Yum! I did GOOD! ;) I just want to share!

[4H kids and mom]

OMG tonights dinner was just the best ever. We got back our birds and they weighed in at around 5 - 5.75 lbs (one was just over 6 pounds and thats the one we ate tonight!) once processed (they'd been in the 6-7 lb range live). They did a great job and I am very pleased with the results. I am also quite pleased to see meat stacked high in my freezer that I grew and raised!

I think that helped it taste even better, but I do have to say tonights chicken was AWESOME. I done good! DH says we will be raising them in larger numbers year round from now on. The other half of this batch goes in for processing on the 10th of July (they will be 9 weeks old, and these were 7 weeks old), and the 11th I get my new baby Cornish in. Gives us ONE day to clean out the pen and expand it by another 4 feet, and set it up to start over again! I'm getting 40 chicks this time around, because of this batch we arent going to have many to sell! lol

 

[eggchel]

Good Job! Mmmmmm chicken!!!

Keep in mind, that a little later in the summer, a few hatcheries will be offering their "buck a duck" or other specials on ducklings. Great time to add ducks to your freezer, too.


chel

 

[justusnak]

I know what you mean. There is nothing better than a great chicken dinner...that you have raised yourself. I am thinking next year to raise 40 or so at a time. Right now, we are still trying to get everyone else situated...so more cornishx are not in the picture. Also..we do not have a processor near us, so its all done by me. sigh. I wish there was a way to send mine off...I would love to raise a few more.

 

[Carole AM]

I think I'm going to try some of the brahma/cochin crosses. Thing is, they take so long to get a good size.

 

[MissPrissy]

I am so jealous! I have been wanting to get some meat birds. I began calling around to meat processing places. No one (so far) in a 100 mile radius of me will process chickens. If I get them I have to do it all by hand myself!

 

[Motherhenandflock]

Doesn't it feel good to "provide" for your family?
We "did" 6 of our CornishX last Monday and the other 11 will be worked this Saturday. Big, hunks
of birds.
We have 3 turkeys that are growing now to be in the freezer later this fall.

 

[4H kids and mom]

Speaking of turkeys, about how long DO they take to reach a good size? Mine are now about 3 weeks old, and I know I have a long ways to go, but will they be ready for this turkey-day?

Yes, it felt GREAT to provide my family with a fresh meal that I could be sure was raised organically and humanely, and without steroids, chemicals, and such. We were a little upset at first with their overall 'finished' size, but loosing a pound to a pound and a half isnt that bad. I was SO happy to see NO FAT on my birds! They were SOLID MEAT! I already have the last batch (13 more) set to go in to be done on the 10th of July (they'll be 9 weeks old, so I'm hoping for bigger 7 - 7.5 pound finished birds) and I already have my order in for 40 more chicks to arrive the day after "processing day"! We will never go hungry again! (Might get a little sick of chicken though...lol I just gotta come up with a thousand and one ways to cook it! lol)

 

[boilerjoe_96]

Depends on the turkey. I have used the following link and it seems real close to what I am seeing....

http://www.mainepoultry.com/article...l&id=1108223259&archive=&start_from=&ucat=14&


I just had a taste of one of my birds and it was very good. Now if I couldonly find someone to process near me(West Lafayette IN...hint hint...)

 

[4H kids and mom]

I will look up some IN processors for ya and see what I can find. I found a whole slew of Wis and Ill ones for someone else too.

 

[Carole AM]

We have a few up here around me, but I'm 2 hours from Lafayette!