What did you do in the garden today?

[BReeder!]

Watered seed starts today. More are sprouting.
My garden was free of snow this morning after heavy rain last night melted it all away. But then we got about 3" more snow this afternoon...

 

[karenerwin]

We had mostly hard rain from last night until about noon today. Then it changed to sleet. Around 3 it changed to snow but we just got a dusting of snow.

 

[NewBoots]

Yep. I do all the butchering and “offing”. Hubby can’t handle it.
I don’t enjoy the killing but I do it to raise meat for my freezer.

10 for a dollar is am amazing deal, I'd love a deal like that. The cockerels we had from DPs hatching were the very best chicken either of us ever had. I processed them at 12 weeks, not very large but very tender.

I've wanted to raise meat birds but I have no idea how to clean them.

YouTube is a great resource, and if you are fine with not having the skin on them, you can process them pretty easily.

 

[gtaus]

Bought some packets of bean seeds at Menards the other day. Watched a few YouTube videos on raised bed build and design. Cost of wood got you down? Check out this video on low cost alternative.

Other than that, still have 3 feet of snow in the backyard and lots of winter left to go. Looking forward to spring.

 

[chickengr]

I desperately need an up.

please put a request for a prayer here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...lowing-jesus-christ-everyone-welcome.1135475/

when people who don't know you pray for you it really helps. I have a muslim friend who prays for me when I ask. it has always helped. not that miracles happen overnight but I am calm and have everything for my daily needs.

 

[chickengr]

Yep. I do all the butchering and “offing”. Hubby can’t handle it.
I don’t enjoy the killing but I do it to raise meat for my freezer. I just know that if I want the meat that I raised myself I also have to do the killing and butchering. Although I have heard that some people send their birds to the butcher. But for me that doesn’t make it affordable.

I have a lady neighbor who does butchering for me. her husband cannot butcher. healthy meat is one of the reasons I got chickens. I learned about chicken breeds later.

 

[chickengr]

Bought some packets of bean seeds at Menards the other day. Watched a few YouTube videos on raised bed build and design. Cost of wood got you down? Check out this video on low cost alternative.

Other than that, still have 3 feet of snow in the backyard and lots of winter left to go. Looking forward to spring.

I sometimes use plastic crates and black garbage bags.

 

[littledog]

I desperately need an up.

Been there too - I hope you get your "up" soon. At least you're cutting expenses in the meantime, such a wise move.

10 for a dollar.

That's a phenomenal price! Hope we find something like that when we're ready to raise meat birds.

I've wanted to raise meat birds but I have no idea how to clean them. I had considered raising some & sending them out to be done but I just don't really have a meat bird set up here.

There's a fantastic post on the "raising meat birds" forum, from a guy who shows a bunch of pictures and videos, with really clear instructions and explanations. Very humane and sanitary, the way he does it.
At some point we want to raise meat birds - after we finish our trailer coop for the layers, we plan to convert the current coop for meat birds. Our local conservation district has a whole processing set-up for rent, with cones, boiler, plucker, stainless-steel table, for something like $20/day, and they will come help set it up and teach us how to do it the first time.

Cost of wood got you down? Check out this video on low cost alternative.

Wow, thanks for that video! I'll definit

 

[littledog]

Sorry, my keyboard froze up because Amazon decided I needed to upgrade my music player. What I meant to say, I'll definitely be building some of those planters for my greenhouse!

 

[Sueby]

I had no idea what I was doing years ago when I got my first meat chicks. I found a very informative video thread on BYC that I watched many times as I was ready to kill and butcher the birds

10 for a dollar is am amazing deal, I'd love a deal like that. The cockerels we had from DPs hatching were the very best chicken either of us ever had. I processed them at 12 weeks, not very large but very tender.

YouTube is a great resource, and if you are fine with not having the skin on them, you can process them pretty easily.

At some point we want to raise meat birds - after we finish our trailer coop for the layers, we plan to convert the current coop for meat birds. Our local conservation district has a whole processing set-up for rent, with cones, boiler, plucker, stainless-steel table, for something like $20/day, and they will come help set it up and teach us how to do it the first time.

I should know better than to talk you y'all about getting more birds. Enablers. I do randomly do research on it, I would love to raise a batch once a year & fill the freezer. @littledog that is such a great deal! I wish we had something like that around here!

I will have to look up how to house meat birds. I have the small brooder/integration coop but I think it's too small & it has a ramp. I hear they poop A LOT & have to be moved around - not sure I have the room to do it. & I worry about processing - we live in the woods & have a lot of predators that it would attract. I'd have to be very careful & know what I'm doing.

Anyway, warm for now but temps are supposed to plummet today. The snow piles are almost gone & it's great to see the birds out scratching around & not hunkered down in the coops. I have to go out & pick up all the branches in the yard. We lost power last night, but it eventually came back on. Thankfully.