A Relaxing Evening
August 17th, 2006 by Northern FarmerIt’s funny how after August 15th summer changes a bit around here most of the time. The days get more manageable, not as hot, but still warm. A little more humidity, a little more clouds. I’ll take it after the blistering dry heat this past summer. We’re not wet by any means, but the break is great and we could get some rain in the next few days to help out a bit more. And rain is important in late summer and fall here so the plants can gather strength to winter over. Our little creek is back to the barest trickle which is like a flood compared to the last three months so the cattle are safe as far as water is concerned and I won’t have that on my mind when I hit the hay at night.
The garden was a success even in the drought thanks to a lot of pumped water. The couple places that the hose didn’t reach so well are a testament to what happens in a drought. Those spots were fried away. But we’re not watering all this week and it seems kinda nice not running around moving hoses all the time. As far as eating goes, this is about the best time of year where pretty much everything is fresh from the garden, I’ll miss that in a few months, the freshness I mean. Now, there’s only one major job left around here and that’s chopping silage. It looks like it’ll be a couple of weeks off thanks to the rain, a bit more normal.
We have three hundred chickens behind the garden here that’ll be ready for butchering in September. They’re doing great out there, with zero death loss, (not counting the 100% death loss from our weasel family friends on Memorial Day). The second group of White Rocks are really putting it on fast now, but I broke down because of the murdered group and bought 150 broilers to catch up. Now folks, I ain’t knocking all you folks raising them things, this is just me, OK? I will never, never let them freaks of nature, or should I say freaks of man’s lust for profit on this place again, never. Sure they’re growing good, but I ain’t going to eat them freaks. They look like puss balls, not like a chicken, but that’s just me I guess. My daddy always said you can train people to eat manure, (well, manure’s not exactly the word he used), and they’d like it. I’ll live a free man and raise and eat the good stuff. I could really go on and on about them freaks, but naw, save it for some other time. Oh heck, let’s keep it going!
What good does it do to try and get away from the culture of death and then be raising the agricultural flag bearer of that same perverted culture? Sheeesh! We’re really showing them, eh! Now don’t feel too guilty because remember, I have them in two chicken tractors, but I’m repenting when them buggers are gone. Never again! I like real chicken and that’s it from now on, real chicken. A person might just as well buy patented seeds from the big seed company with some GMO’s for good measure in the mix for our garden. I ain’t kneeling down to the culture of death just so we can call ourselves diversified family farmers. I don’t care what anyone thinks of me out here, believe me, I don’t care. People that have seen my fashionable clothing can testify to that! One thing I do know is that when a person does stuff that’s right they’ll come out ahead of the quick fix over the long run. Real food, not grassed over Franken Birds.
Other than that rant, things are just as calm as can be here. Now to go and relax for the evening.
August 17th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Hi Tom!
Glad to hear that you have gotten a little bit more rain—been praying for ya and watching the MN radar. We had some nice rains over the past weekend but I was back to watering the garden again yesterday.
Our gardens are absolutely incredible! We have been so very blessed again this year. I’m finished with my excavation and landscape work for a neighbor who’s house burned down in late winter. They are almost finished with their new home construction.
Now, I’m trying to get a few things done on my own ‘to-do’ list. Nights are getting chilly and I’m starting to think of that dreaded first frost.
May the Lord continue to guide your path!
August 17th, 2006 at 9:10 pm
Well, we made the same decision about “those chickens” — no more for us! Last year we did fine with them, this year we had nothing but trouble. I will be so glad to get them butchered! Then we can start fresh with a better kind next spring. We like the cooler weather as well; perfect for roughing in the main floor of our house!
August 17th, 2006 at 11:02 pm
Tom:
What a sore spot for us. We will try again on the white rocks with a different hatchery. I hope it goes better than our first round of white rokcs. Those things were pure migits. I am sure that it is the hatchery. I lost customers over it. I have one white rock left and I still wonder if I didn’t accidently orde some white banty bird. Oh well, live and learn. But, I must say those cornish do look like pus balls. Their back sides and vent areas are so swollen and abnormal. Just wait til yours start out growing their feathers, it is the grossest thing alive. We will be checking out Hoover Hatchery in the spring for sure. They didn’t have any white rocks this go around. I am still anxious to give it a try.
Blessings!!
August 18th, 2006 at 5:15 am
Morning Tom,
have a great day!
sorry I don’t have much to say as the rest!
