NH Homesteader's journal

[frustratedearthmother]

Hey, may be time to move, LOL!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Is it bad that I'm considering donating my old stew hens to the local raptor rehabilitation to feed their birds? Simply because I'm too lazy to process them? Lol the eagles have to eat too!

 

[tortoise]

Not at all. I'm trying to convince DH to pay to have ours processed this year. It's about $3/bird. Totally worth it, IMO.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We'll have meat birds this fall, along with a couple of this year's cockerels, so it's not like we're desperate for meat. I think I might be going to the place Wednesday to visit so I think I'll ask them about it.

Yeah $3/bird is what DH charges people he likes to process their birds, lol. I would have a hard time justifying paying that, but I'm super cheap! We also have all the equipment so it's easy for him to do them. I only help sometimes... Usually he and some friends get together and do a bunch.

Decided not to pre-mix or case any sausage from the next pig. I am low or out of everything pork, except a bunch of sausage left from the last one. I need ground pork! We don't buy beef so all ground meat recipes I use pork. And it's not that difficult to pull ground pork out a day early and mix up sausage if I need some. DH wants to give the other piggie another month or so, then get her in the freezer. I want to be done with pigs before meat bird time, and I want the meat birds done before hunting season. Phew!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I like ground pork too! I make sausage from mine when I need it - otherwise just use it like ground beef!

I hate processing birds so much that I'd probably charge $10 a bird, lol. That would insure that I'd never have to do more than my own!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Lol he charges $10 for turkeys! He hates doing it too, so he only does it for a couple of people, or for people he can charge an obscene amount. Sometimes he'll do it with ours if there's only a couple birds and that way we don't have to pay for propane or ice for our own birds.

 

[Swede]

May I ask you a question?

Ducks or chickens?

 

[NH Homesteader]

I have chickens, I used to have ducks. I don't really like chickens but my husband does. I love ducks!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Another question - what's to love about ducks??? LOL!

I had them once and all they did was knock over the water and peck the goats in the eyes!

Maybe if I had them in a separate pen it wouldn't be so bad?

 

[NH Homesteader]

They are cool, IF you have water for them to play in (they loved our stream). We don't let any of our poultry co-mingle with each other or the goats, that helps. The ducks were cute and funny and way smarter than chickens. Great moms, great layers and they would come to a whistle.

They are also super messy, loud and bossy lol. Which is why I want like 4 ducks, not 13 like I used to have.

Also my husband is allergic to duck eggs. This does not help my cause!