First Chicken Harvest
If you follow along with us on social media, you know that we just harvested meat chickens for the first time. This whole process is one of those moments that really made us realize exactly what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. We bought 12-day old chicks and raised them all right here with the sole purpose of knowing exactly where our food comes from. We went into it with some trepidation because we had several people tell us how much they hate not only raising meat chickens but that the whole butchering process was miserable. I guess we fall into the minority here but it wasn’t bad. In fact, we’re doing it again when things settle down a bit more around here.
We kept our meat chickens in the potting shed until their feathers came in and then they moved outside to our chicken tractor. We were fortunate enough to score one off facebook for $75. What a deal! Once we had the chicken tractor set up, they lived the rest of their days in the garden living off grass and corn/soy free feed until butchering day.
Butchering went better than expected once we got the hang of it. David and I attempted butchering on our own but found it went much smoother and easier once the kids could help. Never underestimate your teenagers! They have been a huge help to us out here while we’re trying to set up this farm/homestead. All three kids participated in butchering, plucking and bagging. We were so impressed with their willingness to participate and their good attidudes. It turned out to be a great family affair. I think for me and David that’s been the best part of starting this new adventure - working as a family on projects. Hopefully it’s not only creating some great memories for the kids but is also teaching them skills and work ethic.
How can you do this too?
I’d suggest purchasing Freedom Rangers or Cornish Cross. Both are hearty breeds that produce the typical amount of meat you’d expect.
As your chickens grow move them frequently so that they have fresh grass and bugs to eat. This keeps them healthy so you’ll less issues as they grow
Plan to harvest your chickens somewhere between 6-8 weeks old. This will give you tender meat.
You don’t need a chicken plucker unless you’re planning to harvest a large amount. We harvested 12 and only used a kill cone and hand plucked our chickens. This is a much smaller investment for your first time.
Needed Supplies:
Kill Cone
Shrink Bags
Boiling Pot
We now have several meat chickens in the freezer as we head into winter. With supply shortages and rising costs, it feels good to know that at the very least we have food for the dinner table. As of today, we’re planning to raise meat chickens again in the spring. If you’d like to do that with us, please reach out. We will do the raising and butchering; you pay for the meat chickens and our time. We can do this with one other family - so reserve your spot quickly!
