We have lost three of our Bourbon Red Turkeys to a coyote. We have been stalked by him and he has figured out when the dogs are all fed and has made his move. So we adaptted and rotated the feedings, so there was always a dog on duty. The coyote has been patient. We had to lock up the turkeys with the intention of removing the predator before they would be allowed out again. I gave in Sunday evening and decided to let them out for a hour before dusk. We were working nearby so we could keep an eye on things. When we went to lock them up, one hen was missing. We knew she hadn't been nabbed, but had probably found a spot to hunker down for the night. We searched into the darkness for her hiding spot. We couldn't find her, but we knew she was still around. The next morning Donald went out to do a quick recovery and get her back in the pen for the day, and found the coyote with her freshly killed carcass next to the irrigation ditch. The coyote had gotten her moments before.
I was so mad at myself for letting them out. And Donald was so mad at himself for missing his shot. He had cleaned his gun and taken the scope off and had not re-sighted it. He still hasn't made it to the range to make adjustments and two mornings in a row the coyote has been back. The dogs tell us it's here and we scramble. Sometimes it's someone driving on a distant road or a neighbor's dog visiting, but we have had so many coyote visits, we aren't ignoring any warning barks. Bear just isn't enthusiastic about a big chase these days. He goes out to a certain imaginery line and then turns back once the coyote starts to trot away. Donald says "Bear has retired." We have to figure out a way to put one of the Pyrenese out to do Bear's job.
The problem is Zeus could probably do the job, but he'll probably kill Bear if we don't isolate him from Zeus. Titan gets along better with Bear, but we're not sure he wouldn't wander off. So much talent, but so many traits to neutralize their value! What's a soft-hearted rancher to do?
The horses have been doing great on the pasture. They are all looking much fuller and have shed the winter coats, so they have a shine these days. So far they aren't being bothered by any bugs, specifically mosquitoes, so life is good for them.
We are going to have to irrigate one more time before cutting the hay fields. We were hoping to cut this week, but there just isn't enough growth to make good flakes in the bales. We will irrigate the next couple days and we should be able to cut at the end of the month. It always seems to be the end of May for our first cutting. I just hoped it would be a little early this year.
We have had a lot of maintenance and repairs to do around the ranch. Just recently we had to dig up the drainage pipe for the washrack on the barn to put in some clean-outs. The muck had built up in the pipe, so that the washrack was not draining to the trees anymore and there was standing water in the wash rack. That was completed, but now we have to re-plumb the cut water lines to the trees on the perimeter for the lines were in the way of the work we needed to do for the clean-outs. The intersection where we put the clean outs is directly in front of the round pen gate. There will be boxes when we are finished that will house the clean outs for access. We will have to switch a couple panels to relocate the gate to the round pen. We don't want to have the horse traffic over the boxes for safety reasons. It is yet another job that requires a couple people.
The first batch of chicks and turkeys will be moved out to the pasture in the chicken tractor today. The visiting coyote makes me nervous, but the tractor is pretty secure. We have another clutch due to hatch this week. We have some people interested in buying chicks and poults, so I have put extra into the incubator. My fear is that they will change their minds and I will have a lot more chicks than I want at a time. I am anticipating the butchering process and I know my limitations. I am not an endurance butcher :)
As I spend so much time in the barns, the house is progressively getting dustier and more cluttered. I tell myself that the extreme heat will be here soon and will chase me inside again. I will take care of the interior when the heat drives me inside. In the meantime, I can barely stand to be in the messy house.
Time to go back outside and avoid the nagging irritation of the dusty piano and television!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Fantastic Springtime
I love this time of year! The temperatures are so wonderful, there are no mosquitoes yet, and everything is greening up. I am happy to have discovered that all of the grapes that lived through last summer, survived the winter. Alas, the blackberries planted last spring did not survive the summer, and this spring's blackberries didn't last but a few weeks. Even with the fencing around the blackberries, there was yet a smaller rodent that got in and devoured all the leaves on both plants. The grapes were pruned in February, so they should train well to cover the fence around the chicken yard through the summer. We may even get some grapes this year.
Last year's pine and mulberries that survived the summer also made it through the winter. These are planted along the eastern side of the property. I am still debating as to whether I will replace them so that they maintain the every other pattern, or take the cottonwoods that have sprung up in the orchard area and transplant them. We did have one casualty this winter; the lemon tree. It just couldn't take the freezing temperatures, even with a cover. The pomegranate survived with one branch greening up in the last few weeks. I am thankful.
The Bermuda grass is coming in like gang-busters. The first cutting will probably be the first weekend of May if things continue as they are. We have had more calls from people desperate for hay this winter and spring than ever before. I am even running low this spring. I will be relieved to get a few stacks in the barn.
We have had two horses arrive at the ranch. They were obviously used by drug runners to pack drugs in from Mexico. As soon as they are done with their trip, they cut the horses loose to fend for themselves. Fortunately, for these two it is early enough that they were not dying of thirst like the ones in the heat of the summer. Those horses try to get water from the irrigation canals and fall in unable to get back out and are swept away to their death. We have helped pull both live and dead ones out of the canal. These current two horses are healing their backs and rehydrating. They both had bloodied backs from ill-fitted, overloaded packs. One has had severe damage to his right eye, leaving him blinded and with a disfunctional eye lid. The actual eye ball is very damaged and withering in the eye socket. They are both very broke and gentle. We are having a difficult time finding someone to take them. The blind one depends on the other, using him as a guide, keeping his good eye on him as he travels.
The arena posts are all in the ground. We will put the top rail on and order truck loads of bedding sand next. Of course, that is after we deal with the latest crisis with the well. The pressure tanks have split so badly they are unable to maintain pressure. The motor was switching on and off constantly, until the switch finally quit on us. In the meantime, I have had to run back and forth from the horse's water trough and the well to manually re-pressurize the tanks to get through watering the animals.
We are also in an on-going state of having to repair plumbing leaks all over the property. Every leak is at a plastic fitting. Plastic is such a ineffective product when it comes to the extreme temperatures of our desert. The difficulty is actually finding the fittings in brass or some type of metal. Plastic is a source of replacement part income for companies, so why stock something that will last that they can't make money on. We are in the process of redesigning some of the plumbing to eliminate as much plastic as possible.
This weekend is Easter. We have 8 new Call ducklings in the brooder and clutches of Americaunas, Freedom Rangers and Bourbon Red turkeys due to hatch Sunday just in time for Easter. We had a power outage in the course of the incubation, so we are not sure that we will have a good hatch rate this time around. A new clutch of Freedom Rangers and Bourbon Reds went into the incubator yesterday.
We had a terrible loss this spring. The temperatures hit over 100 degrees one day and of the second breeding set of Freedom Rangers, all but two died. They had been temporarily moved to an aviary, because the plumbing burst in their stall and the ground was drying out. I was so devastated. The remaining two were moved in with the other breeding set. It is a little crowded and they haven't been accepted very well, but they are able to jump up on the roost and get away. They other hens and the very aggressive rooster are unable to get up to the roost, so the two have a getaway. I am concerned that these heavy-bodied birds may have difficulty surviving our summer heat.
I had a perfect irrigation of the 3A field yesterday. That means that the water traveled all the way to the end of the field without pooling. I didn't have the same luck with the 1A horse pasture. We leveled that pasture flat, since it is a short field. The water traveled 3/4 of the way down the pasture, and I switched the water to the next field. In the past we have had a slight slope on this pasture and it would have continued down to cover the entire field. This time it stopped right where I switched it off and the water soaked in. So I shortchanged the pasture. I will have to go back and rewater it, so I don't lose the grass at the northern end. I will irrigate 3B tomorrow.