August 18th, 2006 at 5:44 am
Franken Birds????? I understand what your saying, but we raise em. (Igor, bring me some puss extractor…..BWAAAHAHAHAHA……… ). They do look funny, but we tried the RIR’s one year which became food hogs and were really tough meat (we ate a lot of stew that year….sigh….). Someone told us about these C-rocks (sounds a little like a rap band), and we were really happy with the taste and the size for being six week old. They seem to do pretty well in the tractor too. Oh well.
We had a 50% mortaility rate with em this year though, a stray dog fell through the top mesh and got 28 of em. 14 or 15 must of had heart attacks, because there wasn’t a mark on em. Looks like we’ll have to butcher a wether to make up for the bird loss.
On a happier note, The goats were right where I left em the day before, so I think the leak has stopped and the fence didn’t get me. All in All a good day.
No rain though
Have a good one,
Brad
August 18th, 2006 at 5:53 am
Steven,
One can sure tell when your busy like you have been recently, and I’m glad that you’ll be back more often now. Them northern gardens sure do produce, eh. Ours too, as long as it was watered like yours. I’m getting the fall bug and am looking forward to fall jobs, bringing in the wood, butchering and all the rest. Here’s hoping next summer is a good one for you folks over your way!
Lynn,
I know that I cause some trouble when I post like this, but that’s the way it is when a person tells the truth about them birds. A real chicken will take longer to raise up, just like the extra months that it takes to raise up forage fed beef, but they’re real and “normal”. Take care over there!
Christina,
My advice to you is, oh oh, now I’ll get in trouble, if getting and keeping customers and getting cash flow are criticle, do what you have to do, if that means raising broilers, so be it. I mean broilers for customers, for now until a person is firmly established. Just like Scott Terry, for example, raising them broilers, it gives an opening for them to become more self sufficient in the long run. We don’t have that problem here because of being established and debt free. We don’t have to please anybody, but have found out that when we raise what we raise there are customers that the Lord sends our way that want real chicken. In fact my biggest worry now is I don’t want to establish a customer base that wants broilers, being that we have that one small batch growing here. And I don’t want to eat them, egad! They are out growing their feathers and I ain’t never seen anything so disgusting.
So for now, as far as your situation, be careful about following my rant on this, because your more customer oriented and it’s important that you please them. For me, raising up white rocks or any other regular breed over a longer time than broilers doesn’t bother me, in fact it makes me happy seeing real chickens out there, and except for weasel attacks, we never lose a bird, they’re healthy and I figure that makes me healthy. And a person doesn’t have to be carefull about the feed being used, unlike a broiler where it had better be just right. The mistake most make is jumping in, promising birds to customers, or pre selling and that’s when the problems appear. That’s ok after a person has experience but is usually a recipe for disaster in the beginning. There, now that I have you all confused I’ll let it go at that. But it does give an excuse for us to talk on the phone again, eh!
Morning Jan!
That’s OK, I’m running out of time anyhow! Gotta get out there!
God Bless!
And God bless all the rest too!
August 18th, 2006 at 5:57 am
Hey Brad,
What works for you, works for you eh! I’ll get back to you, I’m late and them four legged, 1200 pound ladies don’t like me being late
August 18th, 2006 at 8:33 am
Tom,
The August issue of Acres USA has a section that summarizes a government study of the nutrient content of foods over the last 50 years. They found that between 1950 and 1999 there were noticeable drop-offs in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin and vitamin C. A biochemist at the Unversity of Texas said that part of the decline is due to fast-growing and large-yielding crops. Fast-growing crops aren’t always able to acquire the nutrients that slower-growing varieties can. (Hence the higher protein and mineral content of OP corn.) Makes me wonder what nutrients are lacking in the meat of Cornish Rocks.
Jim
August 18th, 2006 at 8:42 am
Jim,
Just in to check the radar and it looks like I had better chop this afternoons silage chopping now! That’s a pretty good blob coming from the Dakota’s.
Excellent point!! And I believe so true. It does seem when ever something is “improved” by man, many things are taken away. That’s a genetic rule that works in animals also. Now improvement can always be done at a common sense scale, but radical changes do screw things up bigtime down the road. I’ll be chewing on your comment the rest of the day. That got me ah thinkin now!
Thanks!
