Welcome back!
In the midst of what is supposed to be the biggest snowstorm this season, I chose to order my meat chickens.
I have 15-day-old White Rock Pullets (female chicks) arriving on May 18. I order pullets because I have an inherent dislike for roosters. They are loud. They are bullies. They are nasty.
Clearly, I don’t like them.
I choose white rock chicks because they grow quickly and go to the freezer after roughly 8 weeks.
I had ducks as well last year, but I discovered that the ducks ate the food and left the chickens with little to none. If I want to eat duck that badly, I’ll buy one.
I picked May 18 as the date of arrival because it’s warm enough (generally) to take the brooder box outdoors during the day if I really wanted.
A brooder box is simply a large storage container that I line with newspaper and cover the bottom with wood shavings. There is a heater that they can go under to stay warm until their full feathers grow in. They have a feeder and a water trough. I keep them indoors for now because I have yet to build a real chicken brooder. They can be noisy, but they settle down at night when the lights go out.
I feed them starter mix which is finer ground and has extra nutrition. As soon as that bag is done, I switch them to a grower mix which is formulated to give them more of what they need. By the time I’m feeding grower mix, they are outside, scratching up worms and bugs as snacks.
After 8 weeks (give or take a week), I process them.
NOTE: ‘Process’ is the term used to describe sending them to freezer camp.
Why do I do this? The reason is simple. I am a meat eater. I have worked for a Government agency that was responsible for inspecting animal processing plants. What I saw in the chicken plant sickened me. I didn’t eat chicken for a while after that.
When I started homesteading, I made a promise to myself that I would raise at least half of the chicken I consumed. That way, I can give them the best life possible, sun, wind, bugs, worms, etc. They are not medicated or given growth hormones. That means they are as close to being organic as possible, without having to call them organic.
I honour the chickens by talking to them and thanking them for the meal they were going to provide. I believe that if you are going to take the life of an animal, it must be done humanely, quickly, and with reverence.
I take no joy in the act of butchering. Perhaps that makes me soft, but I would rather be soft than heartless and cruel.
I will be making room in my freezer by raw canning whatever chicken is still in there. Once they are hot-packed, the chicken is fully cooked and preserved for up to 2 years. Having precooked chicken is a great way to throw a meal together in a hurry, when you’re tired or unexpected guests show up. (Fajitas are your friend.)
After I’ve taken the meat off the bones, I roast the carcasses and boil them with carrots, onions, celery, and spices to make chicken broth. I pressure can the broth so that I have it ready at any point.
I’ve not yet reached self-sufficiency, but I’m working on it.
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Until next time
Louis
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