I will have to go to town today to purchase the pressure tanks. We had to clear all the tools and supplies out of the pick up that we have been using for the fencing in order to make space to haul the tanks. By having all the tools and materials in the pickup bed, it allows us to transport all of the tools to and from the work site, parking under cover in the evening in case of rain. Putting everything back in will take away time from actually working on a project. With our limited time, those little time consumers become a real nuisance.
Spring here is terrific. The evenings are gorgeous. I really should take up star gazing, because we have a magnificent sky at night. It is dark enough out here, you can really see a lot more stars than when you're in the city. I will enjoy the climate knowing the heat of the summer and all that comes with it, is just around the corner.
Last year's pine and mulberries that survived the summer also made it through the winter. These are planted along the eastern side of the property. I am still debating as to whether I will replace them so that they maintain the every other pattern, or take the cottonwoods that have sprung up in the orchard area and transplant them. We did have one casualty this winter; the lemon tree. It just couldn't take the freezing temperatures, even with a cover. The pomegranate survived with one branch greening up in the last few weeks. I am thankful.
The Bermuda grass is coming in like gang-busters. The first cutting will probably be the first weekend of May if things continue as they are. We have had more calls from people desperate for hay this winter and spring than ever before. I am even running low this spring. I will be relieved to get a few stacks in the barn.
We have had two horses arrive at the ranch. They were obviously used by drug runners to pack drugs in from Mexico. As soon as they are done with their trip, they cut the horses loose to fend for themselves. Fortunately, for these two it is early enough that they were not dying of thirst like the ones in the heat of the summer. Those horses try to get water from the irrigation canals and fall in unable to get back out and are swept away to their death. We have helped pull both live and dead ones out of the canal. These current two horses are healing their backs and rehydrating. They both had bloodied backs from ill-fitted, overloaded packs. One has had severe damage to his right eye, leaving him blinded and with a disfunctional eye lid. The actual eye ball is very damaged and withering in the eye socket. They are both very broke and gentle. We are having a difficult time finding someone to take them. The blind one depends on the other, using him as a guide, keeping his good eye on him as he travels.
The arena posts are all in the ground. We will put the top rail on and order truck loads of bedding sand next. Of course, that is after we deal with the latest crisis with the well. The pressure tanks have split so badly they are unable to maintain pressure. The motor was switching on and off constantly, until the switch finally quit on us. In the meantime, I have had to run back and forth from the horse's water trough and the well to manually re-pressurize the tanks to get through watering the animals.
We are also in an on-going state of having to repair plumbing leaks all over the property. Every leak is at a plastic fitting. Plastic is such a ineffective product when it comes to the extreme temperatures of our desert. The difficulty is actually finding the fittings in brass or some type of metal. Plastic is a source of replacement part income for companies, so why stock something that will last that they can't make money on. We are in the process of redesigning some of the plumbing to eliminate as much plastic as possible.
This weekend is Easter. We have 8 new Call ducklings in the brooder and clutches of Americaunas, Freedom Rangers and Bourbon Red turkeys due to hatch Sunday just in time for Easter. We had a power outage in the course of the incubation, so we are not sure that we will have a good hatch rate this time around. A new clutch of Freedom Rangers and Bourbon Reds went into the incubator yesterday.
We had a terrible loss this spring. The temperatures hit over 100 degrees one day and of the second breeding set of Freedom Rangers, all but two died. They had been temporarily moved to an aviary, because the plumbing burst in their stall and the ground was drying out. I was so devastated. The remaining two were moved in with the other breeding set. It is a little crowded and they haven't been accepted very well, but they are able to jump up on the roost and get away. They other hens and the very aggressive rooster are unable to get up to the roost, so the two have a getaway. I am concerned that these heavy-bodied birds may have difficulty surviving our summer heat.
I had a perfect irrigation of the 3A field yesterday. That means that the water traveled all the way to the end of the field without pooling. I didn't have the same luck with the 1A horse pasture. We leveled that pasture flat, since it is a short field. The water traveled 3/4 of the way down the pasture, and I switched the water to the next field. In the past we have had a slight slope on this pasture and it would have continued down to cover the entire field. This time it stopped right where I switched it off and the water soaked in. So I shortchanged the pasture. I will have to go back and rewater it, so I don't lose the grass at the northern end. I will irrigate 3B tomorrow.
I will have to go to town today to purchase the pressure tanks. We had to clear all the tools and supplies out of the pick up that we have been using for the fencing in order to make space to haul the tanks. By having all the tools and materials in the pickup bed, it allows us to transport all of the tools to and from the work site, parking under cover in the evening in case of rain. Putting everything back in will take away time from actually working on a project. With our limited time, those little time consumers become a real nuisance.
Spring here is terrific. The evenings are gorgeous. I really should take up star gazing, because we have a magnificent sky at night. It is dark enough out here, you can really see a lot more stars than when you're in the city. I will enjoy the climate knowing the heat of the summer and all that comes with it, is just around the corner.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Chickens and Horses
I have been delinquent in my documentation of the activities here on the ranch. As I am waiting for the horses in the barn to finish their hay and supplements, I will do an update.
The warmer temperatures, upper 70's to lower 90's, have arrived. It is still wonderful at night with temperatures in the 50's, so morning chores are done in comfort. The chore routine has been altered lately, as the horses are rotated on pasture and within the barn, and we have had some poultry relocations due to flooding and new arrivals.
The stored hay is getting low. We intended on having both sides of the horse pasture planted, but only one was completed. As a result the horses had to have more hay than projected. I will double what I put up for them this fall season, to prevent this anxiety next spring. Erin has started showing a couple of the horses, and insists on having them in the barn at night and feeding hay. And the stack dwindles. From what I have heard, hay is pretty scarce around here right now. I have gotten several calls from people looking for grass and alfalfa hay. I may have to find some for ourselves soon, if the Bermuda doesn't start growing a little faster in the 1B pasture. The winter pasture is finally starting to grow faster now that the temperatures have warmed.
In the poultry barn, we had a fitting break on one of the automatic waterers and I found a breeding set of 6 Freedom Rangers submerged to the neck one morning recently. Fortunately, the two that were suffering the most were able to make a speedy recovery in the warmth of the sunshine. After several buckets full of syphoning, I realized that I was going to need the sump pump to get the water out of the contained stall. With the extension cords strung across the implement depot, and a lot of clearing of shavings from the bottom of the pump, the majority of the water was removed. The stall has been drying out for about a week now and still is not close.
In the meantime, the Freedom Rangers were moved into the duck aviary and she was kicked out to fend for herself with the chickens in the yard. They are getting along famously, and I actually discovered that the duck started laying in the main coop with the chickens yesterday. The challenge is to get the duck to eat her special diet before the chickens devour it.
Emma was able to sell 8 Orpington cockerel bantams and the "ugly" Polish rooster. That was a great relief to "Fred" the old rooster in the main yard flock. He is getting older and had some run-ins with the younger Polish cock. He gave his fair share on those occasions, but was not going to be able to sustain. With the sale of the cockerels, we were able to move the breeding set of 5 Americaunas into the Orpingtion's old stall, The Hyatt. This shift freed up the Disneyland Resort stall for the brooder with the first clutch of call ducklings. Erin has labeled all the poultry stalls with 5 star hotel names. Emma has a couple more clutches of call duck eggs in the incubator that will eventually move into the outdoor brooder. She keeps them in a smaller indoor brooder for a couple days after they hatch, to make sure they are eating, drinking and thriving, before being moved out. They are very messy and smelly after a few days.
