Harvest journal: my how you’ve grown

Michael and I picked up 26 baby chicks from the feed store on May 4th. They were all broilers this year.

Fluffiness personified.

Fluffiness personified.

You aren’t supposed to kiss your chickens, so we do the cheek smush instead. This is probably a 2 day old chick.

You aren’t supposed to kiss your chickens, so we do the cheek smush instead. This is probably a 2 day old chick.

Cheek smushing my one week old chick.

Cheek smushing my one week old chick.

Smushing at two weeks.

Smushing at two weeks.

This chick is growing like gangbusters too!

This chick is growing like gangbusters too!

Smushing at 3 weeks.

Smushing at 3 weeks.

Getting a little too large to smush one handed at 4 weeks.

Getting a little too large to smush one handed at 4 weeks.

Getting to be an armful at 5 weeks.

Getting to be an armful at 5 weeks.

And one last cheek smush at 6 weeks for this fellow before sending him to freezer camp. Broilers typically are harvested between 6-8 weeks of age. Normal chickens take 14-16 weeks.

And one last cheek smush at 6 weeks for this fellow before sending him to freezer camp. Broilers are typically harvested between 6-8 weeks of age. Normal chickens take 14-16 weeks.

One of the 26 original chicks expired in the first week due to unknown causes. We had some very cold weather to begin, and then blazing hot temps. We harvested 21 chickens over 3 days (our weather cooled down just in time) and we have 92 lbs of usable chicken parts in the freezer. We will wait another 2 weeks to harvest the last four. They will go from an average of about 5 pounds to 8-10 pounds in that two weeks. This batch has been interesting in that they have run around, gotten into cock fights, eaten grass and, in general, have behaved more like chickens and less like protein factories. It will be interesting to see if they taste any different. We have one package of legs and thighs, several packages of soup bones and feet, and one roasting bird from last year’s harvest. We grew 231 pounds of chicken last year due to the pandemic. We have not used our incubator this year due to being uncertain about Michael’s mobility. Turns out he’s incredibly mobile using his iWALK peg leg.

We anxiously wait to see how many chicks will come from Lil’ Blackie’s efforts. She is back on the nest. For the first time we have a broody duck (Sylvia!) so we will have ducklings too. So many happy surprises.

We anxiously wait to see how many chicks will come from Lil’ Blackie’s efforts. For the first time we have a broody duck (Sylvia!) so we will have ducklings too. So many happy surprises.