We just moved out our 64 meat birds from the chicken coop to the chicken tractors, so that we can make room for our new laying hens!
Our meat birds are 3 weeks old, and they are being moved to an outside pen, so that they can have fresh grass to roam on, while still being protected from predators and weather in the tractor. The hens will be in the coop, where they have their laying boxes and roost. We can not let them free range until they know their new home better, and until we know that the last few young ones are laying. We like to ensure that they know where to lay, so that we don't have to go looking for their eggs, and so that they don't get smashed, and eaten by the chickens, or that they don't start going broody.
Anyways, we are so0o0o excited to get farm fresh eggs again! We love hens wayyyy better then meat birds!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Chickens!
This summer we have grown just over 250 chickens!
We are on our second batch, which we started out with 65 and now only have 64. That's an AMAZING death rate, considering our first batch of chickens this summer we lost 80 in the first week!
Anyways, we raise chickens for meat and then to sell. We raise them all natural and non- GMO. Which means : we do not feed our chickens genetically modified feed, which include the typical filler of corn and soy products. They say this filler is "critical" for their growth, because with out it, they will be deficient in protein.. Anyways we don't want to eat anything GMO, so we don't feed our chickens GMO, because we are going to eat them!!! :)
So in May, which here in North Idaho is still freezing cold! We purchased a batch of 207 chickens! Right away we got them settled in and going on the right track.... Or so we thought.
We lost so many birds because it was too cold or too hot. In the first week of life, they need to be at a constant 90-95 degrees. When our chickens were too cold, they would all huddle up under the heat lamp, and then the ones in the middle would get too hot, from the ones on the outside pushing to get warmer. Needless to say, we had many fried chicken... Hehe, sick... I know. And the ones on the outside would be frozen cold chicken, so we had 80 dead :(
My husband was very discouraged, and did not want to raise chickens anymore! But we had already had orders for our chickens, and they needed to be filled.
So, a little more on the facts:
Our meat birds are grown for about 8-9 weeks. They reside in our cozy chicken coop for the first 4 weeks of their life, then are moved to chicken tractors for the remainder of their lives. Our chicken tractors have no bottom and are moved daily onto fresh grass, as to get the best nutrients and fresh air as possible.
We then butcher them, after their life span is up! Next post will be on how to butcher a chicken!
We are on our second batch, which we started out with 65 and now only have 64. That's an AMAZING death rate, considering our first batch of chickens this summer we lost 80 in the first week!
Anyways, we raise chickens for meat and then to sell. We raise them all natural and non- GMO. Which means : we do not feed our chickens genetically modified feed, which include the typical filler of corn and soy products. They say this filler is "critical" for their growth, because with out it, they will be deficient in protein.. Anyways we don't want to eat anything GMO, so we don't feed our chickens GMO, because we are going to eat them!!! :)
So in May, which here in North Idaho is still freezing cold! We purchased a batch of 207 chickens! Right away we got them settled in and going on the right track.... Or so we thought.
We lost so many birds because it was too cold or too hot. In the first week of life, they need to be at a constant 90-95 degrees. When our chickens were too cold, they would all huddle up under the heat lamp, and then the ones in the middle would get too hot, from the ones on the outside pushing to get warmer. Needless to say, we had many fried chicken... Hehe, sick... I know. And the ones on the outside would be frozen cold chicken, so we had 80 dead :(
My husband was very discouraged, and did not want to raise chickens anymore! But we had already had orders for our chickens, and they needed to be filled.
So, a little more on the facts:
Our meat birds are grown for about 8-9 weeks. They reside in our cozy chicken coop for the first 4 weeks of their life, then are moved to chicken tractors for the remainder of their lives. Our chicken tractors have no bottom and are moved daily onto fresh grass, as to get the best nutrients and fresh air as possible. We then butcher them, after their life span is up! Next post will be on how to butcher a chicken!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Homeschooling PK1 and PK2
This year we are starting our homeschooling journey!
I have put together a curriculum combining confessions of a homeschooler's "letter of the week", several ideas from the Internet and some of my own works to make a curriculum that best suits what I would like to teach my children. It has taken me a month to prepare, with being pregnant, having a one and a two year old, printing, thinking, laminating, cutting out, thinking, organizing, shopping, comparing prices and more thinking to come up with only 4 months of schooling!!! Ahhh good thing I am writing it all down, and laminating almost everything to reuse with each child!!
This year we are covering the following topics:
Circle time (which includes: days of the week, months of the year, sign language, shapes, numbers, letters, bible memory verse, and character qualities, all in English and Spanish)
Phonics
Math
Reading
Art
Science
Bible
Music
In the next two weeks, I will cover what we are doing in each subject! Stay tuned!!
I have put together a curriculum combining confessions of a homeschooler's "letter of the week", several ideas from the Internet and some of my own works to make a curriculum that best suits what I would like to teach my children. It has taken me a month to prepare, with being pregnant, having a one and a two year old, printing, thinking, laminating, cutting out, thinking, organizing, shopping, comparing prices and more thinking to come up with only 4 months of schooling!!! Ahhh good thing I am writing it all down, and laminating almost everything to reuse with each child!!
This year we are covering the following topics:
Circle time (which includes: days of the week, months of the year, sign language, shapes, numbers, letters, bible memory verse, and character qualities, all in English and Spanish)
Phonics
Math
Reading
Art
Science
Bible
Music
In the next two weeks, I will cover what we are doing in each subject! Stay tuned!!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Preparing for Baby Byrum #3
We are quickly preparing for baby Byrum #3 to arrive in mid September.
We purchased a Costco Shelter to store our wood for the winter and to give birth in. I love having water births, but let's just say our 5th wheel trailer bath tub just isn't big enough! So we also purchased a huge bath tub to use in the shelter, and then to use for our future home :)! Our shelter will also serve as a mud room, which will come in handy during the winter/spring months of mud and snow.
Picture of shelter/birthing room to come! It's still in a working progress!
In the next month, I will be making freezer meals for our family to eat when the baby comes, to make it easier on us, not having to full on cook! We have heard that adding #3 to our family is going to be a big change, so we are hoping to help make everything run smoothly.
I will try to be blogging several times per week, covering our daily lives; topics will include:
3 babies under 2 1/2
Homeschooling PK1 and PK2
Healthy Meal recipes
Natural Alternatives
Biblical Church
Homesteading
And I think that's all for now :)
We purchased a Costco Shelter to store our wood for the winter and to give birth in. I love having water births, but let's just say our 5th wheel trailer bath tub just isn't big enough! So we also purchased a huge bath tub to use in the shelter, and then to use for our future home :)! Our shelter will also serve as a mud room, which will come in handy during the winter/spring months of mud and snow.
Picture of shelter/birthing room to come! It's still in a working progress!
In the next month, I will be making freezer meals for our family to eat when the baby comes, to make it easier on us, not having to full on cook! We have heard that adding #3 to our family is going to be a big change, so we are hoping to help make everything run smoothly.
I will try to be blogging several times per week, covering our daily lives; topics will include:
3 babies under 2 1/2
Homeschooling PK1 and PK2
Healthy Meal recipes
Natural Alternatives
Biblical Church
Homesteading
And I think that's all for now :)
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