August 18th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
have a great weekend Tom,
and enjoy them dumpling s
August 18th, 2006 at 5:07 pm
Jan,
Same to you and we will enjoy eating evil hen and dumplings, mmmm! And it was another day of full steam egg production!
August 18th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Ok..I raised the “BBQ special” from Hoover’s Hatchery and they were just a bunch of roosters of mixed breeds. Easy to raise, took longer to get to butcher weight, to tough to fry, had to use them in crock pot/stew pot. Now the flavor was wonderful but….. So what do you suggest to raise for a nice frying chicken????? No I havent’ raised any meat birds but my attempt at white turkeys was a crash and burn!! I will NEVER raise them again. My first turkey attempt was a gagle of broad breasted bronze and they were a joy to raise but I won’t do them again. I want farm turkeys that breed naturally and look normal, so I’m leaning toward Burbon Reds or Standerd Bronze. Oh and as for the “evil” chicken…now ya know she is a product of her upbringing. She came from a dysfuntional family and had no way to chanel her anger so she turned to “acting out” to get attention. It’s not her fault …really it’s not……..(snicker) Actually…Hi Ho Hi Ho It’s off to the stewpot she goes
August 18th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Patti,
I suggest you raise what you like to eat. That’s what I do and I won’t do anything but.I’ve never raised broilers till now and I won’t eat them things. Daughter Rachel says their looks make her sick. Never again! My preference is White Rocks from Hoovers, but I’ll eat any kind of chicken from bantam to leghorn roosters. That’s for my table, real chicken. I wonder how many folks even can imagine what kind of chickens made up those delicious Sunday chicken dinners. Mostly just some home hatched chickens running out back that they caught and butchered Saturday evening or before the meal on Sundays.
Now days people are so programed by this industrial culture that they have grown accustomed to eating the poorer quality and thinking it’s what chicken is supposed to taste like. Then when they have a chicken that takes more than six or seven weeks till butchering everyone’s complaining. Oh me oh my, poor me, it’s taking so long! (This is not meant at you Patti, it’s meant at the whole supposed back to the land, simpler life type people, that still want everything the same as the culture of death whether they’ll admit it or not). People don’t have any idea what food is supposed to taste like, they’re conditioned to like the poor quality industrial garbage.
I have read on many supposed Christian Agrarian blogs, the folks complaining about their chickens taking so long to grow. This is really getting to me. This Christian Agrarian thing is starting to look very shallow to me, with total dependance on the industrial ag machine. Oh quote a few scriptures, talk about how only their denomination is right, and how they will be taking over in the future. What a crock!
They can’t even raise their own chickens replacements, or they don’t like the “taste”. Sheesh!! Always the same old stuff. It looks to me that folks just want to play with the idea, but don’t want the commitment of truly raising good stuff.
But that’s just me, I’m getting very tired of all of this stuff! I’m having the time of my life here, to the untrained eye, they might not see much difference in our farm compared to others, but believe me the changes are huge. I don’t talk the talk without walking the walk. When I make a decision it’s in the ten’s of thousands of dollars, not a dozen store bought chicks. This farm is so close to being self sufficient in everything except energy for equiptment. And soon all my attention will be looking in that direction.
So, eat what you like, raise what you like, I’m through giving any advice on this subject. I’ll do it the old ways, everyone else can do what they want. Like I said Patti this is not directed at you, more a general statement.
Oh and evil chicken is headed for the stewpot, an old family recipe
August 18th, 2006 at 8:32 pm
you put foghorn leghorn in the stewpot,
it’s a sad sad day!
August 18th, 2006 at 10:11 pm
Tom,
We have raised roosters from layer breeds that we butcher at the end of the summer. Typically they are tender and taste very good. I wonder if there is more than just the breed of the bird contributing to the tenderness of the meat. Feed? Processing techniques? Did you read the articles in Stockman Grassfarmer about how a study showed that cooling a beef carcass down too fast resulted in tough meat? Maybe people are cooling down their chicken carcasses too quickly, resulting in tough meat. Could be that the broiler’s meat is so “mushy” that improper processing doesn’t cause problems. Any ideas? I think I will pay more attention next time I process chickens.
Jim
August 18th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
Hey Tom:
I just want you to know I am not giving up on the White Rocks yet. We age cheese for over two months and encourage our customers to wait for the good stuff. I am just disappointed in the hatchery we had. We had raised up the broilers before and the demand for chicken here from our farm was so high without us advertising. We have built a loyal customer base that trusts what we say as we try to educate them. I did lose a few customers over the smallness of the birds, but I am not woried about it. I told folks if they came back after the small bird fiasco they would be offered a “I got a migit chicken discount”. We will take .50 cent per pound off for those who got the small chickens.
