Fresh Meat

Well we have completed the first half of our first time run of raising CornishX meat birds. It was time for our 6 oldest birds to be processed. Our babies were 9 weeks old this past weekend and definately big enough for "Freezer Camp". I didn't want to wait much longer because we ran the risk of losing some of them to either broken legs or heart attacks. Although I do not feel bad for raising them to be slaughtered, I would feel bad if they suffered at all. I was very proud of Maddy and Ash for not freaking out. They both watched with awe on their face as the birds were dispatched and bled. Maddy even helped plucking and somehow enlisted her friend Shannon's help.

It is very important to both me and Jay that our daughters are not sheltered, and that they understand and appreciate where their food comes from. Maddy is a little more sensitive and I worry sometimes that she will be upset, but so far so good. The more and more we get into this homesteading the better I feel.

One of the CornishX chicks at 1 week old (sorry about the sideways picture)

CornishX at 6 weeks

My baby on the chopping block

Maddy & Shannon plucking

More plucking fun

Food For Thought...

I am really enjoying turning our little 10 acre lot into a farm. This idea of homesteading really makes me happy. Returning to our roots a little bit is not only good for myself, my daughters, but also for the earth. We are reducing our carbon footprint a little more everytime we learn to do something "the old fashioned way". (Although I'm sure Jay ruins that idea every time he races). Just this morning when I was making breakfast for Jay it dawns on me how great it is to walk out to my chicken coop grab a handful of eggs from chickens that I raise and make breakfast for him. These beautiful eggs are produced from chickens that get to roam anywhere they want on 10 acres eating bugs, grass, and any other tasty tidbit that they find.
This fall we will be processing our own pigs so then there will be bacon and ham steaks to add to the table too! Now I just need to learn how to bake bread and we would have breakfast all set.


These are two of my beautiful Black Australorp hens (Trudy & Ida):

They produce these beautiful eggs:

Which I then cook up:

Making an awesome tasting breakfast for my hubby: