Homesteading Kids

     Homesteading is a family commitment; a conviction that effects everyone in the house. I am often asked how we got our kids on board with our homesteading desires. This question usually leaves me rather stunned at first- get our kids on board? The answer may not be what you think.
    

     My husband and I both have backgrounds in family farming- our grandparents owned and maintained large, productive farming set ups. The life lessons we learned there are something we desperately wanted our children to have. From birth, our children were introduced to nature and gardening on small scales- visiting farms whenever we could. When talk of homesteading came up, they were eager to jump in. For me, the challenge was not to jump in recklessly- but to  use the opportunity to teach them planning, prepping, and discerning before implementing.

     Homestead responsibilities fall of each member of the family; anyone old enough to scoop feed will. For this reason, decisions to add new elements to a homestead require the entire family's input. Our plan for new additions was 1. discuss, 2. educate, 3. plan, 4. decide. Basically such topics were a mealtime discussion- we shared our idea and explained the purpose of the new addition. From here, we took time to research the habitat, needs, pros/cons, of the animal/garden/etc. Knowing the commitment a thing requires and how to handle it in an emergency are key elements. From there we have to know if there is room on our property, does housing already exist, and how the feed plan would be setup/paid for.

       After many years homesteading with my children I have to say it is the best decision we made. This life offered them a look at God's purpose, plan, and passion better than any lesson I could have taught them. Seeing birth, death, growth, harvest through abundance and times of failure are things learned best through experience. My children are moving forward, but the family homestead offers a place for them to return to- a haven to visit- a comfort and education they can keep.

A Few Common Poultry Questions

   No matter where you go, once people realize you have poultry questions come to mind they just have to have answered. Today, let's stroll over to the pen with a glass of mint iced tea for a little chat about the chicks. From flock care, to pasture practices and even how on earth to take care of the unpleasantness..here are a few I get most often.

1. How do you deal with slime in the water fountain?
    Slime happens.. a lot. Three simple things: vinegar, a toilet brush, and location. Daily we take a splash of vinegar and swish it around the fountain with a toilet brush. Once the fountain is refilled we aim to keep it away from the brooder lights in order to slow the growth as much as possible.

2. What is cage free, range, and pasture?
     Okay, cage free is a bird not living in cramped cage conditions. This does not actually define how the bird lived and ate. Range means free range; the birds were given space to walk around possibly with sunshine and maybe grass. Often range birds diets are primarily grains but supplemental greens may be added. Pasture raised birds have housing, but are out in the sunshine nibbling on their findings in the green pasture. Grains are minimal in their diet.

3. What about the smell?
     It's no secret; chicken poop smells. Keep them clean with a hearty layer of bedding (we use pine shavings or shredded pine straw)..deep and stirred daily. The other question that goes with this is what to do with the poop. Easy answer: compost.

4. How can you kill them?
     Frame of mind. Once you have an understanding of the purpose of the animal and the peace of mind they were raised well the task is much easier. I believe in a healthy live and a clean death. The other question that goes with this..what to do with the 'leftovers'. If you pluck, compost the feathers..other parts are burned. We don't bury unless a hearty dose of lime is added and I'd rather not..so burn it is.

5. How do you store 100 chickens once their processed?
    I don't. Some of my birds go to family and friends. The other reality is I don't process them all as whole chickens. Part of my flock is put up as 'legs-n-thighs'; makes the processing faster and takes up less space.

6. Do you mix your flocks?
    No. Turkeys are raised and processed before my broilers come in and the laying hens are shut off the broiler pasture until the broilers are gone. Every pasture gets a rest and reseed before the next flock gains access.

    Hopefully this helps some of you still considering or working through the beginnings of meat bird raising. If you have questions or would like to share your experiences, please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email at simplyscaife@yahoo.com.

Homestead Poultry Processing Tips

   Processing time comes and goes here on the little homestead. Unpleasant as it may be, it is a necessary act we have to come to terms with. Spring butchering fills our freezer with healthy food plentiful enough to feed our family and share with others. Over the many years we have honed a setup and work through plan that has served us well making large batch processing efficient and timely. For example, I 'fast' my flock the night before butchering to prevent busted crops and messy processing. Here are some processing tips we keep handy.

 

   1. Stations everyone! Whether I process alone, or have helping hands with me, stations are the best way to get the deeds done quickly and cleanly. 'Killing Cone' is station one: knives, cones, and lined buckets are ready, waiting, and stay at this station until clean up. 'Break Down' is station two:  cutting boards, knives, bowls of salted ice water, large lined trash cans are on hand for the main processing station. 'Cool Down' is station three: positioned near the sink are sealing bags, markers, and towels to rinse, dry, bag and label. There are also several large ice chests filled with ice for quickly cooling processed birds once they are washed. The final stop is the freezer..but only once the birds are cooled down.

