First I would like to apologize in the couple week time span since my last post. There has been a lot of drama here at the farm and surprisingly nothing to do with the farm or any of my kids. Anyways...back to farming. We are about to enter our 3rd weekend of butchering. We had done it a little different then we have ever expected. 1st weekend we did 5 fatties, 2nd weekend another broke a leg the day before so he was going to the chopping cone and 2 others as well. This weekend we will only be doing another 3. The heat this week has been unbearable and there has been no rain for like 2 weeks. So trying to keep my family, the animals and my garden hydrated has taken all the extra energy I have left after this butterbean I am growing has sucked it out of me. HA HA HA
Here is the plucking station. You have to scald the skin a little to help get the feathers off. We used a turkey fryer hooked up to a gas grill.
Here is Mr. Smith scalding the skin.
Here is Mr. Smith about to take this fatty to chopping cone. We bought a piece of stainless steel flexible metal sheeting and made a cone. You put the chicken in the top head down and chop the head off. It then drains the blood.
Here is Mr. Edgar helping Mr. Smith pluck the feathers. He got paid in chicken meat :D
Here is a zucchini I pulled from garden last weekend and have a gotten a few more since. I put a pen next to it so you can see how big this guy really is! LOL My baby belly is in the picture too....this butterbean is growing fast! My sister in law has a really good recipie for zucchini I need to get off of her to use up some of these zukes!! LOL Its not slowing down :D
So in about a month we change the layers feed in anticipation of them laying eggs about a month later. Excited about that!! We have been letting outdoors almost at sunset to start getting used to being out of the coop. Mr. Smith had to chase some of them to get them back in the coop last night...they did not want to go back! They like the outside! It is so neat seeing them eat the grass and bugs and how they interact with each other and play.
I have also planted 6 cabbage seeds and 8 broccoli seeds for my fall seedlings. I did not get any more potatoes in and the last of potatoes are about to be done. Almost all my onions are done and finally my tomatoes are starting to turn red! So excited to start making spaghetti sauce! I saw 2 pumpkins finally growing around the corn. I did get another wave of corn in and I am going to try my best to get another in this weekend or next weekend...next weekend is the last weekend for my zone to get them fully grown before the first frost.
That's all that has been really happening here farm wise. Harvest continues and the heat wave/drought continues. We shall see what comes this next week! :)