I like what you say here:
The mistake most make is jumping in, promising birds to customers, or pre selling and that’s when the problems appear. That’s ok after a person has experience but is usually a recipe for disaster in the beginning. There, now that I have you all confused I’ll let it go at that. But it does give an excuse for us to talk on the phone again, eh!
I read a book on pastured poultry after this third group we ran and realized we should have waited another year before we offered them to cusotmers. But, our customers really wanted them. What I now say to customers is that we are experimenting and you can be our guinea pigs, bear with us. Since we are relationship oriented most people are pretty forgiving. Those who aren’t have been eating mutant chickens too long and are a witness to the old adage “you are what you eat”. I would say I have a few bird brained people I have worked with.
Do your birds seem tough when you eat them?
Anyway, one thing we hope to do is get the white rock thing down and have a niche market advantage by saying we offer our customers REAL chickens. Not hybrid flavorless. We did have one gal come out and get some of our small birds and then she reccomended them to another friend. It was kind of neat to see her excitement for the flavor. She was raised on a farm and remembered the old fashioned chicken flavor.
So, I am long winded here but we plan to go back to the White Rocks come spring and give her another go. We hate the looks of the cornish. Plus we had a sad situation after our first butchering of corny crosses. I will retell it here in case anyone is tottering on the line of cornies versus real chicken. Two of our cornish crosses got out and escaped butchering. One lived a week and died of watery blisters or tumors on its back side. The other was a hen and we let her stay with the layers. She died trying to lay an egg. She couldn’t even enjoy being a real chicken. It was very convincing for us to move to a different breed. One thing I plan to do is educate our customers on cooking techniques to help with the tenderness. REal food requires real knowledge of how to cook it. You can’t just nuke it in the microwave.
Have a wonderful weekend!!
August 19th, 2006 at 5:49 am
Jan,
Morning! Well, I don’t know, now daughter Rachel is getting full production egg laying again just from getting rid of one evil hen, it’s a glad, glad day!!
Have a good one!
Jim,
Your bringing up many good points as always! I’ve heard about the effect on rapid chill down of beef. Industrial ag bypasses all that with electrocution and a bagfull of other tricks. As far as chicken, who knows! There could be better ways or at least some rules with the processing. I think it has a lot to do with what I said in the post about people eat “manure” long enough they get to liking it, and then when they eat “real” chicken they have the same reaction as a caged laying hen thrown out into sunshine and lush grass, total bewilderment! People will defend their industrial tastes as being normal.
For me it’s black and white, I want real food. The oldtimers here always told me that their favorite chicken was leghorn roosters that they could get free as chicks from a local hatchery. It took two or three on the platter to equal a broiler nowdays, but them oldtimers weren’t dumb, they liked quality, not industrial mush in volume. My favorite chicken on the plate is roosters that are three to four months old from the laying breeds, we just pluck them out of the flock till our favorite one or two are left for breeding purposes. In fact our home hatched and raised roosters are the ones we eat.
Thanks!
Christina,
Well, I can’t match the length of your comment this morning, cause I only have a couple minutes left here and it’s time to start the day again till late evening.
In my opinion our layer cockerals aren’t tough. But they don’t have the melt in your mouth mushiness that modern chicken has either. Their real chicken.
Our customers preffer the white rocks over broilers, this summer I give them a choice between broilers vs white rocks and I have to say I’ll had to do a bit of a job selling the broilers. These folks want real chicken, of coarse this area is full of folks that do know what chicken really tastes like. I’ll catch you a bit later on this, gotta run!
Thanks so much for the great comments!
August 19th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Happy Lunch! (I just don’t know how to greet someone this time of day)
I just got in from fixing the old sheller. Now I’ve got a working sheller, just no corn to shell. Off this afternoon to mow some pastures and fence some more. I saw where in Illinois, their looking at their 3rd cutting of hay. I’m still hoping for a second. Kind of a turn around from normal.
Well better go, the wife informed me I’m on my own for lunch, So its PB&j with homemade blackberry jam. A meal fit for kings in my opinion.
