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. 

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! 

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!

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.

Anti-biotics for Dinner?

There has been plenty of information regarding the dangers of over-prescribing anti-biotics both in humans and in animals.  A friend passed along an article today that dealt with the topic in a very balanced manner.  I wrote about MRSA in animals in a previous post.  One thing I'd like to clarify; like all drugs, anti-biotics are not evil.  In fact, they are very helpful.  The problem is not that we don't recognize the benefits of anti-biotics, but rather that we see them being prescribed even when they are not necessary.  Livestock is a great example.

When you buy chick feed at the local mill, what you'll find is that in almost every case, the pre-packaged feed will contain anti-biotics.  I'm sure there are some places that stock anti-biotic free feed, but I suspect they are few.  Of course you can order it on-line, but the shipping fees are expensive.  It's a shame, really, because not only does ordering on-line become cost prohibitive, it pulls business away from the local farmers and mills.  In our case, we use the Ida Farmer's Co-op in Ida, MI.  While they don't stock pre-packaged anti-biotic free chick feed, they will grind feed to your specifications on the spot.  It's a great blessing to be near a mill that will custom grind rations for you.  There are other mills in the area, but chick feed is not a hot commodity in our area so they don't grind it.  They just buy it wholesale from Purina and sell it.

According to the article the FDA has stated that "Giving animals antibiotics in order to increase food production is a threat to public health and should be stopped".  The common wisdom is that anti-biotics not only fight off infection, but also increase weight gain.  In many farming operations, that's the name of the game.  The FDA's Deputy Commissioner also said that "Such use encourages the growth of drug-resistant bacteria that can cause hard-to-treat human disease".  

We've all known for years that increased use of anti-biotics promotes resistant strains for bacteria.  For years we've been told that at least two weeks before slaughter you should stop giving the animals anti-biotics.  We don't really discuss why...but I think we all know.  

Our birds are given no anti-biotics.  Instead we mix Fertrell Nutri-balancer in with the feed.  It contains, among other things, kelp (a natural immune booster),   vitamins A, D, and E, and a pro-biotic.  This sort of customized ration we've put together is more expensive, but we are trying to boost the natural health of the poultry BEFORE we have an issue.

Would we ever use anti-biotics?  If there was an epidemic present in the flock, we would likely need to.  I'd let you know if we had to do that.  But that would be an emergency situation. What is amazing is how God has granted His creation the ability to fight off disease.  We just have to make sure that system has the tools to work properly.

So you can rest assured; your birds are strong and healthy.  And, they're anti-biotic free!

The Salad Bar, Please

Well, the first two weeks have flown by. We're ready for the arrival of the second batch on Tuesday!  So, it was time to do some shuffling.

The first thing we needed were wranglers.  They're sort of like cowboys except they're not allowed to carry guns (much to their disappointment).

Previously, we had set the pens out on the pasture, secured the chicken wire, covered the pens (for shade and protection), and set out the feed and water.  We were ready for our guests.

We loaded a few at a time into Rubbermaid tubs and put the lids on.  This keeps them from flying away, but also darkens the tub.  When light is dim, chickens and turkeys automatically calm down.  Then, one tub at a time, we carried them to pasture and slowly introduced them to their home.

It took them a few minutes to acclimate to their new surroundings, but once they did, they passed the feed troughs right up.  They went for the grass...and bugs.  It was a feeding frenzy at the salad bar.

You can do this much faster I know.  But this is the way we like to do it.  Slow and steady.  It's little stress on the animals and less stress on the humans.  Everything is done decently and in order.

Don't get me wrong; we had our share of mishaps and fun. When the wranglers were moving fast and furious through the sea of poultry, there were times the carrier (me) forgot to put a lid on the chickens already in the tub.  So for every bird they put in the box, two would escape.  But that's okay, they got slush's out of the deal (the wranglers got the slush, not the chickens).

In the evening, the lady of the house on the farmland we use was washing dishes.  As she looked out her window toward the field, she saw five chickens running around!  Her son was able to catch them all and patch up the hole in the fencing they'd found.  It happens to every farmer.  At some time or other your livestock will escape.  But for me, it's such a joy to work with people who don't mind helping out.

And really, that's what we're all about; creating Biblical community through agriculture.  How are you creating a community where you live?

It's a bird! It's a plane!

Some people wonder how does one raise chickens (and turkeys) and still work a full time job?  Who is your role model?

That's easy...

Clark Kent.

That's right.  While I certainly am not Superman, I do sometimes feel like Clark Kent.  I get up early in the morning to drive out to the farm.  I wear something comfortable and potentially mosquito resistant depending on the season.  It's not exactly a horribly messy job to feed and water the chickens, but it is dirty and dusty.  You'd be surprised how much dander the chicks shed.

So, done with the morning tasks, I drive into work.  I enter quickly (because I'm usually running slightly behind schedule), drop my gear at my seat, and then head for the bathroom.  There I change in khaki's and a polo thus rendering myself compliant with the dress code policy.  I stash my filthy gear into a gym bag and emerge prepared for my day job.

At the end of the day, depending on what needs to be done, I may change back before I leave and head off to the farm.

So it's not exactly like Clark Kent emerging as Superman.  It's more like Clark Kent emerging as....Clark Kent...in overalls.