite of all that, they thrived.  They did quite well.  If you're planning on feed rations, my records indicate that the turkeys' ate approximately 950 pounds of turkey feed.  That's almost a 1/2 ton!  You can look at in terms of the individual bird and assume that you need 5.3 pounds of feed per week per bird.  But understand that you're talking about a sliding scale.  They eat less than that in the beginning and more than that at the end.  But that will help you decide how much feed you need based on the size of your flock.  The water was much more difficult to calculate, but I think a fair guess would be 200 gallons.  That will change dramatically depending on the weather conditions so take it for what it's worth.

As they grow, you can start to tell which ones are Tom's and which are Jenny's.  I think we ended up with 3 Tom's and 7 Jenny's.  Now it's not an exact science, but the Tom's are usually pretty large.  They all grew long fat waddles and a long beard (starts at the upper beak and grows long....kind of like ZZ Top).  They also tend to fluff out their feathers and strut around the pen.  This is because we ordered a straight run.  You can certainly specify which gender you prefer.

The day finally arrived.  We had decided to do the needful at age 18 weeks.  Since I have a regular "town job", we always process on a Saturday.  This was no exception.  But the day was incredibly sunny, in the 70's (warm for us) and the sky was a beautiful blue.  Yet another gift from God...

*WARNING* I am going to write in some detail about the processing event.  I will not use excessive description as it is not necessary.  However, there are pictures and as a fair warning, if you do not want to read about how the turkey's were dispatched, you may want to click over to another post.





Wrangling
Catching the birds was the most fun for the kids I think.  Remember, they are more aggressive than chickens.  The little Rough Riders tried a variety of methods including lassoing, trapping, and catching.  The easiest way for us was to take a 5 gallon bucket with a hole at the end and slide it , top first, over the bird until it fits snugly inside.  This quiets the bird and restrains its wings.  See below for an explanation of the bucket.

Killing
Traditionally, the killing takes place in a killing cone.  This is a bit of sheet metal folded into a cone.  You can see it in the back of Sara Palin's

 Scalding
You need lots of room for the scald.  I like my water at around 153 degrees.  You may like it more or less.   The choice is yours.  The old timers say to put Dawn dish soap in your water.  It cuts grease and therefore cuts the natural oils on the turkey feathers.  I didn't do that and really didn't have any problems, but you may want to give it a try.  Make sure you have enough room to swish the bird around.  Here, you can see I used a 30 gallon galvanized garbage can.  The burner is propane and from a turkey fryer (ironically enough).  It was about 1/2 full when we used it.  It worked great.  For me, the stand was a little high and a step ladder would have worked well. I'm assuming, at this point, that you know about scalding.  If not, you can google it or search YouTube and you'll find plenty of info.   Scalding turkeys and chickens is about the same.  The big differences is that the turkeys are MUCH heavier.

 

Plucking
You can pluck by hand.  With the turkeys it's no problem.  If you get that scald right, the feathers come out pretty easily.  We used the Whizbang Chicken Plucker.  You can learn more about it here.  It can't handle a whole turkey being thrown in, but I put the turkey in and just rotated it myself.  I'd estimate it took off at least 80% of the feathers.  The rest of our "team" used pliers to finish off the plucking.  That's very important.  Make sure some patient people are there to help.  Pull up a chair.  Have a chat while you pluck.  It's just like life should be...shared with others.

Evisceration (fancy word for gutting)
It's just like a chicken...only bigger.  Check this video out for some detail.

Bagging
We have one person who is completely indispensable that does quality control after the evic..evis..the gutting.  That person makes sure everything is out (if you know what I mean) and washes the bird down.  Once that's done, you can either let them cool in water first, or bag them and then put them in water.  It's your choice.  We order or bags from Cornerstone Farm Ventures.  Good products, good prices, and speedy delivery.

And there you have it.

So for you stat addicts, here's a wrap up:

• 9 friends to help (because they wanted to)
• 10 turkeys
• 7'x12' movable pen
• 18 weeks
• 200 gallons of water
• 950 pounds of feed
• Broad-breasted Bronze
• Smallest turkey - 15.5 pounds
• Largest turkey - 33.5 pounds

So now you now why I'm glad we stopped at 18 weeks.  33 pounds is a big turkey.  Looks like we'll be having lots of people over for Thanksgiving!

For the Love of Potatoes

Potatoes.  I love them.

Fried, baked, smashed, boiled.

Buttered, smothered, salted.

We actually planted them this year.  What a great thing.  You put them in the ground.  They grow.  I eat.  Ahhh....

It doesn't get simpler.

Oh it's hard work as many of you know.  Growing your own food is not for the sloth.  But how rewarding to harvest the fruit of your labor and enjoy.  It's a gift from God really.  He created in six days and rested the seventh.  He sat back and enjoyed the fruit of His labor.  Is it any wonder that the very same activities are so pleasing to His children?

A friend and I dug up some of the harvest, digging our hands deep into the soil.  The smell climbs into your nostrils and begins to quicken the pace.  It reminds you that your are engaging in the oldest of man's activities.  You are taking dominion over the earth.  Your actions, your care and patience, make a difference.  You are doing what you are created to do.

