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8 Pounds in 8 Weeks: Raising Day Old Chicks for the Dinner Table

By Annie

Ever wondered about raising some of your own meat? We find the chickens we raise taste so much better than the watery chicken we have bought at the grocery store.   Once we started raising a few birds every year, we were convinced raising our own chicks for meat was the way to go. Filling the freezer is pretty easy and it only takes 8 weeks from start to finish.    Now, almost … [Read more...]

Filed Under: EBooks, Great Books, Raising Chickens, Raising Meat Birds

Preparing for Meat Birds

By Annie

a brooder set up for chicks to arrive

Getting ready for chicks to arrive? Is your order of meat bird chicks ready to be sent through the mail? Here's what you need to know about preparing for meat birds or other chicks.     Several days before the meat bird chicks are due to arrive, your meat bird brooder should be completely ready. It's important to check and double check every small detail as it is much … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Raising Meat Birds

Homegrown Chicken Dinner

By Annie

You know what I love? Roasted chicken for dinner.   Roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and frozen garden peas. We use a really good quality roasting pan; it's a one time investment and we use it a lot.   I'd rather have the peas fresh, but it's not even the middle of April yet so I am content with frozen fresh peas from last year. Our homegrown peas taste much … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food, Raising Meat Birds

The Meat Bird Chicks Have Arrived

By Annie

I went to the local Post Office this morning and picked up 25 chicks, sent to me  by a hatchery in Alberta. Normally, a hatchery will add a chick or three to the order, in case some die during transit. The chicks, after hatching, can live up to 3 days without food or water, due to the nutrients they received while in the shell. The order this year contained 26 chicks. I'm hoping for no … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Raising Meat Birds

How To Get Started on the Path to Providing for Your Family

By Annie

Have you been used to buying your groceries at the supermarkets? Never raised animals or had a garden? Are you  trying to figure out how to get started on the path to providing for your family? Have you thought about starting a homestead? It can certainly feel overwhelming just to get started. So think about getting started, but doing it on a small … [Read more...]

Filed Under: How To, How to Get Started, Raising Chickens, Raising Meat Birds, Raising Pigs Tagged With: chickens, chicks, Grow Vegetables, hens, How To:, laying hens, Potatoes, Raising Meat Birds, self sufficiency

What to Do When Your Chicks Arrive

By Annie

meat birds, raising chicks

Do you know what to do when your chicks arrive? Be ready for them! Be as sure as you can that you have everything you need. Everything MUST be in place when your chicks arrive at their new home!   We keep our chicks in the basement for the first 2 weeks. This is because in our climate, it is usually still too cold down at the barn for day old chicks. We can do a better job … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Raising Chickens, Raising Meat Birds Tagged With: chicks

An Outdoor Run for Meat Birds

By Annie

You don't have to provide an outside run for your birds, but it certainly is a nice benefit for them! Sunshine and fresh air is needed by all animals, so we always make an outdoor run for the meat birds. You can see in the picture below that we have set up T-posts around the perimeter of what will be their run.       T-posts make fencing pretty easy. I used … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Raising Meat Birds Tagged With: Raising Meat Birds

Roosters Versus Hens

By Annie

meat birds, raising chicks

If you are going to raise some meat birds, you will have a choice of ordering unsexed chicks, all rooster chicks or all pullets (hens). Should you order roosters or hens?  We always order unsexed (or straight run as they are called) chicks. They are cheaper than ordering all roosters or all hens. We like a variety of sizes of chickens in our freezer, another good reason for ordering them … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Raising Chickens, Raising Meat Birds Tagged With: hens, pullets, roosters

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