The man at tractor supply told us he would sell us all the cornish rock chickens he had left for a good price this morning if we would show up. They are getting to be pretty large and the store is having to spend about $15 a week to feed them so they want to get rid of them. It will work out well for us. In about 7 weeks they will be ready to butcher. That means we will have 3 weekends of chicken butchering. NOT my idea of fun, however, we will have healthy, organic chicken to eat the whole year and that is worth something to me.
We bought some plants yesterday that need to be put into the ground. We also bought 2 plum trees and a peach tree. The plum trees were only $9.98 each. That is a pretty good price. The peach tree was $21.98 so it was a little higher but it was also quiet a bit bigger and that would be the reasoning. Peach trees can take 2-4 years to bear fruit and Plum trees can take 3-6 years to bear fruit. Since these are first year trees it will be awhile before we see any return but at least we have them and will be able to harvest fruit about the time we get the homestead paid off. In that realm it made sense for self-sustaining food. At the time Morgan will be trying to retire we will be having fruit on the trees and can put that fruit back in the form of jellies, jams, and eat fruit through summer.
Okay Cornish Crosses, at Tractor Supply, are normally $1.99. They are meat birds and not egg birds, so the price rarely goes down. Since they are getting a new shipment tomorrow they told us they would sell us these cheaper. We got there and there was 42 birds. That means the normal cost would have been 83.58. We got 42 birds for $21. This works out for us because they have already fed these birds for 2 weeks so we also saved the $30 worth of food for those two weeks. That makes us have some amazing fresh meat in the freezer for all year long. We have a total of 70 birds that will be butchered and we saved ourselves over $100 in the process just from the cost of the birds and feed...now if you bought.
With the cost of the chicks and the cost of the feed for the 7 weeks to get them to butcher age we will have spent $183.12 for 70 birds and their feed. That makes a 5 pound average chicken $2.62. That equates to 52 cents per pound. WAY cheaper than in the store. This also allows us some other things. 1. No antibiotics in the meat. 2. No growth hormones in the meat. 3. No water added to the meat meaning no sodium added. 4. Humane living conditions with first rate food. 5. No taxes when the food is bought at the grocery store. 6. Fresh meat...it didn't get frozen and come on a truck, unthaw, and then get frozen again. 7. Clean butchering process verses butchering in a factory. 8. No fuel costs in going to the store to get the food. I think that makes 52 cents a pound an amazing price. One other good thing about this process is that they will be in the freezer for any time we want them. We will also have the gizzards, hearts, and liver which are no longer included in chickens because they are sold separate.
The blood and feathers will go in the compost. The chicken feet will be boiled for chicken stock. The only piece of the chicken that we won't use is the head.
The chicks will have to be butchered over 3 different weekends since they are between 1 and 3 weeks old. They are butchered at 7 weeks so that the meat doesn't get tough and the cost of feed isn't useless.
If you also look at the compost we will get from their droppings and the pine shavings the cost of each bird will actually go down because that is less money that we have to spend on something like that to produce on the farm.
After a couple of penicillin shots and a b-12 shot Milky Mama seems to be feeling much better. That makes me really happy. I hate when one of our animals are sick. Since they can't tell you what is wrong it is hard to deal with.
Charolette will be ready to butcher in about 8 weeks as well, we hope.
In a month we will have 7 rabbits to butcher.
That means we should have:
350 pounds of chicken 150 pounds of pork 45 pounds of rabbit
Not bad for a family I think.
This summer we are going fishing and I hope to put back about 100 pounds of fish as well.
That will give us more than enough meat to last a year. The only thing we will have to buy is beef. Hopefully, I can find someone who will sell me 1/2 a side of beef for a decent price.
The only thing we need to really look at getting is some turkeys. I would like to have 4 or 5 to butcher. Since they are about $7 each and we are out of room we plan on waiting until the chickens are butchered to get the turkeys.
Morgan planted to 2 plum trees and the peach tree last night after he got off work. It is funny to think about a homesteader doing work at midnight but it is how we have to do things right now. IN 5 years we will appreciate the fact that work was done in the middle of the night verses not being done at all.
I went to the library today to turn in some books. Lo and behold they had some farming and homesteading books on sale on the shelf. Fifty cents for hard back and 25 for paper back. I spent $4 or so.
I got some dented automatic feeders at Tractor Supply for 1/2 price. I spent $18.45 on feeders. They should have cost me $36.95. That is amazing. There was nothing wrong with the usage ability of them. The damage was cosmetic. I promise the rabbits don't know the difference.
The new baby rabbits that our doe had last weekend are like little butterballs. She, like always, is being a good mother and doing her job.The sensitivity and nature of animals baffles me. The "know how" just kicks in for the most part. It isn't like human nature. humans tend to be very self centered. Animals are very protective of their young at the beginning and easily give them up when they know they have done their job teaching them.
I suppose the next thing to do is upload photo's and go check on the animals....so here they are.
Strawberry plants that need planted.
The vegetables that will be going in the ground tomorrow.
The Hyacinths I bought for planting.
Two of the Hyacinth's planted.
Plum tree
Plum tree #2
Peach tree
Charolette is really enjoying the warmer weather
These chicks are 3 weeks old. They will be the first batch to be butchered. Right now they are almost 3 pounds. They don't move around much because of the fast growth.
Here are about 80 chicks. 48 or so of these will be butchered. The rest will be egg layers that provide eggs for my family and to be sold at trade days or the farmers market.
One of the baby rabbits peaking out from the nest mama has built for them.
These babies were born almost 8 weeks ago. They are getting SO big.
Sheba Reba and Chancellor
Spring has arrived..not just officially but event he weather is cooperating a little bit.
I love this tree when it is budding. It just makes my heart warm.
See the little peach starting on the peach tree?
Just one single tulip right now.
Just checking things out around the homestead
Everything looks fine in that direction
Is it picture day again already? Guess what mom checked me and I am actually a doe and not a buck like she thought....I had to let her know so she didn't take me to the sale.
Sheba Reba asking "You talking to me"?
Sheba and Chancelor know when it is treat time and they come running.
Biter B's babies...see they are all black. She was crossed with a Black New Zealond....she is always a good mama....can't wait to watch these little ones grow up and see how they do. The brown one, above, that is a girl and not a boy came from Biter B's last kitting.
Throw us some Chicken Scratch Mom! These two grew up together. He thinks this pretty little hen is his "girl"...although they can reproduce together the offspring would be sterile..much like a donkey and horse can reproduce but 
Snowball and her 5 babies.
My mom said I could get back in the nest if I wanted to...I don't have to listen to you or pose for photo's.
Hanging out at the feeder...we are too chunky our human mama says....:-)
The peas seeds decided to go ahead and come up...I won't be able to harvest anything in that raised bed lol..cause to much is in there because I thought it was all dead from the cold snap.
4 weeks old and just about 3 1/2 pounds....yes we are eating mom outta house and home.
This weekend we will be building these little ones a new pen so they can grow to the next stage.
You lookin' at us?