Good Weather and Goodbye Chickens
September 30th, 2006 by Northern FarmerAnother week under the belt, things got done a little more and the weather is warming up today and is supposed to be down right warm tomorrow. Just in time for the annual church picnic! So, that’s where we’ll be after services tomorrow, although I’m still trying to figure out how this farm will survive with me gone that long of a time, hmmm. But, get up bright and early, or should I say dark and early and hammer away at them chores. But all the chickens are in the freezer as of today, we had them sharp froze at the local co-op the last couple of days, because it’s difficult to freeze down 256 chickens in our regular freezers, without half of them starting to cook in the middle of the pile. Can’t have that!
But the chickens this year were very successful, not counting the one hundred that got murdered by a member of the weasel family, and we’re more than satisfied with the outcome. We re-ordered 100 White Rocks after the murderers took place and ended up with 102 butchered, not bad. The 150 broilers came out to 148 butchered, again not bad for broilers. The remainder were home hatched and butchered with them. No broilers had any leg problems or anything like that, in fact no problems what so ever. They averaged seven pounds butchered. Four were lost in the brooder and a couple were lost outside. One was injured, I don’t know what happened and lost half its head, so we took it out of the chicken tractor and used it for a weasel barometer, and yes, them buggers are still around I can report. But the headless chicken isn’t around after meeting up with the murderers.
But the matting that we used surrounding the chicken tractors held off any and all weasel attacks. And will have to be a standard item from now till whenever. Getting back to the leg problems, or lack of them in these broilers, there are several things to consider. One, the hatchery, Hoovers, I believe raises some of the best poultry anywhere, basically problem free, with a good over count. Second, the way of feeding them, letting them run out of feed every day for hours, seems to make them exercise and stay in shape better. Instead of just laying there with a full gizzard. Third, a ration with oats being almost one third of the ingredients. I didn’t learn the last two on my own, an oldtimer in the chicken farming business let me in on those two pointers and they did work wonderfully. So take note, it all works and saves a pile of problems.
So no more chicken chores except the old hen house till next year. Sounds good to me! Tis the season to quit them birds and get to more serious things like hogs and turkeys, my kind of stuff, gotta start rounding up cattle from every corner of the area here, that’s always a challenge. Make much more wood, much more, and finish up around here. I figure a tough winters ah coming, seen it before after big droughts, cold buggers. And if I’m wrong I couldn’t be happier!
September 30th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
What do you do with 256 chickens???????????
September 30th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
Sell 200 of em
September 30th, 2006 at 10:22 pm
Sounds like a pretty good haul! I appreciate the info you gave about success with Cornish crosses- I will file that away in my brain (and hope to be able to find where I put it when I need it!).
Just thought I’d let you know- I asked a local church friend who has been raising chickens for 30 or so years about my predator problem. I was finding one 5-6 week old chick dead each morning. Legs were often pulled off and all the guts were missing, but no other parts disturbed. He said that sounds like a possum. They start at the chicken’s rear (he used a more colorful word) and eat into the guts.
We’ve tried to tighten up the henhouse so it can’t get in anymore and so far, we’ve had success. It occurred to me later that they Pyrennees may have jumped the fence going after the possum since there wasn’t a mortality the last night I put him in the chicken yard, but there was the next night when I didn’t put him in. Either way, we’d like to set a trap and get rid of the bloodthirsty rodent before he summons friends!
We’ve just finished a second “chicken tractor” this week, but would like to get quite a few more built soon. What kind of pens do you use? We are tweaking our design, though so far, we have been building mostly for laying hens.
Enjoying the blog as usual. Thanks.
Laura
http://www.blessedacresfarm.com
October 1st, 2006 at 7:49 am
Chicken tractors really took me back. When we first moved to Tennessee we raised chickens, and discovered chicken tractors then. We had never seen such a thing, but they’re invaluable. Enjoyed this post.
October 1st, 2006 at 6:28 pm
Hi Tom, what is the matting you used around the tractors? Maybe it would deter dogs as well??! We had a TERRIBLE year with our broilers, and never again will we raise those things! Jonathan and I are in the process of butchering, and a lot of them are still tiny little things. They were born in early May! It will probably take about 3 chickens to feed our family. Next year we have to do things differently. The good thing is our Buff Orpingtons and Bourbon Red tourkeys are thriving. Maybe too well; the turkeys are finding the scaffolding very curious and use it on a regular basis to attempt to climb to the roof of our newly shelled in house!
October 1st, 2006 at 7:53 pm
Laura,
I was thinking about that the last couple of days and think I had read something at Sugar Creek Farms blog about that a few months ago, the possum thing. I could be wrong, but that’s where I think I read it. But I hope you can just predator proof it good enough to solve your problems. We don’t have much problems anymore because everything is predator proofed for weasels and family so that covers anything larger also. There’s no way to describe the feeling of losing all your chickens in one night like we did back in May.
So far we use the old basic design of chicken tractors from Polyface Farm and have modified them to our climate and predators. They’ve worked good, but are quite a bit of work moving because of predator problems. But the end result was great! We only raise meat chickens in the tractors. The hens are in the old hen house. Thanks!!
John,
Thanks! Sometimes I get a little disgusted with the chicken tractors, especially in bad weather, but all in all they do give the person a great option for raising a huge pile of birds cheaply, compared to an expensive, taxable building. Now that ours are empty we’ll paint them with used oil for the season and park them away for next year.
