Messy. And delicious. That's how I'd sum up raising meat chickens. I guess technically it's not our first year raising meat birds, as we did have a small test-run last year. But this is the first time we've had a larger bunch, so I'm calling it our first "official" year. I don't really feel qualified to write a definitive, all-encompassing "how to raise meat chickens" post since we're still new at this, but I did want to share our … [Read more...] about Raising Meat Chickens: Our First Year
Homegrown Meat
How to Draw Blood from Cattle
There's something weirdly satisfying about pulling blood... Or maybe it's just me. Actually, it probably IS just me. I guess it all started during my two years as a Vet Tech... I learned to pull blood from a lot of different critters, and got pretty proficient at it, if I do say so myself. My skills have gotten a little rusty, but they still have come in handy the last few years when we've drawn blood to pregnancy test our cattle. Now, … [Read more...] about How to Draw Blood from Cattle
How to Butcher a Chicken
**WARNING: This post contains graphic photos. Because, well, this is a homesteading blog, and homesteading isn't always rainbows and butterflies. If you don't eat meat, I respect that decision, and you won't hurt my feelings if you click over here to read about these super-awesome fruit & herb slushies instead. However, my family and I have made the conscious choice to raise and eat meat, and I ask you to respect our choices as well. Comments … [Read more...] about How to Butcher a Chicken
Raising Meat on a Small Homestead
Welcome Heather from The Homesteading Hippy today as she shares her best advice for raising meat on a small homestead. She lives on only 1/5 of an acre, yet does an amazing job of growing her own food. I'm definitely inspired! We live on a rather small homestead... Some may call it a "micro-farm" actually. Our homestead is smack dab in the middle of our small town and we are about 150 steps from the exact middle of downtown. Our fence on the … [Read more...] about Raising Meat on a Small Homestead