So eat, drink, and enjoy the work God has given you.  And fry up some potatoes while you're at it.   

That's a Wrap

Whew!

We finally finished raising and processing all 213 chickens.  What a summer!

I was standing in the field last Saturday in the early morning hours.  My sons and I were preparing for the day.  The sun was just coming up and the chill of the night was still in the air. I thought about the people who were coming out to help.

I thought about how they always come out to help.

I was tired and ready to be done with chicken processing days.  They are long, messy, and tiring.  I thought about the helpers.  How tired of chicken processing days must they be?  They show up on the days they are able.  They work hard and without complaint.  When they are finished they are rewarded with little to nothing.

And still they come.  Why?

They come because of the love they have in their hearts.  For me and my family, yes, but more importantly because they love God and His people.  That's what Biblical community is all about.  It's about sacrificing your time and resource for your brother or sister...even if they are crazy enough to process chickens.

At that moment, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  Maybe overwhelmed is not the right word.  Maybe humbled is better.  Yes, I think that says it better.  Humbled because I realized anew that I didn't deserve friends like these.  I didn't deserve the blessing of living in the family of God.  Yet I was blessed.  I am blessed.  How could life get any better?

Thank you to all who are supporting this little enterprise.  I appreciate the encouragement and enthusiasm you give toward the service we are providing.  It's been exciting watching as people's faces light up when they realize what we're doing.  Whether you are supporting clean and healthy meat, a local business, a strange new business venture, or all of the above, we thank you.  I'll still be posting updates on our Turkey experiment so stay tuned.  I have a feeling that Turkey processing day will be an adventure!

It's Almost Time - 4th Batch

IT'S ALMOST TIME

Don't forget that we are processing the fourth batch of chickens on September 25th.  That's is 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.  Many people have asked if we have "extras".  Unfortunately, that's hard to determine until we get to processing day.  If you would like to stop by and ask, please feel free.  Extras will also be first come, first served.  

Please note that at this time, we have no more freezer space.  If you are unable to come on the 25th, and you do not make arrangements in advance, you will forfeit your order.  If you are unable to come on the 25th and you give us advanced notice, you will be charged an additional $2.00 per bird.  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 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.

legacyfamilyfarm@gmail.com
http://simplelife-thelegacy.blogspot.com/

Entrusted with Arrows - A Movie Review

I recently had an opportunity to preview the film "Entrusted with Arrows".  My wife clued me in to their link on Facebook.  When I watched the trailer I knew this was a "must see" movie for me.  I wasn't disappointed.

The movie is a documentary that focuses on a few families that have something in common; the father of each family has "come home".

When I watch the movie, I get this tingle in the back my neck and it sort of flushes my face.  I think I feel that way because I know exactly why they did what they did.  In every case, they left a stable job with career potential to start a family business.  Some did it voluntarily...others did not.  But in any case, they all recognized that it was time to leave the workplace.

It was time to come home.

This wasn't so foreign a concept even 100 year ago.  In fact, it was the norm.  Families engaged in business together, whether it was operating the family farm, running the local mercantile or grain mill, or renting out rooms to weary passengers.  They had cottage business that arose; jams and jellies, candles, baked goods, and soaps.  They did what they had to do to survive.

And they did it together.

I realize that not every man from the previous centuries was home constantly, nor would I expect him to be. There are jobs that must be done away from home.   Yet the simple fact is that it's a man's God given responsibility to lead his family.  This cannot be done if he does not heavily invest in that family.  And how can he heavily invest in his family if the majority of his time is spent elsewhere?  The 20th Century, and the continued propagation of the Industrial Age, has embedded into the minds of men that we must leave home for at least 40 hours per week in order to "work".  Anything less is considered lazy.  But it's not so.  A man does not have to leave his homestead to be productive.  Having a job away from the home is no sin.  But have we given into the lie that says our corporation, our place of employment, is what defines our productivity?

Again I say it is not so.  With the advent of technology, it seems that we are learning.  Men are coming home, with home as their base of operations.  Whole families are able to work from home.  There are some who are heeding the call to transition from a decentralized family model to a centralized one.

I think that is what I was most impressed with as I watched Entrusted with Arrows.  This movie highlighted candid conversations about the transition and the fear involved.  Each man addresses the fact that he struggled, to one extent or other, with fear.  Yet each overcame that fear.  How joyous to the ears to hear that a man was indeed fearful, as all men will be, but trusted God.  In so doing a man becomes brave.  I need to hear that.  It's like a shot of courage in the arm.

I've heard of similar stories from men whose hearts have been turned toward home.  At times, the stories do not mention fear and I have been left to wonder if they did not struggle at all with this sort of transition.  This was not the case with Entrusted with Arrows.  The leading men were open about their fears and their conquests.

In all, I'd like to say thank you to the Movie Makers.  Like a fire on a winter's day, they brought cheer and inspiration to me, reminding me that with God, all things are possible.

For more information, check them out here.

It's Almost Time - 3rd Batch

Don't forget that we are processing the third batch of chickens on September 11th.  That's this coming 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. We are REALLY excited to see you there!! FUTURE PLANS We plan to process the fourth batch of chickens on September 25th. Again, mark it on your calendar!  This will be our final batch for the year.  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.