4 Acres and a Farmhouse

Our chickens reached the age and size to be able to survive being moved outdoors finally (for us, this was right at 4 weeks old). The night time temps have been hovering between 55-60 degrees and the birds' feathers have finally started coming in so we felt they'd likely survive (and thrive) with more space to grow before "B" Day (#butcheringday #chickendayofreckoning). In all our research and YouTubing, we really like the idea of a mobile chicken tractor, first developed by permaculture gardener and chicken rancher extraordinaire, Joel Salatin. The concept behind the design is an enclosed, partially covered structure that is open on the bottom and sits directly on the ground so the chickens have access to fresh grass and bugs as well as chicken feed as they grow and fill out in preparation for harvest. The tractor is moved daily to a new patch of ground, thus providing the birds with a constant supply of new grass to eat and poop on. In turn, the chicken poo fertil...

We're back at it with a weekly chicken update as we grow a Cornish Cross breed from chick to chicken dinner! We've had our six chicks for one week. The first few nights, we had them in a small/medium sized tote outfitted with a bedding of straw, a feeder, and a water bowl. Rob mounted a heat lamp on a stand above the brooder box, which has been kept on 24-hours a day so they can maintain body heat since they don't yet have feathers. We're doing a 12/12 feeding schedule, meaning they have an unlimited supply of food 12 hours a day and then we take it away for 12 hours. We read lots of opinions regarding feeding methods for this breed and ultimately, there are some who do 12/12 like us and some who give the chicks food 24 hours a day until they're old enough to go outside in a coop.  Toe- May -Toe, Toe- Mah -Toe.  Wednesday, our oldest went outside to feed and change the water and bedding for our brood, and she found a chick standing outside the brooder on...

Ever since we moved to the wilderness 18 months ago, chickens have been on the radar. According to my friends who grow chickens, they're one of the easiest animals to take care of PLUS they return the favor with meat or eggs, depending on why you're raising them in the first place. We've been reading and watching YouTube in preparation for chickens and made a last minute decision this weekend to take the chicken plunge because, not unlike the decision to have kids, if you wait until you're ready you'll never do it.  We're now the proud owners of six Cornish Cross chicks for the next seven weeks, at which point they'll be humanely butchered and provide our family with meat for future meals.  So, what went into our decision to go with the Cornish Cross breed? According to The Google, this is a fast growing, easy breed to grow for meat, typically being ready to harvest around eight weeks and weighing in at anywhere from 6-12 pounds.  We initially on...