Two days ago I got a call from my postal carrier. A very nice woman who said she had a box of chicks for me and was at my house but no one was home. The post office apparently didn't notice my phone number on the side of the box and didn't hold them for me to pick up like they have in the past.
My carrier was very nice and agreed to meet me at my house in a few hours (I was already at work). I ran home on my lunch break and meet her in my driveway. She stated that she had gotten attached to them and started giving them names. I didn't have the heart to tell her that was a bad idea because the plan was that they would be in the freezer in about 9 weeks. I smiled and thanked her for taking care of this precious cargo for me.
I opened the box and put the precious cargo in the brooder I had setup for them. After only two days I understand the comments I've been reading that "meat" or freezer chickens as I'm calling them are horrible to raise and nothing like raising other chickens.
They are just as cute and sweet that first day as any other newly hatched chicks.
But after feeding them for two days they are eating pooping slugs with absolutely no personality.
I have some three week old layer chicks that are a joy to sit and watch. They run around, are starting to exercise their wings and try to launch themselves. They also interacting with each other (working out that pecking order thing) as myself as I sit here watching them. The freezer chicks... sleeping or eating. So for that's it. Maybe this will make processing day much easier and less emotional.
I decided to raise some freezer chickens after doing a lot of research. I had read a lot and saw too many Youtube videos about how factory chickens are raised and processed to feel good about buying them from the local megamart. And while I was a bit horrified, it wasn't enough to make me go vegitarian. I don't intend to do any reasearch on the pork or beef industry. Like my burgers and chops and DO NOT intend to raise pigs or cows.
But I thought if I'm going to eat chicken (and chicken is my main protien source) I should take responsibility for it's life and it's death.
While thinking about this I happen to have an abundance of roosters. The result of a hatching that didn't give me 50/50 odd. (8 eggs, 1 hen and 7roosters. Go Figure). And try as I did I could only give away one on Craigslist. No one wanted them, so I killed, scalded, plucked and eviscerated the remaining 6. They were banties so the end result was hardly worth the work. But the process was good to go through and I found I could actually do it.
So after a bit more research and many drawings and plans for a chicken tractor (saw no reason to mix the freezer and egg chickens together) I ordred 20 Cornish Rocks and 5 Freedom Rangers from Welp Hatcheries. They seem to have the best price and 25 seemed to be more than enough. Should provide me with at least 6 months of freezer chickens. So this is where my Freezer Chicken adventure begins.
My list of things I know longer buy at the megamart is growing. Grocery store tomatoes have no taste for me after years of growing my own so I skip them most of the year and go wild on them when they start to ripen in my garden. Eggs, well anyone who's eaten fresh free range chicken eggs knows not to bother with store bought eggs anymore. And now I'm hoping that chicken will be in the same catagory.
My carrier was very nice and agreed to meet me at my house in a few hours (I was already at work). I ran home on my lunch break and meet her in my driveway. She stated that she had gotten attached to them and started giving them names. I didn't have the heart to tell her that was a bad idea because the plan was that they would be in the freezer in about 9 weeks. I smiled and thanked her for taking care of this precious cargo for me.
I opened the box and put the precious cargo in the brooder I had setup for them. After only two days I understand the comments I've been reading that "meat" or freezer chickens as I'm calling them are horrible to raise and nothing like raising other chickens.
They are just as cute and sweet that first day as any other newly hatched chicks.
But after feeding them for two days they are eating pooping slugs with absolutely no personality.
I decided to raise some freezer chickens after doing a lot of research. I had read a lot and saw too many Youtube videos about how factory chickens are raised and processed to feel good about buying them from the local megamart. And while I was a bit horrified, it wasn't enough to make me go vegitarian. I don't intend to do any reasearch on the pork or beef industry. Like my burgers and chops and DO NOT intend to raise pigs or cows.
But I thought if I'm going to eat chicken (and chicken is my main protien source) I should take responsibility for it's life and it's death.
While thinking about this I happen to have an abundance of roosters. The result of a hatching that didn't give me 50/50 odd. (8 eggs, 1 hen and 7roosters. Go Figure). And try as I did I could only give away one on Craigslist. No one wanted them, so I killed, scalded, plucked and eviscerated the remaining 6. They were banties so the end result was hardly worth the work. But the process was good to go through and I found I could actually do it.
So after a bit more research and many drawings and plans for a chicken tractor (saw no reason to mix the freezer and egg chickens together) I ordred 20 Cornish Rocks and 5 Freedom Rangers from Welp Hatcheries. They seem to have the best price and 25 seemed to be more than enough. Should provide me with at least 6 months of freezer chickens. So this is where my Freezer Chicken adventure begins.
My list of things I know longer buy at the megamart is growing. Grocery store tomatoes have no taste for me after years of growing my own so I skip them most of the year and go wild on them when they start to ripen in my garden. Eggs, well anyone who's eaten fresh free range chicken eggs knows not to bother with store bought eggs anymore. And now I'm hoping that chicken will be in the same catagory.
