Coming to terms with killing the animal you are going to eat.

Processing day for the chickens is only a couple more weeks away.  While I've done my initial trials to make sure I could actually do it (too many extra roos that nobody seemed to want), the thought of processing 25 birds is still a bit unnerving.

Here is a good article on coming to terms with this part of raising animals for food.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-emotional-side-of-chicken-processing

Remember whether you raise your own chickens or buy them from a grocery store they come from living, breathing, eating, drinking, clucking animal who's life had to end.  How they lived and how that life ended is the question those of us raising our own chickens and other livestock are answering.

If you asked yourself at every meal "how did this food get here, how did it live and how did it die to become our dinner?"  First of all...could you answer that question (many people have no idea how food gets from farm to supermarket) and secondly are you OK with the answer?

Something to think about next time you pick up that fork.

 

My chicken tractor

I have put the "freezer" chicks in the new chicken tractor I build a couple weeks ago.  My thought for this was in addition to being movable and provide outside access to grass, bugs etc and not have to clean up the poop.... but to have a tractor that I could easily dismantle and store.

These are shots from my Chicken Diary that I use to keep daily tasks, chores, events etc.  I researched a lot of different tractor ideas before coming up with this design.  The dimensions are 10ft by 4ft.  A bit smaller than I would normally have for the 20 chickens in there, but in about a week I'm going to start opening the tractor and let the chickens have use of the yard when I get home from work and on weekends.  It's moved daily.

It's a simple combination of 2 PVC panels covered in welded wire and 2 wood triangles.  All held together with zip ties and bungee straps for easy dissemble and storage.  Cost was less than $100 for all materials and that is if you buy everything new.  Easy Saturday afternoon project to assemble and seems to be working out OK. 

 

I would not suggest this design for a high predator environment.  My yard is fenced with horse rail and welded wire 2x4 fencing.  So far the biggest thing I've seen in it is a squirrel.  I expect to start processing the chickens in about 5 weeks.

 

What does the law say.

For anyone interested or thinking about raising chickens in Louisville KY where is a link to the animal ordinance for our area.

http://www.louisvilleky.gov/AnimalServices/animal_ordinances/animal_ordinance_faq.htm

The only reference to chickens is:

All crowing and non-crowing poultry must be kept on tracts or lots of at least half an acre or more. You can have one crowing and five non-crowing birds on less than half an acre.

Remember you do not need a rooster to get eggs and a good egg laying breed such as the Red Star can lay 300 per year.  Not to mention the reduction in bug population and the free fertilizer you will get for your lawn or garden.

Great article about urban chickens

I've done a lot of research and this one article seems to cover most of the things I tell people about raising chickens.  The eggs are fresher, healthier for you, backyard chickens are cleaner, have fewer chances of spreading disease, are typically no bother to neighbors and when added to a good composting and gardening plan can save you money.

http://www.baristanet.com/2013/03/group-hoping-that-keeping-chickens-will-fly-in-bloomfield/

Here's hoping Bloomfield gets with it and allows it residents to enjoy all the benefits that just a few chickens can provide. 

Be sure to check out the health benefits of eating fresh chicken eggs.

... eggs from home-raised hens contain about 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more Vitamin A, twice the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids, three times the amount of Vitamin E, and seven times the betacarotene of commercially raised eggs.

 

New Life from chocolate eggs

One of the best things about raising any animal is the creation of new life.  This is the result of a breeding program I have going on.  First hatching of my new French Black Copper Marans.  They lay the darkest eggs of any chicken.

The top row is from my Red Star hens.  Great layers, nice brown color, big and lay almost every day even in the winter.  The bottom row is from the new Black Copper Marans.  They are still a bit small but seem to be getting bigger as the hens mature.  Great color.... keep expecting chocalate cream to come out when I crack them open.

Here is a pic of a newly hatched Black Copper Marans.

 

Poor lighting.... the egg is actually much darker than it looks here.

 

 



I managed to get a video clip of the second chick just after it pushed it's way out of the shell.