Wrath's Marans

[2ndTink]

Exactly right... You could add 300 more.

I seriously didn't realize you had that many birds.

I'm at 31 Marans and 9 girls in the mixed flock so...40 total. + the 2 sissy's (ducks)

I seriously didn't realize it either processing dates are set, I have some buyers lined up already, the feed bill oof, things got a bit crazy this year. So much for the "we'll just have 8 hens tops"...

I'm having to come to terms with processing because it's the only way to balance reality with my dreams of having a couple breeding flocks.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I seriously didn't realize it either processing dates are set, I have some buyers lined up already, the feed bill oof, things got a bit crazy this year. So much for the "we'll just have 8 hens tops"...

I'm having to come to terms with processing because it's the only way to balance reality with my dreams of having a couple breeding flocks.

My wife is at anti-processing. So I have sold off what boys I didn't want.
But I think shes starting to come around with grocery store prices the way they are, with no end in sight.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I was going on the assumption that I had somewhere around 70 or 80 total including all I hatched this spring. I made the mistake of tallying up my pens, and I'm actually over 110 but like 40 of them are silkies so thats really like 15 there, some will be processed, so those don't actually count right?

Yeah the silkies only count as an 1/8 of a chicken, so it's not that bad

 

[The Coop Crew]

We can realistically only have 4 because of limited space but I told my husband today that when we move (hopefully soon) I’m going to have at least 80…he agreed sooooo

 

[2ndTink]

My wife is at anti-processing. So I have sold off what boys I didn't want.
But I think shes starting to come around with grocery store prices the way they are, with no end in sight.

Between the prices at the store, knowing how they are raised, and I am disgusted by how the CX grow and they can't live normal chicken lives. The fat on those is white, they are processed between 8 and 12 weeks old, they don't have much flavor, they are raised 10,000 or more per barn, thrown into transport cages, driven open to the elements to a processing plant... I understand the need to farm on that scale and I also know several poultry farmers and they do care about the birds a lot, but, having home grown, normal growing chickens, with all those fat soluable vitamins making their fat nice and yellow, knowing they've been well cared for, and the flavor. This is some of the info I've been using to bolster my oomph to process our own birds

 

[2ndTink]

We can realistically only have 4 because of limited space but I told my husband today that when we move (hopefully soon) I’m going to have at least 80…he agreed sooooo

80 is a good number to have!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Between the prices at the store, knowing how they are raised, and I am disgusted by how the CX grow and they can't live normal chicken lives. The fat on those is white, they are processed between 8 and 12 weeks old, they don't have much flavor, they are raised 10,000 or more per barn, thrown into transport cages, driven open to the elements to a processing plant... I understand the need to farm on that scale and I also know several poultry farmers and they do care about the birds a lot, but, having home grown, normal growing chickens, with all those fat soluable vitamins making their fat nice and yellow, knowing they've been well cared for, and the flavor. This is some of the info I've been using to bolster my oomph to process our own birds

I see the Sanderson Farms trucks regularly, they gross me out!

 

[2ndTink]

I see the Sanderson Farms trucks regularly, they gross me out!

Exactly! They make me so sad when I see them. I know my chickens live great lives and are well fed. I have a dozen cockerel in a tractor that's moved every couple days to fresh grass. They're growing well, clean living conditions, and they get to run around and be their silly little selves.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Sad news update...I've lost one of 'the Hateful Eight', one of Joannie's 13 week pullets. They've been playing in the corn and only 7 showed up last night at lockup, searched for a couple hours but it's next to impossible to see more than a few row's even in the daylight.
This morning I scoured the corn field with no sign of her at all.

And yes, Marans thread friends.. I did search the barn. The story there is Raven (2 BBS broody) went missing around POL. Thought a hawk or something snatched her with no signs of any struggle. I by chance was digging around in the barn for something 10 days later and there she was laying on the concrete in between 2 door slabs not 3 feet from where I clean the duck coop everyday and never made a sound.... Felt horrible for days knowing she spent 10 days with no food or water and in cold temps. But she improved overnight to the point I put her back with the flock and all was well.
Anyways, I'm watching and listening today and tonight the traps will be set. (I didn't want to draw anything in last night setting them in case she was just hunkered down). I've trapped 2 coons and a possum since the corn has been knee high and now it's over 5' tall.

Don't have enough runs to lock everyone up, so this is the risk with free ranging. This part of chickenry sucks....

 

[wrathsfarm]

One side and back of property is crop fields. Every other year is corn and soy beans. This is our first year here for corn.
I knew the coons could move during the day when it got high enough but haven't been setting the traps until I seen sign....Mistake.
Here's where the 'Children of the Corn' like to hangout. They like to run the first 3 corn rows.