We’ve been wanting to do this for years. Really since we moved to the farm. Finally this spring we took the plunge. As this is our first time at this particular rodeo, we offered a limited number of meat birds to a very short (and we know forgiving) group of people. Buy in, we raise, butcher and track costs like some one way thriftier than we are normally. So far so good. The kids refer to the birds in the singular “meat”, and although a bit cold, they aren’t trying to name each different one. We have some egg chickens for that. And they are learning what it means to respect your food (although in some sick ways, they do get to play with their food…. I’m cringing inside. Really.)
Out to pasture, and moved to fresh grass every day. It’s funny that it bothers me that I still have a hard time leaving a ‘Mohawk’ of untouched grass between the path of the two pens. I used to catch it when I did that back home mowing the lawn. It took them about three days to realize the place to be was at the leading edge, that’s where all the bugs were. It’s cool to see them really forage for a portion of their feed.
And they are eaters, although now that they are on grass, they aren’t as voracious. Feeding time was getting to be a bit like feeding a shark tank.
Here’s what they were like a few days before they went out on pasture.
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