A small clutch of Bourbon Red turkey eggs are already in the incubator. Chicken eggs are being saved now for incubation from the Freedom Rangers and Americaunas. Their hatch date will be towards the end of April. The meat chickens will be raised for approximately 10 weeks, making an early July processing date. I will process the turkeys a little sooner than the last batch. I want to put up some dressed birds for family meals that can be on the smaller side. The Americaunas will be raised as layers and will replenish the flock. I will start a rotation of incubating eggs, so that I stagger the processing dates. I have learned that having a large number of birds all at once is difficult for me to complete with my scheduling conflicts and more pressing, my lack of stamina!
The arena fence posts should all be done this weekend, barring any more difficulties or obstacles. Once the posts are done, the top rail will be welded on. While that process is being done, I will laser level the arena and we will then order truckloads of sand. We will not be using the same sand that we put in the roundpen, as it compacts too easily and requires too much maintenance. The lower rail will then be welded.
The Bermuda fields were all burned. We intended on just burning the outer edges where the tumbleweed persists, but the wind made quick work of the fields. No loss (other than some organic matter). We are hopeful that the fields green up early this year, considering my low supply of hay.
Many projects continue to be slowed or delayed with ongoing repairs and maintenance requirements. I am hopeful that the barn wood oiling project will re-commence soon. Erin has been doing a lot of the barn chores, for which I am very grateful. She has been spending a lot of time working horses and cleaning the barn in general. It's nice to have her helping out.
The warmer temperatures, upper 70's to lower 90's, have arrived. It is still wonderful at night with temperatures in the 50's, so morning chores are done in comfort. The chore routine has been altered lately, as the horses are rotated on pasture and within the barn, and we have had some poultry relocations due to flooding and new arrivals.
The stored hay is getting low. We intended on having both sides of the horse pasture planted, but only one was completed. As a result the horses had to have more hay than projected. I will double what I put up for them this fall season, to prevent this anxiety next spring. Erin has started showing a couple of the horses, and insists on having them in the barn at night and feeding hay. And the stack dwindles. From what I have heard, hay is pretty scarce around here right now. I have gotten several calls from people looking for grass and alfalfa hay. I may have to find some for ourselves soon, if the Bermuda doesn't start growing a little faster in the 1B pasture. The winter pasture is finally starting to grow faster now that the temperatures have warmed.
In the poultry barn, we had a fitting break on one of the automatic waterers and I found a breeding set of 6 Freedom Rangers submerged to the neck one morning recently. Fortunately, the two that were suffering the most were able to make a speedy recovery in the warmth of the sunshine. After several buckets full of syphoning, I realized that I was going to need the sump pump to get the water out of the contained stall. With the extension cords strung across the implement depot, and a lot of clearing of shavings from the bottom of the pump, the majority of the water was removed. The stall has been drying out for about a week now and still is not close.
In the meantime, the Freedom Rangers were moved into the duck aviary and she was kicked out to fend for herself with the chickens in the yard. They are getting along famously, and I actually discovered that the duck started laying in the main coop with the chickens yesterday. The challenge is to get the duck to eat her special diet before the chickens devour it.
Emma was able to sell 8 Orpington cockerel bantams and the "ugly" Polish rooster. That was a great relief to "Fred" the old rooster in the main yard flock. He is getting older and had some run-ins with the younger Polish cock. He gave his fair share on those occasions, but was not going to be able to sustain. With the sale of the cockerels, we were able to move the breeding set of 5 Americaunas into the Orpingtion's old stall, The Hyatt. This shift freed up the Disneyland Resort stall for the brooder with the first clutch of call ducklings. Erin has labeled all the poultry stalls with 5 star hotel names. Emma has a couple more clutches of call duck eggs in the incubator that will eventually move into the outdoor brooder. She keeps them in a smaller indoor brooder for a couple days after they hatch, to make sure they are eating, drinking and thriving, before being moved out. They are very messy and smelly after a few days.
A small clutch of Bourbon Red turkey eggs are already in the incubator. Chicken eggs are being saved now for incubation from the Freedom Rangers and Americaunas. Their hatch date will be towards the end of April. The meat chickens will be raised for approximately 10 weeks, making an early July processing date. I will process the turkeys a little sooner than the last batch. I want to put up some dressed birds for family meals that can be on the smaller side. The Americaunas will be raised as layers and will replenish the flock. I will start a rotation of incubating eggs, so that I stagger the processing dates. I have learned that having a large number of birds all at once is difficult for me to complete with my scheduling conflicts and more pressing, my lack of stamina!
The arena fence posts should all be done this weekend, barring any more difficulties or obstacles. Once the posts are done, the top rail will be welded on. While that process is being done, I will laser level the arena and we will then order truckloads of sand. We will not be using the same sand that we put in the roundpen, as it compacts too easily and requires too much maintenance. The lower rail will then be welded.
The Bermuda fields were all burned. We intended on just burning the outer edges where the tumbleweed persists, but the wind made quick work of the fields. No loss (other than some organic matter). We are hopeful that the fields green up early this year, considering my low supply of hay.
Many projects continue to be slowed or delayed with ongoing repairs and maintenance requirements. I am hopeful that the barn wood oiling project will re-commence soon. Erin has been doing a lot of the barn chores, for which I am very grateful. She has been spending a lot of time working horses and cleaning the barn in general. It's nice to have her helping out.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Little House in the Desert
Moving into the little house that was on the property when we started up the ranch, was supposed to be temporary. We intended to get the horse barn up and then move onto the building of a house. Without going into all of the still unresolved issues with the construction of the barn (still in litigation), the process delayed any other progress indeterminately. We had three bedroom and four people with Donald working from a home office. We put the little girls together in one room, another was the office, and a master bedroom. The little girls grew and we separated them using the office for a bedroom, and put in an office trailer on the northeast side of the property. As the girls have grown, the house and its deficiencies have been a trial, but its "cozy."
You see we are in the middle of the desert and with the desert there are special little creatures that survive by adaptation and instinct. Bear the ranch dog is one of them, and he has contributed to several home repairs as a result of his desert survival instincts. One summer he found the ductwork under the house. Apparently, a little varmit (most likely a rabbit) found the coolness refreshing and slid under the ductwork. Bear in his enthusiasm for flushing out the critter, ripped and shredded the flexible ductwork allowing for a fuller flow to blast forth under the house. In the meantime, the little house was growing warmer and warmer, with the AC fan running non-stop. Bear was rarely coming out from under the house, and why should he? He had an air conditioned cave to enjoy. Unfortunately, Donald had to crawl under the crawl space to investigate and eventually do the repair. Did I mention scorpions and rattlesnakes like to rest in cool dark places during the day? Yes, it is on Donald's list of top ten things to avoid.
The other enticement under this little house is the water. And because we are one of the only consistent sources of water, creatures usually find us. That includes bugs and rodents. The rodents come is a variety of sizes and colors. But when they die under your house wedged somewhere between the insulation and wiring, they all smell pretty much the same. One summer, Donald had to go under the house over six times to cut out sections of plastic water lines that the mice/rats/gophers had chewed pin-sized holes in to get to the drink. The spray would be heard in the wee hours of the morning hitting the floor boards of the house alerting us to yet another repair that would need to be done. Donald would stagger out, half asleep, to the valve to shut the water off till we could get to it. One of these holes was directed away from the floor, so that it was undetected for some time. But as the floor in front of the kitchen sink was beginning to swell, we figured we had better check it out.