Must end with the daily rain report….NONE!! 7 days and counting now. Its almost time to get in the fall grass and vetch. I’m finding that dusting the crops is taking on a whole new meaning
God Bless,
Brad
August 19th, 2006 at 11:46 am
Brad,
And a happy lunch to you too! But of coarse us oldtimers out here in the country still call the noon meal dinner. Supper is at six.
We recieved an inch of rain last evening and this is the first time this year when the ground wasn’t dried out before the rain came. It’s greening up fast here and next week I’ll be looking all around the farm for possible second cuttings of hay. Around here we’d better get it quick to get it growing again and toughening up for winter. Winters can get a tad bit on the cool side, like 57 below. That’ll test the tractor batteries!
Tonight the wife wants me to look for some recipies for huckleberrys. Jams, jellies and what ever. First time raising them and we do have a bumper crop. Plus they sure do taste good.
We’ll focus our rain prayers to you folks down there,
Take Care and God Bless You and Yours!
August 19th, 2006 at 11:56 am
The time it took to raise the roosters to butcher weight wasnt’ it problem.The tough meat was. Jim may be right about the processing. We take our birds to a local place that just does poultry. ( butchering 20 chickens just isnt’ my cup of tea ,sorry ) I will ask them about their cooling time etc. Like I said the flavor was wonderful!!! BTW How far norther are you in Minn.? We live 30 miles south of the Min. border on the east of middle side of Iowa
August 19th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
P.S. I quote…”This farm is so close to being self sufficient in everything except energy for equiptment. And soon all my attention will be looking in that direction.”
(snicker)
……Would love your recipe for toilet paper!
August 19th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
Patti,
I don’t know what to say about the toughness, ours aren’t, I don’t know why. Although they are a little more firm than broilers. Maybe we’re doing something right in the butchering and don’t even know it….
We’re located right in the center, or almost the center of the state near Bowlus. The border with Iowa is about a four hour drive from here. The northwoods is about forty five minutes north.
About the toilet paper thing, (I was referring to farming practices in the post), don’t shake someones right hand, but make sure they’re not left handed, OK??? Just a pointer to help out
August 19th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
Well, one of Mullein’s nicknames is the toilet paper of the woods, because of its large soft leaves…..
August 19th, 2006 at 9:04 pm
Marci,
That might be one of the most valuable pieces of advice I ever got around here!
August 19th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Tom,
Thought I would add my two cents here.
We have also decided to stop raising the CornishX franken birds here in favor of some more realistic breed. I want something that will grow nicely on real chicken feed like screenings, junk wheat from sweeping after cleaning, oats, bugs and worms. I am tired of loosing all of the birds to heart attacks from a small thunderstorm or having them die from not getting the very expensive commercial feed that I have to go all the way to town to buy. I refuse to buy it when I have literally tons of great unused grain here. Besides, what is a farm that is working on being sufficient on God instead of the established system doing with chickens that can’t even reproduce?
On another note, you mention that you are going to work on the energy needs for the farm, I don’t know what you have for tractors and such but you can be free of the established energy system too. I have not bought any diesel so far this year and soon will even have the benefit of a surplus of energy all able to be produced from this farm in the form of vegetable oil. I am still in the experiment stage but so far it is looking real promising. If you want to compare notes or just talk about ideas feel free to email me, christopherscigliano at hotmail.com The more small independant farms we have around us the better I feel!
Keep the great rants coming, it is great knowing I am not the only “crazy farmer” out here!
Chris S
August 20th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
Chris,
You can add your two cents here anytime! Good points about a farm not being able to raise them franken birds with real farm feed. I guess that’s what separates real farming from just some folks riding on the shirt tails of industrial ag, eh. I’m glad you brought that up.
I will stay in contact with you about the energy problem and solutions, you can count on that! I’m even writing your e-mail address down in case this computer blows, it’s been known to happen here.
Us crazy farmers have to stick together, eh!
Thank you sir!
August 21st, 2006 at 7:54 pm
Well now..I guess us small acreage holders just aint real farmers eh? Ya.. we’re just playin at tryin to live our convictions. cause we dont’ have the land to raise the feed etc needed for our livestock..gee checked land prices lately??? Not to mention land that has actual buildings on it. Some have to start from scratch from right where they are. So is real only what you say is real?? Buying feed is not real and is just hangin on big ags shirt tails but hey that PC from China is ok? Can we stand by our nice garden and puff out our agrarian chests while our spouse trudges off to a job in the middle of “the World” to help support that real farm? Can we hop on our open polinated soap box while we wander the isles of the local big box store??? Sorry bout the rant but that hit a nerve…..