Lynn,
I can’t beleive some of the reports I read on poor broiler preformance, boy, they’re bad. Ours broilers just all grew right up with no problems at all, no sick and no cripples. I know our White Rocks from Hoovers Hatchery do better than some hatchery’s broilers. Our 102 butchered White Rocks are like clones they’re so even and nice. Live and learn, as far as broilers go, I’ll stick to Hoovers strains if we ever raise any more. Healthy buggers!
Them Buffs are about the best all around chicken a person could raise in my humble opinion, that’s about all I’ll ever get in the future after trying almost all the dual purpose breeds. Also the Bourbon Reds are about the best all around farm turkey and I agree because in the future that’s what we are going to raise for a breeding flock. A person just has to settle into some good old fashion stock for their own personal use.
Thanks!!
October 2nd, 2006 at 6:08 am
Morning Tom,
I was looking at “Fort Chicken” this weekend, wondering if I should so something different. We only raise about 50 broilers a year for ourselves and years ago It started out as a Salatin pen, but was modified for every little bugger that got through it over the years. Now its got so many layers of heavy gauge fencing on it, its near impossible to move (black lab through the top made me put on the last layer….. ). It and I are still hanging in there though….
I’ve still got another week of disking yet, the ol 8 foot bog disc sure sounded like a good idea when I bought it. Now its painfully slow, especially pulled behing the “b” (even slower when the drag chain tangles in it……).
Speaking of, I’m hoping the ol JD makes it through this season. I think its trying to talk me into retirement, but it can’t until I do. Looks like I’ll have to take it apart this year and fix a bunch of little stuff the duct tape and fence wire just won’t hold anymore.
Anyway, glad to hear your chickens are done. Butchering day is one day the whole family dreads and thats only for 50. 250 would probably cause a rebellion!!
Have a good one,
Brad
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:56 pm
Patti,
I know that’s what I’ll be settling for. That’s one thing I want is a permanent turkey flock on the old farm, one that reproduces themselves.
Brad,
When I see what others are raising their chickens in I can only wish. Around here it seem there’s some sort of predetor every way a person looks. There is no way I could pasture raise them here without a heavily armored chicken tractor, even then there had better not be any slip ups. In fact after a move I do a slow inspection of every one, because if I don’t they’ll be full of dead chickens the next day.
I have so many almost breakdowns I’m getting scared to even try to start anything, and scareder yet thinking about the costs and work. Sometimes I just wish they’d just run out of oil quick so I wouldn’t have to fix all that stuff and just train a few big critters to pull. No noise except gas release, no smell except for gas release, and times get tough you can always eat the puller. Kinda tough chewing on JD green.
But until then, just keep on pluggin
October 3rd, 2006 at 6:29 am
Morning Tom,
Late morning this morning.
I get that “Small Farmers Journal” or something like that, and wonder how it would be using horses. From my past experience, I know I’d lose a lot of weight, not from walking behind while tilling, but from all the chunks of flesh the horse would bite off
(Finally got rid of him, for a while there, I thought I was going to have to wear the OSHA suit while handling him……)
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
October 3rd, 2006 at 7:40 am
Morning Brad,
Just came in to check the radar, helps me decide what’s going to happen here, or something like that. Looks like it’ll be a bit wet later if all that Dakota stuff holds together.
Me too, about the chunks of flesh coming off! Our horse is a friendly critter, but, and this is a bit but, he does take an occasional nip. But such is life, eh
Have a Blessed Day!
October 4th, 2006 at 5:33 am
Morning Tom,
We got some good news over the last couple of days. My nephew who was in a bad accident a couple of months ago is going home. I went back to a website my sister in law started to keep everyone updated, and read through it, its really cool to see the healing power of the Lord. Two months goes slow, but when you see the summary, it sure is a wonderful miracle God gave em’. If you wanted to browse through it real quick, its at http://members.aol.com/tjjsm/private/AlanUpdate.htm
It was just something that made my morning and reaffirmed my faith (not that it needed reaffirming…. finding my favorite pair of fencing pliers in the middle of nowhere a couple of days ago is affirmation enough
)
Have a GREAT one,
Brad
October 5th, 2006 at 5:47 am
Morning Brad, (next morning in fact),
The Healing Power of God, YES! Thank you so much for sharing this!
I apologize for the lack of response and posts, and want people to know life has turned upside down here this week. Dad went down Monday, so it’s been hospitals and tests. Severe pains and all that. Between farming and helping the folks out, it’s a bit different this week.
There’s so much to tell on how God is moving here, so much.
I just ask that any friends that stop by and read here most every day understand, and I’ll get back to posting and stuff, maybe even later today, and as I said, God is moving bigtime here so Praise the Lord! He’s a God of joy, not a God of misery.
Was at church last night, and our faith is stronger than ever. Many revelations and answered prayers. And a comment with such good news just makes my day, I Praise Him for your nephew, WOW!
October 5th, 2006 at 6:35 am
Sorry to hear about your father. Prayer is a powerful thing, and you will be in mine .
God Bless your family, and …
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
October 5th, 2006 at 8:38 am
Tom,
We will be praying for you and your father. May the Lord work out everything for good.
Jim
October 5th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Brad and Jim,
Thanks.