Meat Chickens

September 27, 2009 by Debbie.

The meat chicks are growing nicely and should be ready to butcher next Sat with possibly keeping some for the following week so we have some big roasters. It will depend on our energy level as we go along as doing two batches means doing twice the set up and clean up - sometimes not worth it.

We only grew out 35 chickens this year and last. We usually go for 50 and once was stupid enough to go for 75. Don’t ask me why cause right now I don’t know other than insanity. We never sold enough to really make a big enough profit to justify the work and mess.

Some new, wonderful friends gave us a new chicken tractor that helped tremendously. It is so much lighter than the monster I made and I’ve been able to drag it along in the yard by myself. The only problem with moving it has been the un-levelness (is that a word?) of our yard and avoiding ant mounds. The week+ of rain was an interesting adventure, but all survived, even me. These meat chickens are more aggressive than ones in the past. I have to protect my hands when I reach in for the water as they peck at anything at their eye level.

I’ve been thinking of things to do different next year.  First of all, I’m going to move the chicken tractor in the east garden area. Which means that area fencing will have to be redone. Right now one side is electric fencing to keep the goats out. That side will need redone in cattle panels to keep the meat chickens in the garden area. We’ll have to double fence the bottom part of the cattle panel to keep both chickens in and rabbits out but cattle panels are good sturdy fencing. Expensive, but sturdy. We’re also thinking of duplicating the chicken tractor so we can have two, moving one ahead of the other and shooing the chickens into the lead tractor to move them. Kind of like chicken tractor leap frog. Right now I drag the coop with the chickens in it and have caught a foot or two as they get excited. No one is hurt but it makes for a nervous move - for me anyway, it doesn’t bother the chickens at all - they just want to eat. I guess there is a benefit of having a dime sized brain - no long term memory. Uh, this time I’m referring to the chickens.

Speaking, or writing, of frogs, this little guy decided to peep into our living room window. The courtyard outside is surrounded by a brick wall so it’s one of the safe places for him to hang out where the guinea can’t eat him.

I’ve been busy trying to wrap up my summer deadlines despite the calendar saying we’ve enter fall already. Here’s a pink & brown quilt I finally finished. I’m not a pink fan at all so this one was hard for me to really like enough to hand quilt. I  finally took it to Jean’s Silver Threads & Golden Needles quilting shop in Bonham, Tx for her to machine quilt it. Only twice have I done that with quilts.  Even though these aren’t my favorite colors the quilt matches the guest room nicely. And it’s name - what else but Sweet Dreams?! Can’t you just hear Patsy Cline crooning away?

This is Amy wrapped up in her graduation quilt. She doesn’t graduate til spring 2010 but she was too excited about it to wait. It’s called “Friends” and has hearts and other decoration appliqued on the basic patchwork design.

Last quilt picture for now - an ongoing project of repairing this quilt made in 1930-50s. Don Samuelson gave it to me over a year ago, asking only to see it after I repaired it IF he was still around. Did he know he would have to watch from heaven’s guard rail as I repair it now?

There’s something about repairing this quilt that ties me back to the women who made it. I can tell at least two different stitching in the quilt and I wonder what their lives were like, how they survived the Depression of their day and how they rebuild in the following years. The fabric in this quilt reflects the clothing they wore or the feed sacks they used. There are such small pieces in each diamond piece, done in this string piecing method. They sure must have lived the Waste not, Want not lifestyle enough to create beauty and warm in this quilt for their family. I wish I knew who they were but maybe Don’s up there talking with them for me. Someday I hope I may know.

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