August 21st, 2006 at 9:00 pm
Oh for cryin out loud Patti!
Where the heck did that come from?? Every single sentence that you ranted about I’ve covered at one time or another here, every single one! If you think that I have anything against or look down on small homesteaders and farmers your so far off base it’s not even worth the rebuttle.
August 21st, 2006 at 11:10 pm
Patti:
I saw your comment and am flabberghasted. This doesn’t sound like the same patti commenting above.
We are small acreage holders. We have seven acres. I have never walked away from this blog feeling as though I am condemned. When I hear others recommend growing our own feed, I yearn to do so someday down the line. I am not so sure that it requires mega acreage to do so with a small farmstead. I was just reading Carla Emery’s book and she suggests garden goodies for feeding pigs. She also suggests getting just oats instead of accepting the feed mills grain package. You can get a basic ration and add food in from your farmstead reducing your dependence on industrial agriculture. By doing so, you increase your profits and then can later re-invest in precious land.
I know of a local farmer here who plants a plot of potatoes and moves his pigs in there for feed. He markets his pigs as grass fed and naturally fed. He gets a good price for them too.
Try not to look at those who are promoting change in relying on industrial ag as casting stones but laying out options for consideration. Remember God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. So know that God wants you to treat your animals humanely and give them the best, how can you take your small acreage and convert it to meet their needs. The more I look at our seven acres the more I start envisioning taking all that grass I mow and converting it into patches of feed stuff.
Another important verse to keep in mind is that He who can be entrusted with little can also be entrusted with much. As a small, ity bity land holder, I know I can maximize how we utilize this little piece of land. It is all in diversity. Also, look at it as a way to be frugal when you disconnect from dependence on outside sources, you free up your disposable income and you regain control of how you can spend your money. If you can grow your own feed, then you can save your money that you would pay the feed mill and buy land. It really works out to help you in the long run.
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:41 pm
I think I need to explain my rant a bit more…I quote Chris…..”Besides, what is a farm that is working on being sufficient on God instead of the established system doing with chickens that can’t even reproduce” So if a farm raises “frankebirds” they are not working on being sufficient on God? I quote Tom….”Good points about a farm not being able to raise them franken birds with real farm feed. I guess that’s what separates real farming from just some folks riding on the shirt tails of industrial ag, eh. I’m glad you brought that up.” So if you can’t raise REAL farm feed because of lack of land and you have to buy your feed, your riding on the shirt tails of industrail ag?? I know this is a private blog. This just hit me wrong..I know my opinion and 1.50 will get me a cup of coffee:) I will refrain from further rants…really I will…..:)
August 22nd, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Patti,
Thanks and let me explain the phrase “real farm or real farming”. I’ve coined that phrase a while back from Small Farmer’s Journal. It’s where a farmer is distancing themselves with industrial ag. Farming again for real, not with industrial ag’s inputs and the farms income flowing out to the investors in Chicago or where ever. Plus it’s a way of farming where we’re not relying on GMO’s and sprays. About all the feed a person buys is GMO and sprayed so raising them up that way is no different than industrial methods. Grass fed quality is much better for sure, but still the feed is 75% of what they do eat on a good year.
Now, what Chris and I were talking about is the situation on an existing farm that raises crop for feed. When we raise broilers it’s darn hard to use our own resources to feed them industrial bred birds. Where as a regular chicken can be raised up even on crop gleenings. So for a farm that has the resources, we’d still end up buying inputs just so the broilers will even stay alive.
I’ve always said a person has to start somewhere and please do not think that it was a put down on somebody in your situation, because it sure was not. My biggest worry on this whole poultry situation is the very real possibility of it coming to a grinding halt in the future when the government decides to “protect the public” and stop small hatchery shipments to small farmers and homesteaders. This is why I’m hammering on the subject of having birds that can reproduce themselves. It’s a very real possibility and I personally think it will happen when big ag sees that regular folk are doing pretty good raising good stuff instead of factory stuff. Remember, they want it all!
Now I don’t know if you were answering Christina or what, but I felt I had to add my two cents worth. Private blog or not this one is for anybody like yourself to jump right in and your always welcome to do so. Keeps me on my toes, eh
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:23 pm
So, real farm feed means natural feed grown without modification, right?
