Almost makes me want to go vegitarian... Almost

I admit it.  I like to eat meat.  There's something just not complete about a breakfast, lunch or diner that doesn't include beef, pork or chicken in some form or fashion.  I know eggs and cheese have protein but it's not the same.  And tofu.... well lets just not go there at all...

I originally started raising chickens as an offshoot of raising peacocks.  The chickens were a way to hatch more peacocks.  I soon grew to enjoy these funny characters and the taste of their fresh eggs.

The obvious next step from egg layers is to meat chickens.  I prefer to call them freezer chickens.  Though most people call them broilers.  Being the type person I am it always starts with research.  Lots of research.  And for anyone who uses the Internet for research you know how easy it is to get off track when browsing.

My browsing for researching laying hens eventually led me to the factory farming being done in America.  I have commented about this in previous posts.  So I thought I would point you to some of my research. 

Warning....some of the images are not for the faint of heart or the young and impressionable.  There are scene of horrible animal cruelty that I can't imagine anyone trying to explain to a child when they ask "why would someone do that....".  I have NO ANSWER.

I'm also not a PETA supporter but the link below to their page is one of the better representations of the issues at hand.  Follow the link below to some general information as well as some additional links.

http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_cruelty/chicken.htm

The PETA link is  http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/

I guess KFC is now on my list of foods not to eat.  But I'm not giving up eating chicken, beef or poultry.  Wish someone would do a YouTube video on the cruilty of soybean processing.  Tofu I could give up.

 

Some basic info

Thought I should add some basic info about myself and my backyard.  I live on a 1.09 acre lot in Louisville Kentucky.  I'm on the very very edge of the city limit of a windy semi-country road.   When I originally went to look at my home I had to ask the realtor... where the heck are you taking me?  But it's not as remote as the drive makes it seem.  But remote enough.

Here in Louisville the laws on raising poultry is pretty accommodating even in the more urban areas.  If you live on 1/4 acre or less you are restricted to no more than 5 non-crowing birds.  Meaning you can have 5 hens, which if you simply want eggs is more than enough for the average family.   

I'm lucky to be on a larger lot.  My lot is actually the smallest in my neighborhood.  Most are 5-20 acres with lots of wooded areas, hay fields and there's even a sod farm.  I have neighbors with cows, horses, one like me with chickens and for a while the woman across the street had miniature horses.  She and her horses have moved.  Bit strange the day I can home from work and they were walking around my front yard.  Apparently they got loose every once in a while, but always wandered back home after a bit.  And of course all my neighbors have dogs, several that bark continually and a few that for some reason seem to be roaming free a lot more than I think they should.  But most are great neighbor dogs that sometimes bark at me, sometimes  wag their tails and want to be petted but stay in their yards and don't chase my chickens.

I also raise some rabbits (purely for fun and show...not to eat) and am planning a small aquaponics project this year and will try to raise some tilapia (to eat...again my very nice postal carrier delivered them.  Didn't tell her about my project).  I also garden (flowers, herbs and vegetables), compost have 2 small garden ponds (one for gold fish and to look pretty and the other is my project pond).

The project pond is a small 600 gal pond that is built above ground with seating on the edges (carryover from a previous house).  I've tried various projects such as raising tropical fish for the summer, growing plants for the bigger 2,000 gal pond etc.  This is the pond I plan on using for my aquaponics project this year.

This past year I have completely fenced in my back yard.  4 post horse rail and welded wired.  I had an ongoing problem with both the wild life in my area and those wandering neighborhood dogs.  The wild life I could deal with.  A lost chicken or rabbit is the price you pay for living where I do and trying to manipulate nature and messing with the natural food chain.  Chickens and rabbits are pretty low on that food chain.

But when a couple of the neighborhood dogs got half of my rabbits and  ALL of my chickens in one night I knew I had to do something.  Hence the somewhat costly but very attractive and effective fencing.  The piece of mind was worth the cost though.  My animals are much safer and my yard looks great.  The local wild life...well they will have to go back to the natural food chain.