Preparing for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving arrives this Thursday.  And though I will not have a big group of people to feed (just a mere three), I will prepare all the traditional goodies just the same.  Otherwise is just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving.

The turkey is ready to be the star of the feast. I spent Sunday afternoon doing the necessary, not-so-pleasant part of Thanksgiving.  From the barn to the table the Turkey will go. A seventeen pound turkey was a bit challenging to process, but it all worked out fine. I do hope he cooks up lovely. (I apologize for the turkey photo, for those of you who hate the sight of blood. But it is what it is, and that's how its done.) 

A friend of mine took a different route, and sent her two Bourbon Reds to the processor to be done.  I'm curiously awaiting to hear from her what something like that costs. Not that I would probably ever bother, only because I like the idea of everything taking place on farm. But to each his own.  Neither way is wrong, just a different way. 

Stay tuned for more Turkey and Thanksgiving updates... 

Poultry Restraining Cones (and cute baby chicks!)

Last Saturday and Sunday 17 little chicks hatched out and are now in the brooder peeping away.  Two died trying to hatch out, and two of the eggs never hatched (I gave them until late Monday).







That's about an 81% success rate - if my math is correct?  The chicks all seem very alert and healthy. I may give some to a friend, I might try to sell some on Craigslist, or I might just keep them all for myself.  We'll see.

The thought of keeping them all for myself led to the thought of butchering, which led to the thought of "Hey Farm girl, you really need to get one of those poultry restraining cone thingies so you can get the job done a little easier."  Did I just say "thingies?"  So then came a web search to find out how much those cones cost in the first place. Here's what I discovered:

www.coopsnmore.com  $23.99

www.cornerstone-farm.com  $25.00

www.mcmurrayhatchery.com  $26.00

www.countryhorizons.com  $33.99

www.meyerhatchery.com  $42.84

These prices were all for a standard, medium size poultry restraining cone. I also came across a site that offered a Do-it-Yourself solution to make your own at www.survivalfarm.wordpress.com but it called for a used, road construction cone, and I don't recall seeing too many of those lying around for the taking. But if you can find one, by all means recycle! I also thought about what I had at home that might work just as well. The only thing I could think of was to cut the corner from a 50 lb feed back and use that to restrain the chicken.  It would look similar to when you cut the tip off a pasty bag.  I think it might actually work.  If I get time I'm going to give it a try this weekend. So the lesson learned here is that it certainly pays to do a little research and shop around, doesn't it? But you knew already knew that. 

 

Roasting and Reminiscing...

Winter is officially upon us as of next week!  Hard to believe isn't it? Things around the farm are changing, and the animals are all trying to adjust to the colder weather.  The chickens have be hanging around their heat lamp later into the morning and earlier each evening. The horses are all getting their thick winter coats in preparation for the long winter days. The garden has been cleared out and tilled over, with only the parsley patch left to provide a splash of green until spring arrives.  Garlic was planted in early November, with the hope that July will deliver a nice little harvest to dry and store. 

I began the year on my new farm in January of this year.  The number of farm animal inhabitants I started with back then has considerably grown since then, beginning with 7 animals, and now, in the middle of December, the count is at 30 something! 

Start-up costs were high this year with the farm purchase.  There are just some things you need when you own a farm. February's large expenses were due to getting the loft stocked with hay, and also buying a bulk order of sawdust bedding for the (then two) horses. February also had a rooster and a hen added to the homestead. 

March was was quiet and cold, and found us with another Thoroughbred added on that we purchased in Chicago.  April brought us a goat doeling, a stray pitbull, and 27 little day-old chicks from the hatchery. Oh, and six baby Pekin ducklings!

April was expensive, with the purchase of a lawn tractor to mow the few acres of yard to keep things tidy. May was another expensive month, bringing us a new to us, but very old Ford 9n tractor, along with a brush-hog and blade.  May also brought us another racehorse.

June hummed along quietly, with little expense in planting a small garden.  July brought us another chicken, August passed by under the radar.  September came along hatching five chicks for Labor Day weekend, and another horse! October and November were expensive due to stocking up the loft with hay for the winter, and the purchase of a hay elevator to get that hay into the loft!

And we all know December is expensive, with all the gift-giving, party throwing, decadent eating, drinking and merriment that goes along with this time of year. With that, I better end this post. I have a pork shoulder roast to present to a hungry husband...

Score the skin, rub in Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Sage and Oregano.  Roast low at 325 degrees for a few hours, and...

Ta Da! Tender and Juicy!