   2. Loose the skin. One of the nastiest parts of butchering poultry is plucking; dipped in boiling water and stripped of every feather these birds leave a fragrant memory you never forget! I skip this all together skinning my birds before processing.

 

    3. Get to Pieces. Smaller broilers are selected to be processed whole for roasting and making broths, but the majority of my birds are harvested as 'breast and leg'. Leg and thigh are removed as one piece, breast and tenderloin are removed in one piece. This makes storage space stretch farther and helps the meat cool faster further preventing spoilage or loss.

    4. Party! Have a processing party. Grill some meat, bake some treats and invite green horns to come learn the fine art of processing. The more the merrier. Family, friends, local college kids can often be bribed with food..or the promise we often make..you clean it you keep it.

    5. Relax. Plan ahead, play some music, and make the event work for you. My farm boy and I can process 50 birds in a few hours. We set the date, setup the stations, set the radio and get it done in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. It helps when the weather is nice.

    If you have never had the privilege of processing your own poultry or if you are considering it, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and give it a go. Start small, maybe a few birds, and work to a goal that meets your family's needs. Sitting at the table tonight, we shared in good food and the satisfaction of hard work and the provision it brings, the security of a well stocked freezer, and the joy of fellowship shared over the task.

Managing Our Homestead Flock

   Poultry are one of the easiest and cost effective livestock a homesteader can raise. In addition to eggs, our poultry are also raised for meat and for garden maintenance. Our flock is maintained on a limited free range system; after several years, it works for us.
   Housed in a converted barn stall, our flock resides in a coop equip with nests, roosts and feed/water access. Near their coop/stall large feed barrels hold our mix of layer grain and scratch which is given twice a day. The small coop range door (just their size) stays closed until noon each day- this gives ample time for morning grain rations to be cleaned up and nests to be filled with eggs.
   Once the coop door opens our hens have free range of the farm for the rest of the afternoon; open access to grass and grub (bugs) until sun sets. As the sun starts to fade we give evening rations. We also give "mash" or kitchen scraps which may contain: yogurt, fruit/veg peelings, egg shells (washed and crushed), breads/pastas, etc).
   Five gallon water fountains are kept in our coop (shaded to keep cool) and are refreshed in the afternoon- in the summer shallow water pans are filled and set in the shade to help the birds cope with heat stress. In cold weather we use heat lamps hanging from  the ceiling to keep the poultry warm in the evening.
   In managing our flock's health, we try to use the minimalist approach. Sick or injured birds are isolated and assessed; using medication only if necessary. I do not use electrolytes or maintenance medications for my flock. Our hens are allowed to brood and molt as their nature guides them; they also raise their own young if the successfully hatch them.
   As I have mentioned before, we keep roosters with our hens for fertility and protection- one rooster for every ten hens. Dependent upon the breeds we have, our maintenance plan is to refresh the flock every other year. Hens that go out of production are culled once new hens are ready to be brought in. When we add new layers, we try to add new roosters from their own flock- it seems to work better that way. I use a fence panel to section off part of the coop for placing the new additions (after the new birds are close in size to the existing flock). After a week we remove the fence panel to completely integrate the birds.

Moving Forward with Chickens on the Homestead

     With comfort and routine set in on our homestead, so does the desire to press on toward the bigger goals. A productive garden routine was quickly followed by the addition of chickens. The first flock consisted of six straight run barred rocks we housed in a small structure built from scrap and chicken wire. Those little ones paved the way.

      Over the years we have experimented with different breeds and various coop set ups, settling on some clear favorites. The layer flock consists primarily of dual purpose birds, such as Orpingtons and Astrolourps. These breeds are prolific layers, staying in production longer than standard breeds and maintaining a laying cycle through extreme temperatures.

      Achieving a sense of peace with laying hens, we branched even further to a meat flock. Raised in season following 4H, Cornish Cross straight run chicks arrived in early spring and were harvested before summer heat set in. Lessons learned in those years brought us to a place to raise our own turkeys as well. Again, seasonal and temporary, our meat producers are raised in brooders with freedom to roam during the day.
 

     I am often asked about roosters. The reality is- roosters happen. While I do keep roosters with my flock, I only keep hospitable roosters and only a few. Roosters end up in the soup pot- too many bring fighting in the coop and often lead one to be rather mean. As for the 'noise'- I love it and can't imaging a day without the loud calling of my faithful 'old men'.

      Afternoons often find me pulling weeds in the garden to treat my faithful ladies with. Their chatter thrills me- watching their silly antics brings a special joy to my heart. My homestead would not be complete without the presence of these amazing and often silly creatures that grace my home through their productive presence.