Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

Market went very well, my chickens covered their feed costs today, so I’ll call it a win. One more market and I’m thinking I’ll have broken even on the operating costs. Will update soon, Hay is calling again...

 

[Ribh]

Correcting the wrong that was done to them when they were little Chickies.

Slow progress in changing established patterns, but I’m getting there. I would never de-beak, given a choice I wouldn’t even buy a de-beaked bird.

You need a strong stomach for rescue work. I did it once ~ but so many unnecessary problems I have chosen not to do it again. Chickens are prone enough to problems without adding to them with bad husbandry practices!

 

[Ribh]

Market went very well, my chickens covered their feed costs today, so I’ll call it a win. One more market and I’m thinking I’ll have broken even on the operating costs. Will update soon, Hay is calling again...

Well done!

 

[rjohns39]

Well done!

X2

Morning Kris

 

[Kris5902]

Hi again! It’s been a busy few days lately... Hay and all, just two more fields to go, and they are fairly decent ones, though thankfully not too large. We are at 1688 square bales so far, last year we only pulled in 800, so it’s looking much better this year! More hay means we will buy less alfalfa, and the alfalfa bales are easily twice as heavy so that makes me happy, even if the alfalfa is better nutritionally. (I’d rather deal with 50# feed bags than 100#. Bales any day!)

Of course being gone most of the day Saturday, Sunday, Monday... I have practically no eggs. Saturday was maket and Tedding, Sunday was cleaning the slaughterhouse and Swathing, then bringing in Bales. Monday was finishing parting the Chickens, dishes and Slaughterhouse linens for me, Andrew had Bloodwork in town, then cryovaccing the chicken, tedding angain for Andrew, pricing chicken and final slaughterhouse floor cleaning when I was done pricing (8:30am-9:30pm gone from the trailer/chickens, chicken chores of course happening before and after the other work) 10 chickens...Saturday 1 egg, Sunday 1 egg, Monday no eggs! What are they doing with them? Snacking of course

So, this morning my project was bait eggs, so we will see if this egg eating “cure” will work. I expect it to get more messy than it already has been. Yummy breakfast! I blew out and filled these eggs with German mustard, hot pepper sauce (pungent, I know they don’t have the same capsaicin reaction as us) and lemon juice concentrate. Here’s hoping they don’t like the flavor.


Andrew is down at the Abbatoir, we are processing 26 lambs for the Annual Lamb BBQ. I can’t remember if I’ve shared this one before. @Ribh please forgive me for all the meat posts lately! They are humanely Raised and processed though. As a fellow I was talking about my chickens with near the store recently said to me “lots of people think I’m a vegetarian, but I’m not... it’s just that I only eat animals I knew personally” which seems kind of strange, but it means I know what their life and death was like. My niece at the BBQ.

I don’t know how to do the graphic content edit thing... I’m going to clean this trailer one way or the other today... and catch up on some chicken chores. Clean the brooder, chicken pedicures, and what not. Separate out my definite cockerels from my meat pullets before someone gets hurt.. oh and my little helper will be with us full time today and tomorrow (outside of school hours, thankfully) so that will make things extra interesting

Here are some pics of my meat birds that didn’t make the one way trip to the freezer.

And Goose, one of the CX girls... none of these chickens are particularly fond of being held...

 

[Ribh]

@Ribh please forgive me for all the meat posts lately! They are humanely Raised and processed though.

No problem Kris. I skip anything I find too graphic & I do still live with & cook for a carnivore.

 

[Kris5902]

I forgot! Here’s a picture of the main garden down at the house...

And how you probably shouldn’t load a truck with hay, especially with our really rough road... it’s a miracle this load made it to the barn! At times the two sides had about a foot wide gap at the top between the bales. Our German WWOOFer is an amazing stacker... we had his brother last year and so was he. His brother was the first person to help me with chicken bathing, when I found out that that is NOT what a chicken leg is “supposed” to look like.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Hi again! It’s been a busy few days lately... Hay and all, just two more fields to go, and they are fairly decent ones, though thankfully not too large. We are at 1688 square bales so far, last year we only pulled in 800, so it’s looking much better this year! More hay means we will buy less alfalfa, and the alfalfa bales are easily twice as heavy so that makes me happy, even if the alfalfa is better nutritionally. (I’d rather deal with 50# feed bags than 100#. Bales any day!)

