Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Marty1876]

We have 2 adopted cats, 4 adopted geese, and 2 adopted dogs. (every house pet is adopted)

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We have 1 cat who is almost 11 now she was saved from a trash can (tied shut in a shopping bag) at the guessed age of 4-5 weeks old. Two other cats who are brothers and make great speed bumps on the stairs. Spoiled rotten house kitties they are. I wouldnt think of letting them outside with the predators that are around.

We had a rescue dog (some beagle basset (best guess) mix) who lived till she was 10. Was an excellent foot warmer as that was her favorite spot.

The other dogs are working dogs with a purpose on the farm, but wouldnt trade them for anything or ever leave any of the birds out without them. (or goats for that matter) they get fresh chicken weekly for all of their hard work.

I appreciate the pet owners (we have lots of weekly customers picking up their new pets), I just happen to have been raised on and around farms most of my life with family always having farms of one sort or another. My granddaddy had a dairy and another member of the family had the dairy cows. I appreciate fresh food right from the source because of that.

 

[Marty1876]

So do I. I was raised on a registred Limosene (cattle) farm. I've know how to pull calves since I was 12. We kept a menagarie of things, actually. I'm the youngest of 7 kids, and I had my own chickens, (only mom wanted the waterfowl back then), a horse (arabian/welsh mix mare - very fun ride), a dog, and some share in our 25ish qty cat population - all outdoor kitties, a pig, a sheep, and saanan and nubian milk goats (only my sister and I like goats). We also had peacocks, turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas, lots and lots of cows, other horses (working horses), sheep, a rabbit or two....

And, she had a 300 egg incubator that I had to turn eggs in almost every evening. She sold loads of eggs.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Very cool Marty, its too bad more dont have that experience in their past or now/today to know where their food comes from and what it takes to produce food be it meat or veggies its hard work that many dont appreciate. I started riding horses at 9 months old, showing at age 7, and had at least "a" horse most of my life. I have birthed horses, cows, sheep over the years and countless dogs and cats. Mom always canned and had a HUGE garden to put up from. I love the difference in milk from the cows to our goats. Just found a local source for fresh cows milk again too, very excited about that.


Oh Hey Julie......... I would gladly send you a few eggs from our meat goose flock (or live if you want) if you want to try your hand at a Christmas goose. Our smallest this year was 14lbs dressed out.

 

[Marty1876]

My DH is A TOTAL BABY about dressing anything. He hasn't talked himself into helping with a chicken yet. He can't imagine a goose. Or a goat.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I cant imagine doing a goat (actually dont have any interest in eating one) and we are looking for a source to process lambs so we can get a couple. Hubby hadnt ever done any processing until we started the farm. He is good at it though and greatly enjoys the fresh meat. Goose I was surprised how good it is, and loved the difference between it and duck and duck and muscovy too.

 

[Marty1876]

I don't think I want to actually dress a goat. Its very very healtful, and young is like lamb, older like a deer/beef cross. I've had it in Mexico, and my folks got on this health thing a few years back, and made us all try it at family meals. Its pretty good, low in fat, high in protein, and available. I will take extra males to the local meat locker, and pay them the kill/clean/skin feel, and just pick it up halved, and finish it here. Much cheaper, and I can do it how I want. I wish I were brave enough, I personally am researved of folks who eat meat, but can't even dress any portion of it.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We have a semi local ranch we can buy half/quarter whole beef from who is going to share the plant who does the processing with us. I would like the lambs done like you described the goats. Down to a manageable size so I can put it up how I want it and not how they chose to chop. I need to order our meat chickens too and get them grown out and in the freezer.trying to figure out if we have room for 50, I think we do since it will be more like 35-40 as we have others who want to get a few too.