Real farm birds are real chickens that God created not genetically modified and artificially inseminated to grow at such a rapid pace they can’t keep up with their own feathers, right?
August 22nd, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Christina,
I sure hope this doesn’t all turn into lawyer type stuff where we’re disecting words and sentences. This is enough for a book.
Farming, the word in my mind and many others doesn’t mean the modern industrial way where a person is little more than a surf. Sure they live in the country, on land, putting in crops, but the inputs take away most of the farms money, the money going to a handful of huge corporations. Now can you imagine what it would be like to the rural economy if that money wasn’t siffoned off and could stay in rural communities. (I bet you can). Real farming as I use it is exactly what you folks are doing, taking control of your life and farm, be it one step at a time, you are doing it. That is what we are doing here, again, one step at a time. IN the case of Chris and myself, as I said in the last comment, we have the resources but cannot very effectivly use them in the industrial setting of raising broilers. Where the other chickens would thrive on our home raised feeds, we’d have to resort to rations designed to keep broilers alive and not breaking down. So we’d have to,(in theory), sell some farm product to get money to pay for feed that is raised out of our control, could be anything, GMO and the like. So we sell cheap and have to buy high and get run of the mill quality. Doesn’t make much sense when a person already has the land and the feed. And can raise a darn good bird or animal. So I guess you can say a natural feed, yes.
Real farm birds, hmm, my definition would be, a bird that can reproduce itself and can live on what is available. it might sound high headed now, me saying this, but just wait till they cut off the supply of birds from hatcheries to family farmers. It’s in the works as we speak, (type).
Footnote: Minnesota is the leading turkey production state in the country and up to a few years ago many were pasture raised, by the thousands. When West Nile Virus showed up, the state shut down all of them and I don’t think they ever started up again. Something to think about if a person figures they’d never do such a thing to farmers and homesteaders as stopping hatchery deliveries. The only turkeys raised now, commercialy are in factory barns. And it’s hailed as so much better and safer for the population. This is one reason I preach being able to take care of oneself more and more. People have the mentality that this present way of raising poultry is going to last forever and the government will never hurt small farmers and homesteaders. I see dark clouds on the horizon with this. Nobody has to listen, but I’ll still say it.
August 22nd, 2006 at 9:03 pm
I agree and thanks for the clarification !! :):)
August 23rd, 2006 at 2:01 pm
I asked you so you could clarify because I knew what you would say and I knew folks needed to hear it. Now could you take this and post it so others don’t miss it. It has nothing to do with lawyer dissection but just educating people to think about genuine versus artifiical. We have been fed artificial and told artificial is better for us. See what I mean? Oh BTW, when will you write this book? You are right it is enough for a book and you should write one, not because you are an expert but because you have wise insights as gifted to you by God. Folks need to understand that we can free ourselves from giving Monsanto all of our profits and we can turn out a superior product that people are willing to pay a higher price for. They are willing to go out of their convenient way to get the good stuff. Why? Because the notice a difference in quality and health and that speaks volumes. So you see, by jotting all this down in a formal way you are helping people return to self-sufficiency and helping them break down the brainwashing that industrial society has feed us. Folks can live on a farm and break the chains of bondage, but they can also start in the city in their own kitchens by making their own mac and cheese from scratch. Why support kraft? When you can make a nicer tasting better quality mac and cheese with real homemade cheese and real farm fresh butter and real milk and when time is on your side and those layers give you free range eggs and the ole mill is cranked up you can make your own pasta and man alive is it good. Now where did I learn all this? Where did I start to think differently? It started with a humble farmer who chose to bravely face the cyberspace masses and challenge folks to look at life differently. I think his name is Tom Scepaniak aka Northern Farmer. I am blessed with freedom and peace I would have never experienced otherwise because one farmer, his real chickens, his rock hatching incubator, his OP corn and his desire to write about them.
God bless you Tom!!
August 23rd, 2006 at 4:38 pm
Patti,
Thanks!
Now I feel better
Christina,
Thanks for the kind words, they really hit me.
You do have a way with words, wow. I’ll think about putting some of this on the front page, but you know me, something else comes up and I forget everything. This was a tough thread, typed a lot, and I’m not good at typing you know
Well, we got to get outside and finish up some chores, eat and head for the lake for church services.
God Bless both of you!