Turkeys Are Done!

Isn't that just beautiful!?
Gorgeous!

This is Aaron Cookson from Red Dirt Ranch.

He is a dear friend who butchers

like an artist.

Many, many thanks to him for coming out

and making the day a breeze and

giving us a fantastic product.

See.. I couldn't have done this by hand

for love or money. Especially not with the great results the plucker gets.

A bird is done in mere seconds. Wow.

Getting cleaned up and ready for a wrap.

Ta Da!!!

Look at how nicely he did the legs.

You learn something new every day..if you are lucky.

All but 7 of the birds are done and those can wait until

Christmas.

The yard will seeem a bit lonely to me without my sweet boys.

I was very glad I could opt out of the deed itself.

It was a bit sad and usually I have no problem.

I really loved the turkeys.

I am very, very proud to be able to share them with others.

They will look wonderful as a centerpiece of a blessings laden table.

November Down Home..

Well..here they are..
the very last pics of the turkeys.

Monday the 16th is butcher day.

Not all are slated for freezer camp

and I will have some left for Christmas

but the majority will be gracing tables

on the 26th.

I am proud of them and count our first year

of heritage breed turkeys as a success.

There will be more turkeys..many more

as I have loved having them in the yard.
And I am a wee bit sad at the thought of

slaughter. They really are like large dogs

in their affection and loyalty.

Gosh! Aren't they beautiful.

I just love them,

but you all know that already.

And here are some bold new additions..

They are meat birds, broilers, that were allowed to mature.

I got them from a fellow farmer and will use them to breed

large, scrumptious meat birds of my very own.

I know they look like chickens, but believe when I tell you they are

something entirely different.

They are HUGE and heavy..oh my!

Once they are back up to prime form and good health
and start to lay I will toss in a few choice roosters

and see what we will get. I have great hopes.

Some of my younger birds are starting to lay.

Check out that huge egg on top.

That was her first effort.

Oh, the squalling from the laying box with that one!~

Poor girl. But no blood on the egg etc..

so it did no permanent damage.

What a way to begin...

Kepp an eye out for an entry about turkey butchering.

I am not doing, but a traveling butcher is coming

for the task. Good friend and great guy.

Recent happenings..

My turkeys are getting big and beautiful!
I just love the turkeys. They are much better all around
than stupid chickens! As you can see, my love affair
with my 150+ chickens is waning.
I am having a big chicken sell off soon.
And a several big slaughter days too.
Viva the turkeys!!
And last night was their first night in
the big new turkey pen in the barn.
They are not happy.
But, they have to stay inside for a few days
to acclimate to the new digs if I don't
want to spend every evening having a
turkey round-up. And turkey round-ups
involve long sticks and ladders if I don't get out there
soon enough. Turkeys can fly, you know.



And here is Mr White! My free range buck.
His 'wife' is around somewhere too. But they will soon be caught and
penned. I know they are breeding, I see them do it.
But without a safe home I am not getting any of the kits
for myself and that is wasteful.
The barn sure will be lonely without them underfoot
and chasing the chickens off their feed. I love Mr. White.



And what is summer without the obligatory tomato pictures?
And the things that taste great with them...
chard and basil!

I do dearly love basil! And it grows so well here.

When I make pizza it goes right on the dough

snugged down in tomato sauce and baked in..

So delicious to have homemade basil pizza!

Oh, now I want one. I wonder if I could

convince the family to go for pizza again tonight?

And other than the basic day to day

running of the farm and the setting by

of food for the winter, not much has been happening..

We did have a house full of people last week

and that was nice. I love cooking for huge groups

of hungry folks.

The next few weeks will see some changes though..

butchering and selling will empty the barn out some

and lower our feed bill in preparation for winter too.

Hard to think about winter now, but it needs to get done.

Soon it will be wood chopping time...

It is coming...

Ducks, Turkeys and Chicks..Oh My.

I have achieved Duckdom!

I don't like ducks, as a rule

but I am loving these ducks.

OMG! So cute!

I can't stand it!

The way they walk.

The way they swim.

The way they shake and twitch off the water.

Here you can see the set up in the potting shed.

There is a plastic pan with bread pans in it.

I won't be making meatloaf tonight.

There are stepping stones for ease of egress.

They are bedded on PINE NEEDLES!!

I am telling you.. brooding on Pine needles

is where it's at.

The hanging brooder light quickly dries

the pine needles, leaving the ducks with a dry

place to be.

The ducks are sharing the potting shed with chicks

and turkey poults.

There is a low divider wall with

steps on each side.

So, the other birds come to

stare openly at the ducks.

They stand in amazement

as the ducks swim and dunk and splash.

And thogh the ducks are but 5 days old now,

they fiercely attack the interlopers.

Kind of funny really to see little ducks

with rounded bills beating down

a big ol turkey poult.

I really don't think they

can hurt them, but they sure do try!

As more time goes by the ducks are

mellowing out and the battles are less intense.

But damn funny.

And here is the general population
side of the potting shed..there are over 100 chicks
in there. Wow! But all should be sold in
a few days.. all except the ones that hatched out
of those lovely dark eggs.... mineminemine!