Talking Turkey - Part 1

I posted once before that there is not nearly as much on line about raising turkeys as there is about raising chickens.  So, as best i can I'm going to chronicle what we've done so far. 

Now, remember, this is my first shot at Turkey's so all I have to go on is what I've done this year.  You'll have to take it for what it's worth.

I ordered the poults (baby turkeys) in April.  I ordered them to arrive the week before the Memorial Day weekend, but that didn't happen.  They arrived the first week in June.  I ordered a straight run, that is, males and females.  Normally, when I order the chickens, I order only cockerels (males).  I have to admit that the one thing that bothers me about raising poultry is that everyone orders cockerels for meat birds.  They have a better chance of growing large quickly.  But what do they do with the females that are born?  Well, if no one wants them for layers, they are destroyed.  It just seems like a colossal waste.  So, I ordered a straight run for the poults. 

I raise chickens for meat, too, so it made sense to order them together.  I ordered 70 chickens and 10 turkeys.  So, again, logistically it didn't make sense to build a second brooder and double the effort of feeding, watering, and heating.  Here's where the debate comes in.

Traditional farmers say that you cannot, under any circumstance, combine chickens and turkeys'.  There is a disease, the Blackhead, that chickens carry but are immune to.  For turkey's, however, it's most often fatal.  so the solution is to separate them at all cost.  Farmers that tend toward the organic methods say it's okay to leave them together, at least when they are small.  Then comes the debate on how long to leave them together.  And on the debates go.  I had a chance to participate in Joel Salatin's Farm Days a couple years back.  They keep chicks and poults together and the mortality rate was surprisingly low.  So my logic goes something like this.  Joel Salatin does it...good enough for me.

When we first got them home, I set a few chicks in the brooder and let them acclimate for a few minutes.  Then I mixed in the poults.  I read that it's wise to dip the beaks of the poults in the water to initiate them to the brooder.  Apparently they have a harder time acclimating.  I followed this practice.  I have no idea whether or not it made a difference.  I have also read that the chicks are able to "teach" the poults how to find food and water.  Again, I can't vouch for the legitimacy of that statement, but we had no issues with poults not finding food and water.  So something worked. 

And so they lived communally for about two weeks.  I was surprised to see that at the end of two weeks, the poults were able to easily fly out of my 2 foot high brooder.  If you're going to brood them that long or longer, I would suggest either a 3 foot high brooder, or the use of a lid.  I will add that 2 feet in no way cramped them.  There was still plenty of height.  The addition of a lid is only required to keep them from flying out.  During this time, I also fed the chicks and poults the same ration.  Of course turkey's require a ration higher in protein (28% to start with), but again, it would be an addition to the process to feed them separate feed from separate feeders, and so on.  I opted to feed them the same ration.  It didn't seem to impede them at all. 

After the two weeks, we brought them out to pasture.  I separated the chickens from the turkeys  Now the ten poults had their own place.  I also switched them to the Turkey Starter ration.  I placed the pens close to one another.  I have been warned that they need to be kept far from one another, but again, the process dictated that they can't be too far apart.  If they are, I lose valuable time in moving from one place to another.  So they are about seven feet from one another.

They are twelve weeks old as I write this post.  They must be about 10-12 pounds apiece.  We had a major wind storm that you can read about here, but we didn't lose any of them.  Thus far, disease has been non-existent.  Predators have not posed a problem.  They are growing really very well.  I've switched to a grower ration with a 25% protein ration.  It's pelleted, cheaper, and more efficient for them at this time.  I still mix in the Fertrell Nutri-Balance which you can read about here. 

Now, fair warning.  They are aggressive.  I try to incorporate my children into all the things I do with the poultry.  In this case, they are not allowed to go in the Turkey pen unless an adult knows about it.  The children are all 10 and under so it's very possible a turkey could fly up and spur them in the face.  That said, we've had no injury thus far to either friend or fowl.  We take it seriously.  We have fun (for sure) but we know that the birds are living and must be treated with respect. 

So that's what I have for now.  I'll keep you posted on how the rest of this little experiment goes.  Lord willing, we'll have Turkey from our own pasture to be thankful for this November. 

Mmmmm....I can smell it now.....

Cloning Beef

Laudanum, Morphine, Cocaine, Saccharine, Tobacco, Lead, Mercury....

What do all of these have in common?  At one time in history they all had valid uses, some medicinal, and some practical.  During their heyday they were applauded by the leading citizens of society as necessary for a modern, civilized life.  Best of all, they were completely safe.

Nothing to worry about.

Yet as our science progressed, we determined that each one had some very negative properties.  So we made changes.

We found less addictive means of pain control.

We put warning labels on harmful substances.

We removed what we could from common household items.

In most cases we have shunned these evils of mankind.

And yet....

I recently read of story from the Telegraph, a publication from the UK.  You may have heard of the uproar in the UK and Europe regarding the beef they are buying off the shelves.  It's from cloned animals.  And it's not labeled.

In other countries, it is illegal to sell cloned meat without the proper labeling.  In addition, the correct paperwork has to be filed indicating that cloned beef has been brought into the county.  Apparently this didn't happen the way it's supposed to.  Yet in America, we have no labels on our beef.  Conventionally grown hamburger can, and is, mixed in with hamburger from the offspring of cloned beef.  It seems that the American public at large is basically unaware that this happens.  Many who are aware have no problem with consuming the offspring of cloned beef.  So what's the big deal overseas?

Joanna Blythman reports, "Cloning can sound like a neat, useful science. What farmer wouldn't want to make Identikit copies of his best milker or his leanest, fastest-growing pig?  In reality, this technology is hopelessly hit-and-miss, generating a steady roll-call of deaths and defects.  First, the embryo has to be implanted into a surrogate mother using a potentially painful surgical procedure. If they do not miscarry, these mothers often don't give birth naturally and must instead undergo a caesarean."

The “big deal” in Europe is that the people recognize that there is not enough empirical data, hard evidence, that the cloned meat is exactly like it's natural counterpart.  While I appreciate science and the many benefits it has brought to the masses, I do not think it wise to accept the verdict that cloned beef is in every way exactly like it’s natural counterpart.  Like the list that started this post, could cloned beef go the way of the many things once deemed safe, but then condemned?

And one last thought.  Why is it that we try to improve on what God has already ordained only to find that His way was best after all?

Healthy Mountains

We ordered (and received) our fourth and final batch of chicks from a different hatchery.  Townline has been very good to us, but they ran out of chicks available for the time frame I was hoping for.  Fortunately, we'd done some  homework and new that another hatchery, Mt. Healthy Hatchery in Mt. Healthy, OH was just what we were looking for.  As I said, Townline has done very well for us and I like working with a Michigan based company, but it's never good to have just one supplier of anything.  So when I heard that Townline was going to have to delay the order, I called up Mt. Healthy.  There's no time like the present to give them a try!

The breed we're buying is slightly different, but I doubt any of us will be able to tell.  It's the standard meat bird.  It's good to try something new.  If they work out well, I'm sure we'll have need to use them again. So we'll trust that the healthy mountains produce healthy chicks and keep growing them as God blesses. 

Its Almost Time - 2nd Batch

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.

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.

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!