Free Range Meat Birds

With the new goat area this year, we had enough space to try a free range our meat birds a bit longer.  We have had these birds since the beginning of March and they are doing beautiful.  Normally we raise them a bit longer (about 14 weeks or so) in our chicken tractors and they are able to be free ranged in there also, but there isn't as much room.  I think Jenna at Cold Antler Farm had a post about this a while ago.  She had one that missed butcher time (lucky duck..I mean chick:)) and lived happily for almost a year, maybe more.  I totally agree with her that when they are able to run free, they stay much healthier.  We have some beautiful birds with no problems like we have had in the past (pecking one another, unable to get around easily).  Normally meat birds legs will break from the strain, not pretty, but they just are designed that way.   Hubby and a buddy are building a plucker, hopefully we will test run it next weekend.  If all goes well, I will be placing an order for more birds!

Comments

  1. Cary ~ My Wool Mitten at Serenity FarmsJune 6, 2011 at 4:17 AM

    I am really enjoying our meat birds, Renee. We pen them up at night and let them "range" during the day.

    I would really love to visit your farm one day - we don't live very far apart ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJune 7, 2011 at 7:15 AM

    Hi Cary!

    I have been trying to comment to you, but havent been able to lately! Figured out the problem though! You are welcome anytime! Would love to come to your farm also!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Friday on the Farm ~ My Crazy Life

Image
I am pretty sure reality TV shows are birthed out of lives like mine. Over the last four years we have gutted and remodeled a huge portion of our farmhouse, graduated three children from homeschool, became foster parents to four children under 2 years old, started a daycare to continue care for two of these kiddos and expanded the daycare to include others that are in our care still today. All the while keeping up with our small farm, Hubby's day job changing and growing and his radio ministry continuing. Crazy. There really is no other word that explains it better. Somewhere along the way I lost parts of myself that I truly love. Simple things like baking and cooking, making things, crocheting and knitting, even my spinning of yarn from our animals became tedious because there was always something else. God has a way of answering prayers in the least likely of ways. Yup, that is a lock box. Yup, we're selling the farm. In the last 6 weeks we spotted a lake house for sale
Read more

Goat Alarm

Image
Tripp and Tiberius and Momma Most farmers have roosters that let them know it is time to get up.  Not us, we picked goats.  That silly face staring at you is Robin.  She is one of the six goats that live here at Tail Spin Farm.  She is my alarm clock these days.  If I am not out to feed them before 5:45 a.m. she lets me know it is time at 5:46.  She has also taught the "new guys on the block", Tripp and Tiberius how things work so they have now joined her in her early morning tirade of goat song. I wouldn't mind it so much, except for the neighbors who live pretty close to us (we do all our "farming" on an acre!).  I would hate for there to be an issue in regards to this.  So I continue my early morning trip out to the barn hoping to beat her up.  I am just waiting for the hot days of summer and knowing that both neighbors have central air and their windows will be shut tight and I won't have to worry so much about waking someone early in the morning
Read more

Friday on the Farm

Image
Getting more serious about farming;) A project daughter and I am working on...very exciting! Soap making supplies!! My studio...um I mean corner. oldest daughters stuff in corners younger daughters stuff in corners My Christmas gift from family, very exciting! Books I am reading today Making homemade mayo.  You will never buy store bought again! YUM! What is happening in your neck of the woods?
Read more