Of course being gone most of the day Saturday, Sunday, Monday... I have practically no eggs. Saturday was maket and Tedding, Sunday was cleaning the slaughterhouse and Swathing, then bringing in Bales. Monday was finishing parting the Chickens, dishes and Slaughterhouse linens for me, Andrew had Bloodwork in town, then cryovaccing the chicken, tedding angain for Andrew, pricing chicken and final slaughterhouse floor cleaning when I was done pricing (8:30am-9:30pm gone from the trailer/chickens, chicken chores of course happening before and after the other work) 10 chickens...Saturday 1 egg, Sunday 1 egg, Monday no eggs! What are they doing with them? Snacking of course

So, this morning my project was bait eggs, so we will see if this egg eating “cure” will work. I expect it to get more messy than it already has been. Yummy breakfast! I blew out and filled these eggs with German mustard, hot pepper sauce (pungent, I know they don’t have the same capsaicin reaction as us) and lemon juice concentrate. Here’s hoping they don’t like the flavor.

View attachment 1824502 View attachment 1824503
Andrew is down at the Abbatoir, we are processing 26 lambs for the Annual Lamb BBQ. I can’t remember if I’ve shared this one before. @Ribh please forgive me for all the meat posts lately! They are humanely Raised and processed though. As a fellow I was talking about my chickens with near the store recently said to me “lots of people think I’m a vegetarian, but I’m not... it’s just that I only eat animals I knew personally” which seems kind of strange, but it means I know what their life and death was like. My niece at the BBQ.
View attachment 1824507
I don’t know how to do the graphic content edit thing... I’m going to clean this trailer one way or the other today... and catch up on some chicken chores. Clean the brooder, chicken pedicures, and what not. Separate out my definite cockerels from my meat pullets before someone gets hurt.. oh and my little helper will be with us full time today and tomorrow (outside of school hours, thankfully) so that will make things extra interesting

Here are some pics of my meat birds that didn’t make the one way trip to the freezer. View attachment 1824514
View attachment 1824515View attachment 1824520

And Goose, one of the CX girls... none of these chickens are particularly fond of being held...View attachment 1824522

View attachment 1824519

LOVE the little ones outfit ... that all I saw

 

[Ribh]

That's me & Lavender any time I have to handle her. She's happy to take treats from my hand but heaven forbid I try & pick her up!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Hi again! It’s been a busy few days lately... Hay and all, just two more fields to go, and they are fairly decent ones, though thankfully not too large. We are at 1688 square bales so far, last year we only pulled in 800, so it’s looking much better this year! More hay means we will buy less alfalfa, and the alfalfa bales are easily twice as heavy so that makes me happy, even if the alfalfa is better nutritionally. (I’d rather deal with 50# feed bags than 100#. Bales any day!)

Of course being gone most of the day Saturday, Sunday, Monday... I have practically no eggs. Saturday was maket and Tedding, Sunday was cleaning the slaughterhouse and Swathing, then bringing in Bales. Monday was finishing parting the Chickens, dishes and Slaughterhouse linens for me, Andrew had Bloodwork in town, then cryovaccing the chicken, tedding angain for Andrew, pricing chicken and final slaughterhouse floor cleaning when I was done pricing (8:30am-9:30pm gone from the trailer/chickens, chicken chores of course happening before and after the other work) 10 chickens...Saturday 1 egg, Sunday 1 egg, Monday no eggs! What are they doing with them? Snacking of course

So, this morning my project was bait eggs, so we will see if this egg eating “cure” will work. I expect it to get more messy than it already has been. Yummy breakfast! I blew out and filled these eggs with German mustard, hot pepper sauce (pungent, I know they don’t have the same capsaicin reaction as us) and lemon juice concentrate. Here’s hoping they don’t like the flavor.

View attachment 1824502 View attachment 1824503
Andrew is down at the Abbatoir, we are processing 26 lambs for the Annual Lamb BBQ. I can’t remember if I’ve shared this one before. @Ribh please forgive me for all the meat posts lately! They are humanely Raised and processed though. As a fellow I was talking about my chickens with near the store recently said to me “lots of people think I’m a vegetarian, but I’m not... it’s just that I only eat animals I knew personally” which seems kind of strange, but it means I know what their life and death was like. My niece at the BBQ.
View attachment 1824507
I don’t know how to do the graphic content edit thing... I’m going to clean this trailer one way or the other today... and catch up on some chicken chores. Clean the brooder, chicken pedicures, and what not. Separate out my definite cockerels from my meat pullets before someone gets hurt.. oh and my little helper will be with us full time today and tomorrow (outside of school hours, thankfully) so that will make things extra interesting

Here are some pics of my meat birds that didn’t make the one way trip to the freezer. View attachment 1824514
View attachment 1824515View attachment 1824520

And Goose, one of the CX girls... none of these chickens are particularly fond of being held...View attachment 1824522

View attachment 1824519

The picture of you with your "flappy" hen gave me a chuckle Kris.

The BBQ pic looks like some pagan ritual set up!