Are we living our dreams?

[rhoda_bruce]

I put 2 cattle panels in an arch on the middle of that bed, so I can put up a tarp, for cover against chicken hawks and rain for 2 or 3 weeks. By then, hopefully they will have thinned out the weeds really good and I can do the rest by hand because I need more humus and maybe 2 inches of chips, which I plan on using that pile of cedar in the back of the bed. I didn't really have much in the way of spears coming from that bed for the past 2 years, but maybe if I add a little to the bed, it will thank me.
I guess I will kill the pullets and keep the 2 cockerels for myself, because I did lose my cornish rooster....probably due to a freak accident. All I have is one white rock and 2 homemade frankinchickens from that set up, but I know they won't live long anyways, unless I deprive them of food and give them lots of pasture instead of grain. Might be good they are so small.....maybe they haven't been fed and fed, etc....But most probably I will slaughter. I have enough to worry about. Cockerels hatch out with ever clutch....gotta do something with the males, even if some of them do take a while to dress out.

 

[Mini Horses]

That's what I hate about incubating or even hatching....straight runs always have those boys to deal with! I am not real fond of the mess with butchering. BUT -- a gotta do thing.

I agree, they look to need a couple more weeks.

 

[Denim Deb]

I haven't even been butchering my boys. I just don't have the time right now.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well I just paid out a bunch of bills, so I'm totally in the mood to decrease expenses. Before I slaughter those broilers, I best slaughter my extra roosters. Really gotta put a few girls on weed control instead of the men. Practically free eggs would be nice. Time for St. Nick to pass. I'm actually tired, but need to clean off my kitchen cabinets a bit.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

DS owes me $$$$ now in a big way....sorta.
I paid out all the expenses a few days ago, which he usually gives me $250 toward bills AND last night I paid for his boat, trailer and trawl engine for $950....which is probably a steal, so tomorrow we have to call to get $$$ out of his investments so he can pay me back and Amen, cuz I need it. Not too upset though because the boat should be able to slowly pay us back in healthy protein....lean meat and interesting finds. Looking forward to our first ride.
So I am psyching myself out for slaughtering today. I can do this. I have done this. I will do this again. I am good at this. ETC.....
But the good news is, I just sold 4 molting, older hens and an extra rooster to some Latino customers who have been here before. I sold my hens for $10 each because I want $20 if its a laying hen and about a year old or better or if she is a started pullet and I'm not giving my hens away for meat prices, because I know they will eventually lay eggs. Sorry to the Latinos.....I know they like eating hens, but if I only eat my hens, I will run out of all my animals eventually.
Well, I think the broilers have wiped out just about everything they can eat from the asparagus bed, so might as well get this over with.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

It took me 2 hours to slaughter 5 birds. I guess I'm just slow, but I had to hand pluck. The skin on those little broilers were just too tender, by the time I scalded them and the plucker was ripping them to shreds.
I hope BIL's boss doesn't mind, but those little birds all fit neatly into a quart size ziplock bag each. I thought BIL wanted those birds, but DH tells me they for the boss. They some cute little fryers, but if you gonna slaughter, seems like you want to see a little more meat.
So I think I will kill my old roosters for stewing and put my little broilers in tractors to drag around the yard because they pretty much have wiped out the asparagus bed.
Besides, after selling a rooster that was in a tractor, all alone, I took 3 hens to take up the place he was in and I want to keep it up. If I kill all my extra roosters, I think I can have about 12 hens cutting my grass instead of in the coop, costing me grain.
Guess today was all about decreasing expenses. Need to have more days like that.

 

[Denim Deb]

It took you less time than it would have taken me!

 

[Mini Horses]

Well I have been able to get enough eggs to sell to be able to pay for the organic/non GMO feed for my hens and provide eggs for self, DD & DgrD house. I'm happy with that!! My 4 piggies are eating up all the grass (& more importantly the roots) in the areas I have put them...so their feed bill is not bad & they are "working it off" by prepping my garden area. Then the goats start to kid late Jan, so extra milk for pigs. Everyone has to help with the feed bill here. But, I've been able to use most of the frozen milk & cheeses -- needed to do that -- and it should last until fresh milk starts.

I'm not butchering chickens this year as I actually started a whole new flock late summer. A possum (may it RIP!!) made that a necessity. And I bought girls. Have 1 rooster - penned separately but, next to them. He's a gonner. Do plan to add 6-12 pullets in Spring, probably hatching 30ish eggs, THEN the roosters will be slaughtered in late summer. One of the pigs will be at freezer camp in summer....2 are females to be bred and one of the males will be used for than. Hopefully, I can then trade him for another line with someone (AGH) but, if not he will be happy with the girls. Plan to sell piglets, except one or two for next freezer camp outing. Gotta do it! That's what SS is about -- repeat, gotta do it !!

You know, it's not that we "can't" do the chickens -- it's just the mess and sadness of it. Repeat -- I CAN DO THIS! (ok, wipe a tear, too).

So, like you, I'm working the animals to strrrrretch the available $$$ in all ways. I love it all, except "good bye" days.

Hey, our gardens will be very nicely fertilized for Spring!!

I'm not looking forward to milking in Feb....darned buck!! He's still on my crap list for that. Our weather has been so warm and this time last yr had snow. Going to be hard (!!!) in Feb.

Hope you guys enjoy the fishing & other such creatures from the sea. Personally, I do not like fish -- so, that would be a real hole in my money pouch...plus bad motion sickness. It is a great source of protein. You can use those fish heads for animal feed. I'd rather clean a fish than a chicken!

Love shrimp, clams, lobster, etc.

 

[Denim Deb]

Yep, cleaning a fish doesn't bother me. I learned how to do that as a kid. But, I never butchered a chicken until a few years ago. I have yet to do any other animals.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

We mainly have shrimp, several types of fish,squid, crabs, escargot and oysters in the Gulf. I use my fish heads as coon bait usually. I love coon too. Now I can for sure prepare seafood real fast by most people's standards, but probably only average by Cajun standards. Wish I could do my birds as fast as fish and shrimp.
I do want pigs, but not before I put some drums together and make a methane digestor. It has been on my to-do list a long time.
I think its probably going to rain and I sure hope I am wrong. I really want more animals in freezer camp ASAP. It has been so hot lately and today wasn't so bad for slaughtering, with the overcast.