The insulation in this house is placed between the floor joists under the house and has a plastic liner that is stapled to the wood itself. The effect is a sealed plastic cover over the insulation that is flush with the bottom of the joists. But when the mouse snipped into the water line under the kitchen sink, it continued to spray, filling the compartment between the joists, absorbing into the insulation, being sealed in with the plastic, until it could hold no more and began to drip onto the earth below the house. It is important to note that the electrical wires are also run between the joists with the water lines. Another note; mice apparently have no discrimination in chewing plastic wire insulation or plastic water lines. It is all the same to them.
The other wonderful survival skill that these particular little rodents have is stock piling goodies for the winter or snacking during the daytime. Nest are particularly cozy when made in the insulation as well. So when Donald did his comanche crawl under the house, he saw the bulging plastic for the insulation with the water dripping from it and realized he would have to slice it open to get to the repair. There was no way to avoid being soaked, but what he hadn't planned on was the rodent's collection of food and extras washing down around him as well.
Most of you are not aware of this, but mice/rats/gophers find dried dog poop especially appealing. I suppose there are a lot of nutrients that go through the dog that the mice find valuable. This rodent had collected a huge quantity of this and it had been rehydrated in the water leak for quite some time. Donald found himself surrounded by this mess, along with half of our compost pile from the garden. As he cleared the way to the leak, he discovered exposed electrical wires and immediately yelled for me to shut down the electric, as he was lying in a large puddle of water and dog poop.
We have taken measures to try to seal up the underside of the house, but we still get mice under there from time to time. We have found some rather large, dead rats that the big white dogs have caught and killed, so we are aware that they are still prowling around.
Another malfunction that occurred with the heater in the house, allowed two of the heating elements to cross and arc so that the heat would not turn off. Fortunately, I was home and aware of the build up of heat around the heater and when the thermostat was unable to shut the elements off, I shut the electric off to the house until we could get it repaired. The potential disaster is unthinkable.
So the other morning when Donald and I both sat bolt upright in bed at 5:00 am to a horrible burning odor, we both dashed to the heater thinking the problem had occurred again. But the elements were fine. The smell was throughout the house, not just at the heater. It was putrid. Donald noticed the blob of grease from greasing bearings in the fan compartment of the heater, but realized there were no bearings to grease in this particular fan. Suddenly he realized that it was not grease, but flesh. Upon further investigation, hair, bones, a tail and feet were discovered within the motor. During the night while the fan was not running this smart little mouse found a warm little compartment to crawl into for a nap. But when the thermostat registered to switch the motor on to run the fan, the little devil was sliced and diced and then.....roasted. The smell of roasted mouse filled the house. Donald disassembled the unit to take outside to wash with the hose. But the freezing temperatures had frozen the pump for the well and we were without water and of course with out heat.
We ended up having to replace the motor on the heater and eventually the remains were cleaned from the rest of the unit. Unfortunately, the mouse didn't live to tell his tale and spread the word to stay out from under our house. It is likely some other critter will find the underside of our house and try to move in and we will just have to continue to deal with the trespassers.
I'm not sure many can say they have been awakened to the smell of roasted mouse. I am not sure that I really want to be able to say so, but I can. This house offers a variety of challenges; cabin fever, bickering teen-agers, storage stacked in corners, doors that can be opened seasonally, electric bills to awe the reader, critters and their destruction. Maybe some day we will get back to a new house plan on the list, but we will just perservere for now.
You see we are in the middle of the desert and with the desert there are special little creatures that survive by adaptation and instinct. Bear the ranch dog is one of them, and he has contributed to several home repairs as a result of his desert survival instincts. One summer he found the ductwork under the house. Apparently, a little varmit (most likely a rabbit) found the coolness refreshing and slid under the ductwork. Bear in his enthusiasm for flushing out the critter, ripped and shredded the flexible ductwork allowing for a fuller flow to blast forth under the house. In the meantime, the little house was growing warmer and warmer, with the AC fan running non-stop. Bear was rarely coming out from under the house, and why should he? He had an air conditioned cave to enjoy. Unfortunately, Donald had to crawl under the crawl space to investigate and eventually do the repair. Did I mention scorpions and rattlesnakes like to rest in cool dark places during the day? Yes, it is on Donald's list of top ten things to avoid.
The other enticement under this little house is the water. And because we are one of the only consistent sources of water, creatures usually find us. That includes bugs and rodents. The rodents come is a variety of sizes and colors. But when they die under your house wedged somewhere between the insulation and wiring, they all smell pretty much the same. One summer, Donald had to go under the house over six times to cut out sections of plastic water lines that the mice/rats/gophers had chewed pin-sized holes in to get to the drink. The spray would be heard in the wee hours of the morning hitting the floor boards of the house alerting us to yet another repair that would need to be done. Donald would stagger out, half asleep, to the valve to shut the water off till we could get to it. One of these holes was directed away from the floor, so that it was undetected for some time. But as the floor in front of the kitchen sink was beginning to swell, we figured we had better check it out.
The insulation in this house is placed between the floor joists under the house and has a plastic liner that is stapled to the wood itself. The effect is a sealed plastic cover over the insulation that is flush with the bottom of the joists. But when the mouse snipped into the water line under the kitchen sink, it continued to spray, filling the compartment between the joists, absorbing into the insulation, being sealed in with the plastic, until it could hold no more and began to drip onto the earth below the house. It is important to note that the electrical wires are also run between the joists with the water lines. Another note; mice apparently have no discrimination in chewing plastic wire insulation or plastic water lines. It is all the same to them.
The other wonderful survival skill that these particular little rodents have is stock piling goodies for the winter or snacking during the daytime. Nest are particularly cozy when made in the insulation as well. So when Donald did his comanche crawl under the house, he saw the bulging plastic for the insulation with the water dripping from it and realized he would have to slice it open to get to the repair. There was no way to avoid being soaked, but what he hadn't planned on was the rodent's collection of food and extras washing down around him as well.
Most of you are not aware of this, but mice/rats/gophers find dried dog poop especially appealing. I suppose there are a lot of nutrients that go through the dog that the mice find valuable. This rodent had collected a huge quantity of this and it had been rehydrated in the water leak for quite some time. Donald found himself surrounded by this mess, along with half of our compost pile from the garden. As he cleared the way to the leak, he discovered exposed electrical wires and immediately yelled for me to shut down the electric, as he was lying in a large puddle of water and dog poop.
We have taken measures to try to seal up the underside of the house, but we still get mice under there from time to time. We have found some rather large, dead rats that the big white dogs have caught and killed, so we are aware that they are still prowling around.
Another malfunction that occurred with the heater in the house, allowed two of the heating elements to cross and arc so that the heat would not turn off. Fortunately, I was home and aware of the build up of heat around the heater and when the thermostat was unable to shut the elements off, I shut the electric off to the house until we could get it repaired. The potential disaster is unthinkable.
