Hen23's Journal~Goodbye

[Farmfresh]

How nice and handy! I had my turkeys eaten by a weasel last year so I had to by my holiday bird this year from a store!

I am going to try again this year! It is so worth it to have those nice farm raised birds to eat.

 

[Henrietta23]

How nice and handy! I had my turkeys eaten by a weasel last year so I had to by my holiday bird this year from a store!

I am going to try again this year! It is so worth it to have those nice farm raised birds to eat.

Sorry! That stinks.
Two things keep me from trying- 1. I haven't brought myself to a point where I can process my birds and 2. I don't have room to raise a turkey
Oh and 3. My neighbors would freak out. I'm pushing it with the rooster and the ducks!
This feels good. This is a nice young family. The husband is a teacher and spends all his time off from work doing the heavy duty stuff on the farm. Wife takes care of the farm business as well as the animals and their human children. They really care about their animals and treat them well. We're lucky that they are so close to us. I also feel good that we are helping them to do this. They just bough this farm last year.

 

[Farmfresh]

Wow! You definitely want to see (and help) people like that succeed.

I have 4-H friends that raise rabbits, and ducks, so obtaining them is easy. Broiler chickens and turkeys I usually try to raise myself. So many people insist on feeding turkeys medicated feeds and providing no sunshine or greens. I got over the butchering fears when I was about 12 years old and took my mothers doubts as a challenge! (I had bought 50 broiler chicks - without permission! One of the things my mom had said to me while I was "getting lectured" was that they would NEVER get eaten, because no one would be able to clean them. I had to prove my mom wrong - just like a 12 year old.)

I buy my large stock for the freezer (beef, pork, lamb and goat) from local farmers in the area. I have to search all around to find what I want. I have an especially hard time finding grass fed beef, which I think is the best ever. Usually I buy from the farmer and he delivers my animal to the processor for me then I pick up the packaged meat and pay the processor later. It usually works out great. Last year I made a small animal carry rack for my pickup out of cattle panels fastened together to make a big (fills the whole truck bed) upside down box. I used a collapsible dog crate for a pattern so it will actually fold flat to store!

With my new crate strapped down to the pickup bed and completely tarp covered, I purchased two sheep last year. I kept them with a friend over a weekend (trading a few lamb chops) and then delivered them to the processor myself. It worked great! This should free up where I buy my small animals, like goats, lambs or even pigs.

Since I also have several friends who like beef and have a trailer I think I am even going to try to buy a "baby beef" this year. We have lots of livestock auctions within 100 miles of us and they often auction off feeder cattle replacements. These are young animals, raised on grass and ready to corn feed to fatten. Several people say buying one of these "replacement feeders" at about 650 or 700 pounds and taking them straight to the processor is just the ticket for great grass fed freezer beef. If I can just barter a couple of trailer rides and maybe a day or two in a stall for some of the beef, I will be in business!

I can only raise the turkeys and broilers by working a swap as well. My oldest daughter owns three acres near me. She has lots of animals, but no poultry. (scared of a chicken!)
I park my "Chick-Mobile" (see Beekissed's journal for a full description) mobile chicken coop on her pasture and in return I raise and process all of her chicken and turkey for the year in addition to my own. (She is my kid so this is probably WAY more than I would do for a barter to other folks) My chicken pen is usually located over a patch of dock weed, which ponies won't eat but chickens LOVE! This way I don't even compete for pasture.

Where I live I too am pushing the envelop with two big dogs and four hens.

 

[Henrietta23]

Awesome!
I'm really looking forward to this. Most beef we get out here must travel quite a distance and quite a while to get here.

 

[lupinfarm]

Jealous! ... When my dad gets paid we're going to buy a side of beef from a local farmer who raises naturally. We've also bought 30 meat chicks for the summer, and are probably going to pick up some meat goat kids.

 

[Henrietta23]

Jealous! ... When my dad gets paid we're going to buy a side of beef from a local farmer who raises naturally. We've also bought 30 meat chicks for the summer, and are probably going to pick up some meat goat kids.

NExt thing on our shopping list, before we pick up any meat, is a generator!!

 

[Henrietta23]

Grumble grumble.....
Another free Nigerian Dwarf I have to pass up.....
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/grd/1016260024.html

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

AH, H23, I am sorry! I wish you could get it..

Shoot, I wish I could find FREE goats in our area...oh wait, *thinks back to chasing goats that don't stay where they should* then again, I think I want a cow..........

 

[Henrietta23]

AH, H23, I am sorry! I wish you could get it..

Shoot, I wish I could find FREE goats in our area...oh wait, *thinks back to chasing goats that don't stay where they should* then again, I think I want a cow..........

LOL!!!!!

 

[Farmfresh]

Don't be jealous ... be creative!