NY chicken lover!!!!

[Beer can]

@Nuttyfrom6kids That's our plan! Have to wait until the kids are all in school so the wife can get a decent job and we can buy a place with more land. We have three acres but the house sets in the back, limits us on how many animals we want, I don't want goats in our front yard, besides I've planted a bunch of fruit trees out there. For what we are paying for the place we could've bought one with more land but we loved the house and location at the time, live and learn I guess. My plan is to someday become a small scale organic non-gmo capon farm with the white giants. Even if it never happens I should be able to keep the freezer full.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

@Nuttyfrom6kids That's our plan! Have to wait until the kids are all in school so the wife can get a decent job and we can buy a place with more land. We have three acres but the house sets in the back, limits us on how many animals we want, I don't want goats in our front yard, besides I've planted a bunch of fruit trees out there. For what we are paying for the place we could've bought one with more land but we loved the house and location at the time, live and learn I guess. My plan is to someday become a small scale organic non-gmo capon farm with the white giants. Even if it never happens I should be able to keep the freezer full.

I can tell you this between the pigs we butchered the chickens and turkeys we had processed and the side of beef I bought I haven't bought meat at the grocery store besides fish in quite a while and I was almost floored over the cost of hamburg the other day. Love that I know where it all came from and that 3/4 came from my own back yard am eating leftover turkey from one of the many we had processed for supper tonight. It's great to have the canned chicken too as all I have to do is open up take the meat off the bone and throw in a baking pan with a little bbq or some sauce and cheese boil up some of the potatoes I froze from the garden get some veges from freezer and dinner is done in a little while with not much prep time.

 

[Purpletie3]

I can tell you this between the pigs we butchered the chickens and turkeys we had processed and the side of beef I bought I haven't bought meat at the grocery store besides fish in quite a while and I was almost floored over the cost of hamburg the other day. Love that I know where it all came from and that 3/4 came from my own back yard am eating leftover turkey from one of the many we had processed for supper tonight. It's great to have the canned chicken too as all I have to do is open up take the meat off the bone and throw in a baking pan with a little bbq or some sauce and cheese boil up some of the potatoes I froze from the garden get some veges from freezer and dinner is done in a little while with not much prep time.

Nothing is better than food you have grown yourself! Just doesn't even compare.

 

[demp4]

I can tell you this between the pigs we butchered the chickens and turkeys we had processed and the side of beef I bought I haven't bought meat at the grocery store besides fish in quite a while and I was almost floored over the cost of hamburg the other day. Love that I know where it all came from and that 3/4 came from my own back yard am eating leftover turkey from one of the many we had processed for supper tonight. It's great to have the canned chicken too as all I have to do is open up take the meat off the bone and throw in a baking pan with a little bbq or some sauce and cheese boil up some of the potatoes I froze from the garden get some veges from freezer and dinner is done in a little while with not much prep time.

That's great!!! I have put away more chickens and veggies next year. We are almost through the 30 qts of sauce too. I thought I had enough.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

That's great!!! I have put away more chickens and veggies next year. We are almost through the 30 qts of sauce too. I thought I had enough.

I put away 120 quarts of sauce and am not sure if we are going to have enough until I can again will judge how many more I do this year by how well it lasts from this year. Also put up apple butter, applesauce, apple pie filling, peaches, and hot peppers and froze strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, zucchini, peppers, onions, broccoli , cauliflower, beans, corn, apples, and pumpkin purée. Going to try to do more this year. I make all our bread, baked goods, hot pockets, pizza dough,hamburg and hotdog buns, rolls, bagels, dog treats,waffles, and pancakes from scratch. Plus my own cool whip that I get the heavy cream from the Amish. I really buy very little when I go to walmart. I even make my own laundry detergent.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

If anyone wants I will have meat birds for sale which are going to be Broad Breasted white turkeys, Cornish x chickens, and the slower growing meat chickens too. I ordered 100 turkeys, 250 Cornish x, and 300 of the slower growing can add more to the order in the next few days if anyone wants any let me know and I will know if I need to order more.

 

[DeansMill]

Where are you located and how much do your birds usually cost after being processed? I am very impressed with your self sufficiency. I am trying to do the same from scratch, but with little money I do not have the equipment to clear my land and have been doing it by hand. I would have it done, but well meaning friends have offered to bring over equipment and scrape or till, but never show up... My small garden that I did last year was done by hand and it yielded so many cucumbers and tomatoes and sweet carrots, (the mice got those tho...) but only one butternut squash, the others shriveled at about one inch. Grandpa and grandma have passed away so my farming source of info is gone. I want to become more self sufficient, sick of over priced over processed foods.

 

[Metella]

Deans Mills !

Me too - in your situation .... I am not a patient person - so it was hard for me - but just pick one thing a year .... so you have some veggies down - so do the same thing with them and add one more .... if you want it to be squash.... then prep just a one new area for the squash and tend to them with a little more attention. Next year you may prep a place for chickens - year after that berry bushes ....

One thing at a time and then any extra time .... if you add something new it is a total bonus - but when you try to get there in one year .... lots of weeds are very happy with you ! Trust me - I know. ha ha ha ha

Also - take this time of year to plan out your land. Where does the sun hit in the morning ? Wind mostly comes from where? Plant deciduous trees near the house and coops and pines further back in a row for a wind break .... then just plant or cut one thing each year to make this plan come into focus ...

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all/ After another 10 inches of snow on monday we are headed back into the iceage. This winter keeps getting more redjculous. The terrorist run now has a 7 foot snowbank in it. I cant shovel it any higher. I told dh we might have to put a stovepipe on the chute of the snowblower just to be able to use it! Went to tsc before work yesterday and scored a pair of thinsulate gloves for half price. Might go back and get the jacket I liked thats on clearance. Looked at the feather fixer they had. 12 dollars for a little bag! Got more poultry cell for the waterers. Terrorists are picking up laying now. We had some meltage yesterday which has turned to ice and I am so glad I have my yaktrax. Going to add some more shavings to the coops to prepare for the oncoming frigid temps.

Jlaw--just a thought but with money tight maybe the local grocery store will let you have the nonsalable veges and fruit for your birds. Might be worth asking.

Rancher--our yard looks like yours but not as big. We use the snowblower to make paths to the 4 coops we have then shovel the big run and up close around the coops.

Deansmill--Metalla has good advice. Start small and focus on one thing at a time. I built a small raised gardern last year in front of my big run with the rocks we have (LOTS of them around here) and actually managed to grow some tomatoes and broccoli. Now what you have to understand (and my family can confirm this) is that I am known for killing plants. I even managed to kill a cactus. Imagine my surprise when I got something to grow! This year I will expand my garden a little and put in a few more things. Hoping for the best. Its all about baby steps and reading up and learning.

Everyone have a nice day!

 

[DeansMill]

That all sounds great in theory... lol.. the house is 220 yrs old... so the trees are pretty much where they are... we did start clearing he southern exposure and intend to put in fruit trees.. the sun comes up over the waterfall... which is the shadiest part of the land... the spot for the garden is full sun most of the day. The house sits on a cliff, and most of the land is boulders and steep inclines... I have to clear for potatoes (they always do well, I was taught well), turnips, beets, and the squash.... not to mention I would like to get some asparagus in. Last years bed is getting cukes, carrots and tomatoes again. Bush beans are going into containers, herbs around the shady patio... yes I know about herbs disliking shade... but that's the spot I have for now... lol. The girls, when I get them, are going in one of the outbuildings that I have been converting... their run will be L shaped so that they have the sun side and a shade side.