So the other morning when Donald and I both sat bolt upright in bed at 5:00 am to a horrible burning odor, we both dashed to the heater thinking the problem had occurred again. But the elements were fine. The smell was throughout the house, not just at the heater. It was putrid. Donald noticed the blob of grease from greasing bearings in the fan compartment of the heater, but realized there were no bearings to grease in this particular fan. Suddenly he realized that it was not grease, but flesh. Upon further investigation, hair, bones, a tail and feet were discovered within the motor. During the night while the fan was not running this smart little mouse found a warm little compartment to crawl into for a nap. But when the thermostat registered to switch the motor on to run the fan, the little devil was sliced and diced and then.....roasted. The smell of roasted mouse filled the house. Donald disassembled the unit to take outside to wash with the hose. But the freezing temperatures had frozen the pump for the well and we were without water and of course with out heat.
We ended up having to replace the motor on the heater and eventually the remains were cleaned from the rest of the unit. Unfortunately, the mouse didn't live to tell his tale and spread the word to stay out from under our house. It is likely some other critter will find the underside of our house and try to move in and we will just have to continue to deal with the trespassers.
I'm not sure many can say they have been awakened to the smell of roasted mouse. I am not sure that I really want to be able to say so, but I can. This house offers a variety of challenges; cabin fever, bickering teen-agers, storage stacked in corners, doors that can be opened seasonally, electric bills to awe the reader, critters and their destruction. Maybe some day we will get back to a new house plan on the list, but we will just perservere for now.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
February Begins
Progress on the post holes has been very frustrating. We will be trying a Bobcat this weekend. The auger bit on the tractor is just not cutting into the ground well enough and we'll be at this till winter at the rate we're going. We need to be able to just cut through so we can move on to the process of concreting the posts into the holes. In the meantime, we ride around where the arena will eventually be....wishful thinking.
Two horses, Anya and Jeepers, have been having trouble keeping their weight on this winter. All of the horses have had their teeth checked so I know that isn't the problem. I have been giving them supplements to try and fatten them up. Rice bran has helped in the past for these two, so I am hopeful it will work again. Jeepers has the tendency to bolt his food, meaning he gobbles it up and then he chokes on the accumulation in his throat. There is a little dip at the end of the neck, where the esophagus intersects with the stomach. The food gets balled up at that dip and creates a blockage. We have had to have him tubed to draw it back out once, and don't want to go through that again. I have large rocks in the bottom of his feeder so that he has to root around a bit to get to the pellets, preventing him from getting large mouthfuls at a time. The horses are being rotated on the pastures, one with winter pasture and one without. So the grass is helping with the nutritional needs, especially for our two skinny ones.
The Freedom Rangers chickens that were held back as breeders are doing well overall. The pullets started laying recently. They are unique for us, as they have been laying double and even triple yolkers consistently. I am waiting until this levels off before saving eggs for incubation. Two roosters were saved with ten hens. I had hoped to be able to keep them all together, but it did not work out. I heard a horrible screaming from their pen one day and found one rooster on top of the other, fighting very violently. I got the loser out from under the other, but his foot was injured in the process of being smashed into the ground. I separated him, hoping that it would heal up as most do. I gave him his own set of five hens. Unfortunately, he really has not healed well and I am not sure his job requirements will be fulfilled. I will have to check the eggs for fertility in the next week or so. If they are not fertile, I will have a decision to make.
We are very happy to have the majority of the hens laying more regularly now. So far today we have already gotten a dozen eggs and several more should be found later in the day. It is nice to not be wanting for eggs and we have started giving some to our chicken-less neighbors. I will take a nicely arranged rainbow colored carton to mom and dad today.
We are supposed to have a pretty chilly week this week, with freeze warnings starting tonight. I intend on shutting all the waterers off this evening to prevent any bib bursting in the morning. All the animal waterers will have to be filled tonight, because the hoses will be frozen most of the morning.
We finally had the diesel tank filled, so that I don't have to run into town and buy fuel at a commercial price in five gallon cans. It will seem like a luxury. We just got the farm/pink diesel to run in the tractors and farm implements.
Ongoing repairs and maintenance seem to have eaten up a lot of our free time lately. But this is the season for greasing and attending to all the vehicles and accessories. The summer heat and use of the equipment in the hay season makes it difficult to have to do any of these chores at that time.
We are thankful we are here as we hear about all the snow storms across the country. I will try to remember this when summer is in full swing.
Two horses, Anya and Jeepers, have been having trouble keeping their weight on this winter. All of the horses have had their teeth checked so I know that isn't the problem. I have been giving them supplements to try and fatten them up. Rice bran has helped in the past for these two, so I am hopeful it will work again. Jeepers has the tendency to bolt his food, meaning he gobbles it up and then he chokes on the accumulation in his throat. There is a little dip at the end of the neck, where the esophagus intersects with the stomach. The food gets balled up at that dip and creates a blockage. We have had to have him tubed to draw it back out once, and don't want to go through that again. I have large rocks in the bottom of his feeder so that he has to root around a bit to get to the pellets, preventing him from getting large mouthfuls at a time. The horses are being rotated on the pastures, one with winter pasture and one without. So the grass is helping with the nutritional needs, especially for our two skinny ones.
The Freedom Rangers chickens that were held back as breeders are doing well overall. The pullets started laying recently. They are unique for us, as they have been laying double and even triple yolkers consistently. I am waiting until this levels off before saving eggs for incubation. Two roosters were saved with ten hens. I had hoped to be able to keep them all together, but it did not work out. I heard a horrible screaming from their pen one day and found one rooster on top of the other, fighting very violently. I got the loser out from under the other, but his foot was injured in the process of being smashed into the ground. I separated him, hoping that it would heal up as most do. I gave him his own set of five hens. Unfortunately, he really has not healed well and I am not sure his job requirements will be fulfilled. I will have to check the eggs for fertility in the next week or so. If they are not fertile, I will have a decision to make.
We are very happy to have the majority of the hens laying more regularly now. So far today we have already gotten a dozen eggs and several more should be found later in the day. It is nice to not be wanting for eggs and we have started giving some to our chicken-less neighbors. I will take a nicely arranged rainbow colored carton to mom and dad today.
We are supposed to have a pretty chilly week this week, with freeze warnings starting tonight. I intend on shutting all the waterers off this evening to prevent any bib bursting in the morning. All the animal waterers will have to be filled tonight, because the hoses will be frozen most of the morning.
We finally had the diesel tank filled, so that I don't have to run into town and buy fuel at a commercial price in five gallon cans. It will seem like a luxury. We just got the farm/pink diesel to run in the tractors and farm implements.
Ongoing repairs and maintenance seem to have eaten up a lot of our free time lately. But this is the season for greasing and attending to all the vehicles and accessories. The summer heat and use of the equipment in the hay season makes it difficult to have to do any of these chores at that time.
We are thankful we are here as we hear about all the snow storms across the country. I will try to remember this when summer is in full swing.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Prime Climate Time
While the rest of the country is powdered in snow, we are in the prime time of our wonderful climate here in Arizona. We have been taking advantage of the comfortable temperatures to do our outdoor projects. I have set the timer to remind me not to linger on this quick update, for I have more projects that I want to get to before my chauffering duties are required.
We have been trying to drill through the soil for fence posts since before Christmas. The soil is so hard using the auger bit on the tractor, we could only penetrate the surface between 4-10". We would fill the holes with water after drilling and scooping out any remaining loose dirt. The water would soak overnight and we would return for another mere skimming of the hole innards and repeat the process. Donald started looking into replacing the digging teeth on the auger. We started considering that we may need an auger that would dig through rock, but the expense was not something we were ready to commit to yet. Donald took some bent concrete form rods and snipped the tips and welded them onto the auger's teeth, creating a rather nasty looking weapon. It reminds me of a weapon or torture implement of days gone by. We tested it and we made progress. He welded more on and made some more progress. It is still slow going, but we have now drilled all of the holes for the southern end of the arena. It is only 11 holes and the remaining 50 or so feel overwhelming as a whole. I will categorize the process by sides of the arena to feel like there is hope.
