Daddy and I are butchering a few chickens and turkeys at a time. The oldest birds are six months old and barely ready. Most will need a few weeks to put on more meat. The Barred Rocks seem to grow faster than the Orpingtons. So far it is taking us about 45 minutes a bird. With 30 chickens and six turkeys, I hope we can improve our time! Last month I dusted them all in diatomaceous earth to kill bugs. We aren't seeing bugs hopping around like we did with the first butchering, which makes the job much easier. I kept some of the pullets hatched by my hens last spring and they started laying about a month ago. The Phoenix chicks we bought last spring have turned out gorgeous, friendly birds. Although they are only half the weight of the other breeds, they are holding their own just fine, the two roosters even chasing the other chickens a bit. The three pullets are laying tiny white eggs. They all hop in and out of the 4 1/2' fence as they please.
Our favorite beef is from the Corriente, a small breed descended from cattle brought to North America from Spain in the 15th century. Thought to be related to the larger Texas Longhorn, Corrientes come in every imaginable color. Today they are commonly used for rodeo events, particularly roping. In our area cattle used for rodeo practice at a private ranch typically get too tame to use at two to three years old, when the heifers are retired for breeding and the steers are butchered. From what I have seen steers average 600 or so pounds at this point. The market for Corrientes is strong, and this time it took me several weeks to locate some, but finally I found two steers at a great price. I know they haven't had antibiotics or shots, but the hay they were eating likely had chemicals in it, so I am keeping them around for a couple weeks giving them organic hay, as well as diatomaceous earth as a natural wormer before they go to the freezer. They are cute little guys and will even eat out of my hand.
