Leghorns on Grandmas old homestead

[Karoo permaculture]

My Dad said the same thing, He said they only ate leghorns because that's what grandma had and she could get them for free. They raised pigs even year and processed them on their homestead. Grandma had a big garden. I remember her grabbing a rooster up by the neck when it came at me when I was about 5 and saying that he was on his way to the pot... I don't have a lot of memories from grandma but I know the kind of women she was, she raise 10 kids on her homestead, her kitchen always smelled like bacon, she saved everything that she thought might be useful, she did her laundry in an old washer that just agitated and they went through the ringer on to the line that had a swing on each end that us grand kids would take turns swinging on. She was a strong women and also very capable, I remember her canning and telling us about the plants. She lived to be 93. She had my dad the second to the last child when she was about 43. She's been gone about 20 years. When I was 12 she gave me a bible that I read to my children every day, my kids are almost all grown now and that's the only thing I have from grandma. well that and my love of the garden canning and chickens. The smell of bacon in the morning will always remind me of her. The last phone call I had with her was when my kids were little (I have 7) she said I did it and you can do it too.

Lovely memories, and awesome to have experienced that when young.

Im guessing the pigs are part of the reason the chickens cost her nothing to feed, they foraged from the pigsties

 

[hsm5grls]

Lovely memories, and awesome to have experienced that when young.

Im guessing the pigs are part of the reason the chickens cost her nothing to feed, they foraged from the pigsties

The pigs, the garden and any table scraps is probably how she did it.

 

[Chubbicthe2nd]

, she let her chickens mature by letting them forage for the majority of their food, only really supplemental feeding was kitchen scrap and the odd grains. Also, when chickens cost you next to nothing to raise, it isnt a problem to slaughter 2/3 instead of 1 big meat bird.

Living in a 3rd world country I still see this happening in a lot of rural areas, the chickens that survive in those circumstances are your Mediterranean build birds

I'm a newbie here but besides leghorns what are the "Mediterranean build birds"? I need these for my homestead!

 

[Chubbicthe2nd]

My Dad said the same thing, He said they only ate leghorns because that's what grandma had and she could get them for free. They raised pigs even year and processed them on their homestead. Grandma had a big garden. I remember her grabbing a rooster up by the neck when it came at me when I was about 5 and saying that he was on his way to the pot... I don't have a lot of memories from grandma but I know the kind of women she was, she raise 10 kids on her homestead, her kitchen always smelled like bacon, she saved everything that she thought might be useful, she did her laundry in an old washer that just agitated and they went through the ringer on to the line that had a swing on each end that us grand kids would take turns swinging on. She was a strong women and also very capable, I remember her canning and telling us about the plants. She lived to be 93. She had my dad the second to the last child when she was about 43. She's been gone about 20 years. When I was 12 she gave me a bible that I read to my children every day, my kids are almost all grown now and that's the only thing I have from grandma. well that and my love of the garden canning and chickens. The smell of bacon in the morning will always remind me of her. The last phone call I had with her was when my kids were little (I have 7) she said I did it and you can do it too.

Thank you for sharing this with us. It is deeply inspiring.

 

[Perris]

I am trying to find a way to produce the best meat bird I can on my own property. I have hatched out many chicks and I am pretty good at hatching out roos HAHA. I understand that they will not be as meaty or taste the same as a Cornishx and Im ok with that.

you might find this useful
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/
It is all about traditional breeds on traditional American farms. There is a page for poultry.

besides leghorns what are the "Mediterranean build birds"? I need these for my homestead!

the American Poultry Association classifies these breeds as Mediterranean: Leghorns, Minorcas, Spanish, Andalusians, Anconas, Catalanas, and Sicilian Buttercups.