By happenstance, we ran into a fellow that did some dirt moving for us years ago. We had wanted to ask his opinion on sources of good bedding sand and AB (for the parking area and under the hay barn). It was nice to run into him because he is a nice guy, but we really wanted his expert opinion on the quarries here locally. We will need to haul in sand for the arena once we get the surface leveled and fencing up. We decided not to do the drainage runs in the arena as we did with the round pen. We can always use the round pen if rains have flooded the arena.
The chicken and turkey processing sessions have concluded for the time being. The breeding set of Freedom Rangers are just starting to lay. The Bourbon Red turkeys will get some nesting boxes in the near future as they typically start laying in February.
We have done a lot of cleaning and clearing around the property. Erin has taken on "decorating" the chicken yard. She has color coordinated the feed bins with fancy labeling. She will be labeling the stalls of the poultry barn with hotel names, and installing a homemade black board with the feed requirements for the different birds. I really appreciate an accomplice in adding a little accent around the ranch. We have had fun the last couple weeks working together.
I will be repainting the trail course poles today. Any unprotected wood around here is vulnerable to the termites. This weekend we should be ready to concrete some posts on the south end of the arena. Yea!
We have been trying to drill through the soil for fence posts since before Christmas. The soil is so hard using the auger bit on the tractor, we could only penetrate the surface between 4-10". We would fill the holes with water after drilling and scooping out any remaining loose dirt. The water would soak overnight and we would return for another mere skimming of the hole innards and repeat the process. Donald started looking into replacing the digging teeth on the auger. We started considering that we may need an auger that would dig through rock, but the expense was not something we were ready to commit to yet. Donald took some bent concrete form rods and snipped the tips and welded them onto the auger's teeth, creating a rather nasty looking weapon. It reminds me of a weapon or torture implement of days gone by. We tested it and we made progress. He welded more on and made some more progress. It is still slow going, but we have now drilled all of the holes for the southern end of the arena. It is only 11 holes and the remaining 50 or so feel overwhelming as a whole. I will categorize the process by sides of the arena to feel like there is hope.
By happenstance, we ran into a fellow that did some dirt moving for us years ago. We had wanted to ask his opinion on sources of good bedding sand and AB (for the parking area and under the hay barn). It was nice to run into him because he is a nice guy, but we really wanted his expert opinion on the quarries here locally. We will need to haul in sand for the arena once we get the surface leveled and fencing up. We decided not to do the drainage runs in the arena as we did with the round pen. We can always use the round pen if rains have flooded the arena.
The chicken and turkey processing sessions have concluded for the time being. The breeding set of Freedom Rangers are just starting to lay. The Bourbon Red turkeys will get some nesting boxes in the near future as they typically start laying in February.
We have done a lot of cleaning and clearing around the property. Erin has taken on "decorating" the chicken yard. She has color coordinated the feed bins with fancy labeling. She will be labeling the stalls of the poultry barn with hotel names, and installing a homemade black board with the feed requirements for the different birds. I really appreciate an accomplice in adding a little accent around the ranch. We have had fun the last couple weeks working together.
I will be repainting the trail course poles today. Any unprotected wood around here is vulnerable to the termites. This weekend we should be ready to concrete some posts on the south end of the arena. Yea!
Friday, December 3, 2010
"Free Range" Turkeys
It has been a busy fall season for us. The kids' activities rev up to full throttle to culminate at the end of the school semester and of course there are the preparations for the holidays. In addition, we have been trying to get fields plowed, disked and planted (not with much help from the weather). The last of the hay deliveries are dwindling now, so the ever-present list is revisited to contemplate which projects to take on or continue.
This year we raised a lamb and had it butchered at University of Arizona. It is now located in our freezer awaiting my final selections for recipes for the various cuts. In addition, we raised Bourbon Red turkeys, and Freedom Ranger meat chickens. As Thanksgiving came closer the accumulation of equipment for the inevitable butchering of the birds was gathered and set up at my "processing station." I intended to do the work outside and had a location selected. After last year's party at the neighbors, I decided that I would try to emulate Joel Salatin's setup on a very small scale.
Donald fashioned a restraining cone or killing cone from some sheet metal. True to form, he started doing mathematical calculations referring to old textbooks, until I threatened to duct tape the metal together myself. It was the last of the equipment necessary for me to get on with the deed.
I decided to just do one turkey by myself. I was feeling a little like the "Little Red Hen." No one wanted anything to do with the work, but they would be willing to help me eat it. I set my goal of one turkey, with the option of continuing if things went smoothly and I was up for it. The night before Donald and I were taking care of animals and we witnessed a large turkey Tom mating with a young female too young for such activity. It was brutal. She was covered in blood and she didn't look like she was going to make it through the night. Donald was livid. He announced that that was the first bird to be butchered. I agreed. We rescued the hen and tried to clean her up some and relocated her in a barn stall by herself to recuperate with any hope. Later, when the birds had roosted Donald caught the offender and put him in a crate.
The next morning I drove Emma to school in Chandler, returned to the ranch and went out to my station to get the propane flame going under the giant pot of water. The water needed to reach between 140-145 degrees. I knew it would take a while for the water to reach temperature, so I fed all the other animals and brought the chosen Tom in the crate down to the station. I had set up on the west side of the horse barn on the fence line between the second field and the horse facilities. It was about a 1/16 of a mile from the turkey pen to the processing station. I figured I didn't want to subject the others, in case things got disturbing. No need upsetting the others if it would indeed be comprehended in some way.
I moved the little red tractor over with the forks on the front end. The trash can was lined with a plastic bag and the knife and loppers were at hand. Then I waited for the water to heat, and thought that tweezers would come in handy and I got some. And I waited, and figured I would get some duct tape to tape some plastic to the table and got that and taped the plastic down. And I waited, and decided to go ahead and fill the cooler with the final rinse and chill water and tore open the bags of ice. And I waited for the water, and went and got some paper towels for they might come in handy. And I waited, and donned my latex gloves as the water was getting closer to temperature. The wind was picking up slightly so I imagined that it was prolonging the heating of the water. And as I waited, I rehearsed the procedure over and over. Sometimes shifting the killing cone tree, sometimes re-adjusting the height of the forks of the tractor. I had thought of everything that I might possibly need for the job. I even got some water to drink in case the job proved a little too much for me. The first part was the part that I had never done. Last year the guys chopped the head off the turkey and it violently flopped around on the ground. I didn't want to do that, so the initial step was unfamiliar. Rehearsing in my mind was my attempt to familiarize myself. I had read several sources and viewed several youtube videos of this initial step.
It was time. The water was heated. My adrenaline was pumping (well that and the latte I had on the way back from Chandler). I was to get the turkey from the crate, carry him to the killing cone tree, step up on the upside down half barrel to get the large bird up and over the lip of the cone, head first, and pull his head through the hole at the bottom of the cone. I closed my eyes like the olympic skiers visualizing my task one more time and then moved forward with purpose and determination. Bear the dog was hanging out with me through my antics.