 

[JulieNKC]

So do I. I was raised on a registred Limosene (cattle) farm. I've know how to pull calves since I was 12. We kept a menagarie of things, actually. I'm the youngest of 7 kids, and I had my own chickens, (only mom wanted the waterfowl back then), a horse (arabian/welsh mix mare - very fun ride), a dog, and some share in our 25ish qty cat population - all outdoor kitties, a pig, a sheep, and saanan and nubian milk goats (only my sister and I like goats). We also had peacocks, turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas, lots and lots of cows, other horses (working horses), sheep, a rabbit or two....

And, she had a 300 egg incubator that I had to turn eggs in almost every evening. She sold loads of eggs.

Sounds like so much fun! I grew up here in the city, but was sent to my grandparents to spend summers. They didn't have a "farm: so much, though they are in the middle of the country, their land was leased to the rest of the family who operated the farm part. They had loads of barn cats and sometimes a few dairy steers or pigs in the barn and a huge garden and orchard. My great uncle is the one who operated the family farm though, and was only a mile down the road so I would go with grandpa while he went to help out each day. I loved going down the rows of calf huts and letting them suck on my hands, lol. They had muscovies on occasion, and broilers and pigs and a few horses but with the cute little calves my attention was pretty much occupied. I was also around a few times when it came time to butcher the chickens, and thought it was interesting rather than sad but stayed as clear as possible because of the smell.

Now they just get their poultry from the amish. They had goats when I was really little, but they went bye bye because they did too much damage to the cars.

Very cool Marty, its too bad more dont have that experience in their past or now/today to know where their food comes from and what it takes to produce food be it meat or veggies its hard work that many dont appreciate. I started riding horses at 9 months old, showing at age 7, and had at least "a" horse most of my life. I have birthed horses, cows, sheep over the years and countless dogs and cats. Mom always canned and had a HUGE garden to put up from. I love the difference in milk from the cows to our goats. Just found a local source for fresh cows milk again too, very excited about that.


Oh Hey Julie......... I would gladly send you a few eggs from our meat goose flock (or live if you want) if you want to try your hand at a Christmas goose. Our smallest this year was 14lbs dressed out.

I will keep that in mind, thanks! I'm running a test hatch with my eggs right now since my last 2 hatches have been awful to make sure it was just shipped eggs/hard to hatch breeds causing my issues but after that...hatching goose eggs is always fun. Maybe I can talk Jerry and Psue into letting me bring my birds when they butcher in exchange for helping with theirs so hubby doesn't have to see me "killing his pets", lol.

My DH is A TOTAL BABY about dressing anything. He hasn't talked himself into helping with a chicken yet. He can't imagine a goose. Or a goat.

Lmbo, same here. He HID in the house when I did the meat chickens. And yet he talks about wanting to go hunting. I don't get it.

Somehow they are different I guess because they are "ours" (MINE lol). I've tried telling him that they are better because they are ours, but he doesn't get it.

 

[Coyote Night]

You guys are awesome who can process the animals. I wish that I wasn't such a wimp about it..... I'm kinda squeamish

I was chased around as a kid with squirrel guts and brains and yeah I just don't do blood and guts. Although I'm wanting to try some Ancona duck one of these days because I hear great things about it. I think chickens or ducks would be the perfect thing to learn on because of the size not being so intimidating.

Update in the hatching room! 2 more Anconas are hatched one looks like it might be a silver and the other a black but not loving it so another one not going in the grow out pen. The ones I'm going to grow out it does not mean I'm going to keep them for breeders. A lot of evaluating ....... growing ...... evaluating....... growing...... evaluating etc...... goes into choosing breeders. Just because they look good now doesn't mean they will grow into the ducks that I hope they do. The markings are a challenge in Anconas and I've found that some will get more color and some more white as they grow and mature. As a general rule I don't keep any that hatch out with large patches of color on the back that is an annoying pattern that is so hard to get rid of. You also don't see body carriage at this age either.

Oh and I got 1 penciled runner hatched out! I'm kinda excited about that one because the hen that laid that egg was killed by the bobcat. That little duckling is the last I have of that gorgeous girl.