The adventure in raising poultry has become a passon.
I woulld say it is my latest Hobby and well worth the time and energy. Unlike pets the arrival of these beasts also serve us food. I have found I am also having to defend my stance on my backyard flock to many people and seeing others through a different set of eyes. Either you are for the animals or you are misinformed... Perhaps I need to defend that statement.
"I can't eat those eggs, they will have chicks in them. I only eat eggs from the store. I can't possibly eat that chicken you knew it." Statements like this reminds me that really we have seperated ourselves from our food. We have disassociated what is food and how we want and need to care, process and eat responsibly.
I certainly did not know there are so many different kinds of chicken and ducks and turkeys. I did not know how to show poultry before getting them. I certainly didn't think of how to dispatch a nasty Rooster just like Gram before I had chickkens. Nor did I have in depth conversations with my Grandpa about chickens (turns out even though he has raised chickens he also has some misguided beliefs about them).
I have had the joy of teaching my children all my new found useful knowlege. Some of the time learning along with them. Lessons in life learned or perhaps earned the hard way. Death on the farm is etching on our hearts. Butchering along side my father, old school, and figuring out that I am more female than I expected on that issue. Crying at the butchers over excess roosers. The pain is as low as the joys of keeping the birds. The chicks coming out of their shell. The ducks in love with water. Or quacking at me, as I like to say talking back to me as they demand their food.
Adding the Turkeys has added a new dementtion to the flock. I have figured out that they can beat up on me while I try to move them. Hopefully when they are truely grown I will still be in love with my gobblers.
(page in progress)
I woulld say it is my latest Hobby and well worth the time and energy. Unlike pets the arrival of these beasts also serve us food. I have found I am also having to defend my stance on my backyard flock to many people and seeing others through a different set of eyes. Either you are for the animals or you are misinformed... Perhaps I need to defend that statement.
"I can't eat those eggs, they will have chicks in them. I only eat eggs from the store. I can't possibly eat that chicken you knew it." Statements like this reminds me that really we have seperated ourselves from our food. We have disassociated what is food and how we want and need to care, process and eat responsibly.
I certainly did not know there are so many different kinds of chicken and ducks and turkeys. I did not know how to show poultry before getting them. I certainly didn't think of how to dispatch a nasty Rooster just like Gram before I had chickkens. Nor did I have in depth conversations with my Grandpa about chickens (turns out even though he has raised chickens he also has some misguided beliefs about them).
I have had the joy of teaching my children all my new found useful knowlege. Some of the time learning along with them. Lessons in life learned or perhaps earned the hard way. Death on the farm is etching on our hearts. Butchering along side my father, old school, and figuring out that I am more female than I expected on that issue. Crying at the butchers over excess roosers. The pain is as low as the joys of keeping the birds. The chicks coming out of their shell. The ducks in love with water. Or quacking at me, as I like to say talking back to me as they demand their food.
Adding the Turkeys has added a new dementtion to the flock. I have figured out that they can beat up on me while I try to move them. Hopefully when they are truely grown I will still be in love with my gobblers.
(page in progress)