Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

@Bee... I agree, I couldn't hold a candle to my mom! What you describe your mom and dad doing sounds exactly like my mom grew up - no electricity, outhouse, garden, hauling the water from a spring, handwashing all the clothes, heating with and cooking on a wood stove, one room schoolhouse, shoes only in the winter and dirt poor with a HARD working dad that busted his butt to feed them all. She left home alone at about 17, moved 50 miles away from home for a job. She met my dad and married him at 19, kept on working and had two kids then my dad died when he was about 38. She never did remarry, just kept on working and raising her kids. After working 40+ hours/week, keeping the house and big yard and taking care of us, she didn't have a whole lot of time or energy left for much else. Tough as nails she was/is! But now it's my turn to take care of her and I am more than glad to do it.

 

[Triple Willow]

 You don't really know WHAT you can do until you have to.

Exactly!

 

[BCMaraniac]

I'm hungry! LOL Somebody (I think it was ME! lol) made some cracklin cornbread a little while back. That is good stuff! That's a good idea, canning the beans. I get new ideas from you guys all the time!

They are really easy to make. You bring them to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, then let sit on the stove for 2 hours, so they will swell up to their proper size, but not really cook. Put 1 tsp of salt in a quart jar, fill them about 3/4 full, then add water up to within an inch of the top. Process for 90 minutes at 12 pounds pressure(mine are usually processed at 15 pounds because of my pressure cooker.

When you take them out of the pressure cooker, the beans at the very top will appear dry....this is normal.

Use in soups/chilis, etc....If you want to make beans to eat, you open them, empty into a pot, add water according to desired consistency, and use a bit of butter/lard/bacon grease if desired, then simmer for 15-20 minutes.

 

[Triple Willow]

They are really easy to make.  You bring them to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, then let sit on the stove for 2 hours, so they will swell up to their proper size, but not really cook.  Put 1 tsp of salt in a quart jar, fill them about 3/4 full, then add water up to within an inch of the top.  Process for 90 minutes at 12 pounds pressure(mine are usually processed at 15 pounds because of my pressure  cooker.

When you take them out of the pressure cooker, the beans at the very top will appear dry....this is normal.

Use in soups/chilis, etc....If you want to make beans to eat, you open them, empty into a pot, add water according to desired consistency, and use a bit of butter/lard/bacon grease if desired, then simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Thanks! I will have to can some for sure. That would save a lot of time in fixing a meal. I might do some pints too. Thanks again... gotta write this down.

 

[AletaG]

There are all sorts of books out there as guides to wild foraging, with really good pics and explanations of the zones and seasons to harvest if you are really interested in such things, TW. I've got the old set of Foxfire books that really has such things and more from the oldsters...a wealth of information to be had out there. But...very few people with the right mindset to actually forage, kill, grow, harvest and live off the land nowadays. Most folks won't even kill a chicken, let alone harvest wild game or tramp through the hollers looking for food.

The tough old generation is dying out and the new generation are too busy playing Candy Crush.

This GenX 'er would like to know what a Foxfire book is... I'm afraid of canning. I've done pickles twice and got mush both times. But I have processed a few chickens now... I do know how to wildcraft mushrooms, and know a few of the wild edibles out here in the NW, but I would LOVE to learn more! Trapping would be nice. I'm itching to learn how to tan rabbit hides, but we have to wait for a bigger cage set up before we mate the pair we got about 2 weeks ago... It's dang cold for batch of babies, anyway, since we're clueless about raising rabbits. We've had pets before, but those lovely HUGE Flemish giants are making me think more about dressed weights than Thumper, for sure. And the chickies love the poop. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but it's funny.

 

[BCMaraniac]

This GenX 'er would like to know what a Foxfire book is... I'm afraid of canning. I've done pickles twice and got mush both times. But I have processed a few chickens now... I do know how to wildcraft mushrooms, and know a few of the wild edibles out here in the NW, but I would LOVE to learn more! Trapping would be nice. I'm itching to learn how to tan rabbit hides, but we have to wait for a bigger cage set up before we mate the pair we got about 2 weeks ago... It's dang cold for batch of babies, anyway, since we're clueless about raising rabbits. We've had pets before, but those lovely HUGE Flemish giants are making me think more about dressed weights than Thumper, for sure. And the chickies love the poop. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but it's funny.

Here the website:

http://www.foxfire.org/thefoxfirebookseries.aspx

 

[Shellz]

This GenX 'er would like to know what a Foxfire book is... I'm afraid of canning. I've done pickles twice and got mush both times. But I have processed a few chickens now... I do know how to wildcraft mushrooms, and know a few of the wild edibles out here in the NW, but I would LOVE to learn more! Trapping would be nice. I'm itching to learn how to tan rabbit hides, but we have to wait for a bigger cage set up before we mate the pair we got about 2 weeks ago... It's dang cold for batch of babies, anyway, since we're clueless about raising rabbits. We've had pets before, but those lovely HUGE Flemish giants are making me think more about dressed weights than Thumper, for sure. And the chickies love the poop. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but it's funny.

I'd like to raise meat rabbits one day, but hubby won't go for it. In any case, I've done some research & found that the huge Flemish rabbits are more bone than meat. Better alternatives would be California whites, New Zealands, or the pretty Champagne d'argents. I would love to raise those last ones for some nice pelts as well.

 

[Shellz]

I'm considering going full on FF here. I think these birds are still going thru a lot of dry feed. Perhaps because they are large fowl & need more frequent feedings of FF? I feed outside in the cold, so I guess if I just put a whole lot of FF down, they can chip away at it all thru the day?

 

[hellbender]

I'd like to raise meat rabbits one day, but hubby won't go for it. In any case, I've done some research & found that the huge Flemish rabbits are more bone than meat. Better alternatives would be California whites, New Zealands, or the pretty Champagne d'argents. I would love to raise those last ones for some nice pelts as well.

Rabbits? I used to raise Florida Whites and If I were ever to get into rabbits again...it would be with them. They are almost solid mead with little bone...JMHO

 

[Shellz]

Rabbits?  I used to raise Florida Whites and If I were ever to get into rabbits again...it would be with them.  They are almost solid mead with little bone...JMHO

Ah yes! Another excellent choice.