When I took the bird out of the crate, I was surprised at my strength (may have been the adrenaline) or the manageability of the heavy bird. I did as planned (and rehearsed), and made it to the cone and inserted the turkey head first. The next step was to pull down on the head, so as to slice the jugular vein on each side of the neck with out cutting the trachea. The book said "pull down hard on the head," but I thought there was no reason to be aggressive, all was going well. When at that moment, the bird bucked and kicked, backing out of the cone and went running through the desert! Running through the desert! He left me holding the knife feeling like I had been duped for I had thought of everything, but what to do when the bird went running off.
When I told my dad this story, he said, "now I know why they call them free-range turkeys." Yep he was running free on the range, leaving me with my mouth gaping, with Bear by my side. Bear looked from me to the turkey about four or five times. About that time I got it together and realized that I was going to finish what I set out to do and got to work. I eventually was able to recapture him. And took him back to the cone tree and this time I pulled down firmly and got the job done.
Now I will not lie, it was very difficult to wait on the bird to finally fade. I honestly asked for forgiveness just in case the idea of raising your own food and taking care of the processing, is not looked favorably upon by someone upstairs. I had to make myself not look as I waited. And then I realized that during the time I was chasing the turkey through the desert, the water was still heating and had reached over 20 degrees above my target. I now had to wait for the water to cool! Somehow I kept looking over at the turkey, head down in the cone and willed myself to look elsewhere. I eventually added cold water to the pot to speed up the cooling and was able to continue.
I had used a piece of wire to tie between the turkeys feet and lifted him with a broom stick and dipped and lifted and dipped and lifted and then tested the feathers. When the tail feathers pulled out relatively easily, I carried the bird to the forks and placed the broom stick across the forks so the bird hung in front of me. I took the trashcan from the cone tree and placed it under the turkey for the feathers. I removed the more difficult feathers from the wings and tail first. This went smoothly, really not difficult at all. At this point, I decided I would be able to pretend that it was just a turkey from the grocery if I got rid of the head. So I did and dropped it into the trash can and removed all the feathers and was aware that my revulsion had subsided.
I removed the oil gland from the back above the tail. My back was starting to ache a bit and I realized that I was hunched over the job and started up the tractor and lifted the forks again. Over time I realized that the hydraulics on the tractor would slowly, imperceptively lower the forks. I had to continually re-adjust them for I was becoming more determined to remove all of the pin feathers. It was no longer that turkey from earlier in the morning it was this never-ending pin feather removal job. I was going cross-eyed and had to rinse repeatedly to make sure I had gotten them all, only to find a few more.
Now the removal of the crop on the birds still eludes me. I don't feed for at least 12 hrs before butchering so there won't be any food left in the crop and won't contaminate the bird if it is accidentally torn or cut spilling its contents. Well I have not been able to figure this one out yet. I know that the esophagus connects to it and have located that, but the crop collapses into tissue when its empty. I just clean it all out in the end, so I know I've gotten it, but I can't do the identification in the disection.
I then lowered the bird to the table onto the previously placed plastic. I opened up the vent end, removed all the innards. This is not as gross as I thought it would be. It all comes out sort of together if it is done right and then its a matter of rinsing thoroughly and removing the newly discovered pin feathers here and there. Then I put it in an ice bath in the cooler. I tied up the trash bag and took it to our dumpster to dispose of and got the scale out to weigh the dressed bird.
This first bird weighed about 12 pounds and I was so sore across my shoulders when I finished I could barely get it bagged and carried to the refridgerator to chill for 48 hours. The goal had been reached, but I wasn't about to take on any more that day. I did it. One down, nine to go.
The next session a couple of days later, I did two more Toms. And the next session, Donald helped me. His job was to make sure no one bucked their way out of the cone and to look up at the sky until the bird was underwater. He actually sped up the feather plucking process, but then started feeding Bear the organs; big mistake. Now I can't leave anything unattended for he overturns the can and carries parts off to bury all over the ranch. I found a chicken head by the horse's water trough the other day. I am sensitive enough that I know Emma would be repulsed and disgusted by such a discovery, so I have been stalking him to relocate other parts that he has made off with and re-buries seemingly on a whim.
I am still not done with the butchering. I have to take a couple days off after a batch for my shoulders and upper back to recover. It is definitely easier with one other person, but I wouldn't dream of asking anyone for help. I will persevere and get them all done and then pack up the equipment until it is time to start again next year some time.
Thanksgiving was rewarding for me. Donald really dislikes turkey meat, but he really liked the turkey this year. And no he wasn't just saying that. He won't eat what he doesn't like and he ate several helpings this year. I did cook it breast side down initially and will do that in the future. It makes for a much moister breast meat. The chicken that I have prepared from our flock was very good. Knowing that they have been raised organically makes me satsified.
I feel like I am doing something good for our family by avoiding some of the unknowns of factory-produced food. Our animals, yes they end up on the table just like the ones we buy at the store, but for the time they are alive they are raised humanely and in a healthy enviroment. I wish there were more small farmers raising food like this so that I could support them and reap the benefits. These products do tend to cost more and I know that makes it difficult for many to justify in their budgets. Sometimes I just can't afford some items at times and have to forgo, but with the increasing health problems in this country, I am not sure we don't just pay for it in the end anyway.
I was in a situation last week that I had to eat at a fast food place. I knew I wouldn't get anything else to eat for a while and there was no other reasonable option where we were, so I ate it. I, by no means intend to sound righteous, but I felt horrible after eating that food. I was dying of thirst too. I had forgotten about the high levels of sodium in processed foods. I just hadn't eaten anything like that long enough I had forgotten the effects. I would rather have a block of cheese with some crackers or whole grain bread and a few apple wedges anyday! It was a real revelation to me.
So now I know from where the term "Free Range" comes. If you can't laugh at yourself, you're going about things the wrong way.
This year we raised a lamb and had it butchered at University of Arizona. It is now located in our freezer awaiting my final selections for recipes for the various cuts. In addition, we raised Bourbon Red turkeys, and Freedom Ranger meat chickens. As Thanksgiving came closer the accumulation of equipment for the inevitable butchering of the birds was gathered and set up at my "processing station." I intended to do the work outside and had a location selected. After last year's party at the neighbors, I decided that I would try to emulate Joel Salatin's setup on a very small scale.
Donald fashioned a restraining cone or killing cone from some sheet metal. True to form, he started doing mathematical calculations referring to old textbooks, until I threatened to duct tape the metal together myself. It was the last of the equipment necessary for me to get on with the deed.
I decided to just do one turkey by myself. I was feeling a little like the "Little Red Hen." No one wanted anything to do with the work, but they would be willing to help me eat it. I set my goal of one turkey, with the option of continuing if things went smoothly and I was up for it. The night before Donald and I were taking care of animals and we witnessed a large turkey Tom mating with a young female too young for such activity. It was brutal. She was covered in blood and she didn't look like she was going to make it through the night. Donald was livid. He announced that that was the first bird to be butchered. I agreed. We rescued the hen and tried to clean her up some and relocated her in a barn stall by herself to recuperate with any hope. Later, when the birds had roosted Donald caught the offender and put him in a crate.
The next morning I drove Emma to school in Chandler, returned to the ranch and went out to my station to get the propane flame going under the giant pot of water. The water needed to reach between 140-145 degrees. I knew it would take a while for the water to reach temperature, so I fed all the other animals and brought the chosen Tom in the crate down to the station. I had set up on the west side of the horse barn on the fence line between the second field and the horse facilities. It was about a 1/16 of a mile from the turkey pen to the processing station. I figured I didn't want to subject the others, in case things got disturbing. No need upsetting the others if it would indeed be comprehended in some way.
I moved the little red tractor over with the forks on the front end. The trash can was lined with a plastic bag and the knife and loppers were at hand. Then I waited for the water to heat, and thought that tweezers would come in handy and I got some. And I waited, and figured I would get some duct tape to tape some plastic to the table and got that and taped the plastic down. And I waited, and decided to go ahead and fill the cooler with the final rinse and chill water and tore open the bags of ice. And I waited for the water, and went and got some paper towels for they might come in handy. And I waited, and donned my latex gloves as the water was getting closer to temperature. The wind was picking up slightly so I imagined that it was prolonging the heating of the water. And as I waited, I rehearsed the procedure over and over. Sometimes shifting the killing cone tree, sometimes re-adjusting the height of the forks of the tractor. I had thought of everything that I might possibly need for the job. I even got some water to drink in case the job proved a little too much for me. The first part was the part that I had never done. Last year the guys chopped the head off the turkey and it violently flopped around on the ground. I didn't want to do that, so the initial step was unfamiliar. Rehearsing in my mind was my attempt to familiarize myself. I had read several sources and viewed several youtube videos of this initial step.
It was time. The water was heated. My adrenaline was pumping (well that and the latte I had on the way back from Chandler). I was to get the turkey from the crate, carry him to the killing cone tree, step up on the upside down half barrel to get the large bird up and over the lip of the cone, head first, and pull his head through the hole at the bottom of the cone. I closed my eyes like the olympic skiers visualizing my task one more time and then moved forward with purpose and determination. Bear the dog was hanging out with me through my antics.
When I took the bird out of the crate, I was surprised at my strength (may have been the adrenaline) or the manageability of the heavy bird. I did as planned (and rehearsed), and made it to the cone and inserted the turkey head first. The next step was to pull down on the head, so as to slice the jugular vein on each side of the neck with out cutting the trachea. The book said "pull down hard on the head," but I thought there was no reason to be aggressive, all was going well. When at that moment, the bird bucked and kicked, backing out of the cone and went running through the desert! Running through the desert! He left me holding the knife feeling like I had been duped for I had thought of everything, but what to do when the bird went running off.
When I told my dad this story, he said, "now I know why they call them free-range turkeys." Yep he was running free on the range, leaving me with my mouth gaping, with Bear by my side. Bear looked from me to the turkey about four or five times. About that time I got it together and realized that I was going to finish what I set out to do and got to work. I eventually was able to recapture him. And took him back to the cone tree and this time I pulled down firmly and got the job done.
Now I will not lie, it was very difficult to wait on the bird to finally fade. I honestly asked for forgiveness just in case the idea of raising your own food and taking care of the processing, is not looked favorably upon by someone upstairs. I had to make myself not look as I waited. And then I realized that during the time I was chasing the turkey through the desert, the water was still heating and had reached over 20 degrees above my target. I now had to wait for the water to cool! Somehow I kept looking over at the turkey, head down in the cone and willed myself to look elsewhere. I eventually added cold water to the pot to speed up the cooling and was able to continue.
I had used a piece of wire to tie between the turkeys feet and lifted him with a broom stick and dipped and lifted and dipped and lifted and then tested the feathers. When the tail feathers pulled out relatively easily, I carried the bird to the forks and placed the broom stick across the forks so the bird hung in front of me. I took the trashcan from the cone tree and placed it under the turkey for the feathers. I removed the more difficult feathers from the wings and tail first. This went smoothly, really not difficult at all. At this point, I decided I would be able to pretend that it was just a turkey from the grocery if I got rid of the head. So I did and dropped it into the trash can and removed all the feathers and was aware that my revulsion had subsided.
I removed the oil gland from the back above the tail. My back was starting to ache a bit and I realized that I was hunched over the job and started up the tractor and lifted the forks again. Over time I realized that the hydraulics on the tractor would slowly, imperceptively lower the forks. I had to continually re-adjust them for I was becoming more determined to remove all of the pin feathers. It was no longer that turkey from earlier in the morning it was this never-ending pin feather removal job. I was going cross-eyed and had to rinse repeatedly to make sure I had gotten them all, only to find a few more.
Now the removal of the crop on the birds still eludes me. I don't feed for at least 12 hrs before butchering so there won't be any food left in the crop and won't contaminate the bird if it is accidentally torn or cut spilling its contents. Well I have not been able to figure this one out yet. I know that the esophagus connects to it and have located that, but the crop collapses into tissue when its empty. I just clean it all out in the end, so I know I've gotten it, but I can't do the identification in the disection.
I then lowered the bird to the table onto the previously placed plastic. I opened up the vent end, removed all the innards. This is not as gross as I thought it would be. It all comes out sort of together if it is done right and then its a matter of rinsing thoroughly and removing the newly discovered pin feathers here and there. Then I put it in an ice bath in the cooler. I tied up the trash bag and took it to our dumpster to dispose of and got the scale out to weigh the dressed bird.
This first bird weighed about 12 pounds and I was so sore across my shoulders when I finished I could barely get it bagged and carried to the refridgerator to chill for 48 hours. The goal had been reached, but I wasn't about to take on any more that day. I did it. One down, nine to go.
The next session a couple of days later, I did two more Toms. And the next session, Donald helped me. His job was to make sure no one bucked their way out of the cone and to look up at the sky until the bird was underwater. He actually sped up the feather plucking process, but then started feeding Bear the organs; big mistake. Now I can't leave anything unattended for he overturns the can and carries parts off to bury all over the ranch. I found a chicken head by the horse's water trough the other day. I am sensitive enough that I know Emma would be repulsed and disgusted by such a discovery, so I have been stalking him to relocate other parts that he has made off with and re-buries seemingly on a whim.
I am still not done with the butchering. I have to take a couple days off after a batch for my shoulders and upper back to recover. It is definitely easier with one other person, but I wouldn't dream of asking anyone for help. I will persevere and get them all done and then pack up the equipment until it is time to start again next year some time.
Thanksgiving was rewarding for me. Donald really dislikes turkey meat, but he really liked the turkey this year. And no he wasn't just saying that. He won't eat what he doesn't like and he ate several helpings this year. I did cook it breast side down initially and will do that in the future. It makes for a much moister breast meat. The chicken that I have prepared from our flock was very good. Knowing that they have been raised organically makes me satsified.
I feel like I am doing something good for our family by avoiding some of the unknowns of factory-produced food. Our animals, yes they end up on the table just like the ones we buy at the store, but for the time they are alive they are raised humanely and in a healthy enviroment. I wish there were more small farmers raising food like this so that I could support them and reap the benefits. These products do tend to cost more and I know that makes it difficult for many to justify in their budgets. Sometimes I just can't afford some items at times and have to forgo, but with the increasing health problems in this country, I am not sure we don't just pay for it in the end anyway.
I was in a situation last week that I had to eat at a fast food place. I knew I wouldn't get anything else to eat for a while and there was no other reasonable option where we were, so I ate it. I, by no means intend to sound righteous, but I felt horrible after eating that food. I was dying of thirst too. I had forgotten about the high levels of sodium in processed foods. I just hadn't eaten anything like that long enough I had forgotten the effects. I would rather have a block of cheese with some crackers or whole grain bread and a few apple wedges anyday! It was a real revelation to me.
So now I know from where the term "Free Range" comes. If you can't laugh at yourself, you're going about things the wrong way.
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