One question that I see a lot for confined animals is: "what is the best type of bedding to use?" So I will address this for as many of the common livestock species as I can. First, most of the large livestock: horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; will require no bedding if they are pasture kept. In barns or birth jugs, it's best to bed down with either pine shavings or sawdust as that is the easiest to keep clean.
If you have an enclosure for your poultry that involves them being confined indoors on a concrete or wooden floor, I recommend using sand, as that is the easiest to keep clean for birds. For cage-reared rabbits indoors, first I recommend keeping them on a metal wire floor, for sanitary reasons, and second I recommend using either wood pellets or wood shavings. If outdoors, there's honestly no reason to use any bedding at all! If you clean the pan out weekly, it will be sufficiently ventilated that you should never notice any odor. Newspaper is absorbent, but it will do nothing beneficial for your garden, nor will it aid in odor reduction in any way.
Some alternatives, pros/cons:
Cat litter: (clay), absorbent, little odor control, VERY heavy!, hard to dispose. (clumping), still heavy, hard to access, expensive!
Wood or newspaper pellets: can be heavy (depending on type), excellent absorption, can be put in compost pile or directly on garden, little to no odor control
Equine fresh: very good odor control, expensive!!
Cedar shavings: NEVER use! No good as a bedding type due to phenol content
Pine shavings: (regular) shouldn't be used other than as a barn additive for larger livestock (kiln dried) preferred bedding for smaller animals
Carefresh: this one is put here as a joke! Homesteaders, save your money and steer away from this entirely! There are much more cost effective beddings out there!
Cut up cardboard: I cannot recall the brand, but this is an excellent bedding material for small animals. Somewhat hard to clean out, would be fine on the compost pile, cost effective and 'different', it works best laid over top a single layer of wood pellets.
Shredded/layered newspaper: Layers seem to work better in pans and carriers, nicely absorbent, no odor control at all, needs to be changed frequently.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Breeds: Rabbits for the Homesteader
The American Rabbit Breeders Association recognizes 47 pure breeds for showing purposes. The homesteader will generally have little purpose for most of them. Generally, most of these modern breeds were designed for the modern person: they are small and slightly ostentatious. For the homesteader there are 3 general categories of interest: meat production, fur/skin production, and wool production. There is another aspect of rabbits, pet production, though for most homesteaders this will be a rare and generally unnecessary aspect. If you can sell a few extra youngsters as pets, great! But don't expect much of a market for the breeds that work best on a homestead. Many breeds can/will give you multiple purposes.
For instance, you can eat any rabbit of any breed you raise, however certain breeds and breed combinations will give you the best tasting/quantity of meat for the lowest expense. The 2 best known for meat production are the New Zealand (known best for it's maternal abilities) and the Californian (known for it's terminal abilities). The cross of these breeds is often known as a Smut. These 3 breeds will yield the highest meat quantity, at the youngest age, utilizing the least feed, with the best meat to bone ratio of any other breed in existence. Don't be fooled, bigger is not always better. The most common temptation is to find the largest breed, the Flemish Giant, and cross into the meat herd. Resist the urge, Flemish are one of the slowest growing breeds with some of the worst meat to bone ratios of any other breed (they have very large and heavy bones)! If you don't mind holding the growers to an older age (increasing the 'texture' of the meat), you could also utilize these rabbits for their furs.
Some of the more common breeds raised mainly for their furs are the Havana, a medium breed with a luxurious smooth coat, and the Rex, a larger breed with an extremely plush coat. Rabbits raised primarily for their furs generally need to be kept until around 10 months of age, when the fur would be "prime" and full. Compared to meat rabbits raised to around 2-4 months, this can feel like an eternity! However, on a younger rabbit the skin would be too fragile and thin to work. Conversely, rabbits kept for their furs until an older age will not have meat as tender as that of the younger animals. It is truly a paradox! You can certainly keep the skins of younger animals, though they will be much more fragile, but you will have tender meat. You can certainly eat the meat of the older fur animals, but it will likely be 'tougher'.
The last aspect for a homesteader to consider would be to choose a breed for wool production. The best part about raising rabbits for this is that the rabbit need not be killed to harvest the wool. In truth, many of them seem to truly relish the attention lavished on them! These rabbits do require a certain level of care that the other breeds do not, especially if you wish to harvest the maximum quantity of usable fiber from them. The only breeds that can really be used for this purpose are the Angoras: Giant, Satin, French, German, and English. Honestly choosing your Angora breed will come to a personal decision, as they all have the potential to give you beautiful fiber. The Giant will yield the greatest amount, though these rabbits tend to be the most expensive and difficult to locate. The Satin will yield a beautiful wool that has a shine to it, unique to that breed. The English is the smallest of the Angoras, though it also tends to have some of the finest wool. They are characterized by their general similarity to a "cotton ball". I'll go into raising rabbits specifically for wool at a later time.
Of course there are several other breeds one could consider. Rare heritage breeds such as the American or Beveren. Marked breeds such as the Rhinelander, Dutch, or English Spot. Giant breeds such as the Giant Chinchilla, moderate breeds such as the Lilac, or small breeds such as the Netherland Dwarf. Exotic breeds like the Britannia Petite or Himalayan, new breeds such as the Thrianta, and fluffy breeds such as the Jersey Wooly.
Take care to choose the breed for your homestead carefully so as to maximize your benefits.
For instance, you can eat any rabbit of any breed you raise, however certain breeds and breed combinations will give you the best tasting/quantity of meat for the lowest expense. The 2 best known for meat production are the New Zealand (known best for it's maternal abilities) and the Californian (known for it's terminal abilities). The cross of these breeds is often known as a Smut. These 3 breeds will yield the highest meat quantity, at the youngest age, utilizing the least feed, with the best meat to bone ratio of any other breed in existence. Don't be fooled, bigger is not always better. The most common temptation is to find the largest breed, the Flemish Giant, and cross into the meat herd. Resist the urge, Flemish are one of the slowest growing breeds with some of the worst meat to bone ratios of any other breed (they have very large and heavy bones)! If you don't mind holding the growers to an older age (increasing the 'texture' of the meat), you could also utilize these rabbits for their furs.
Some of the more common breeds raised mainly for their furs are the Havana, a medium breed with a luxurious smooth coat, and the Rex, a larger breed with an extremely plush coat. Rabbits raised primarily for their furs generally need to be kept until around 10 months of age, when the fur would be "prime" and full. Compared to meat rabbits raised to around 2-4 months, this can feel like an eternity! However, on a younger rabbit the skin would be too fragile and thin to work. Conversely, rabbits kept for their furs until an older age will not have meat as tender as that of the younger animals. It is truly a paradox! You can certainly keep the skins of younger animals, though they will be much more fragile, but you will have tender meat. You can certainly eat the meat of the older fur animals, but it will likely be 'tougher'.
The last aspect for a homesteader to consider would be to choose a breed for wool production. The best part about raising rabbits for this is that the rabbit need not be killed to harvest the wool. In truth, many of them seem to truly relish the attention lavished on them! These rabbits do require a certain level of care that the other breeds do not, especially if you wish to harvest the maximum quantity of usable fiber from them. The only breeds that can really be used for this purpose are the Angoras: Giant, Satin, French, German, and English. Honestly choosing your Angora breed will come to a personal decision, as they all have the potential to give you beautiful fiber. The Giant will yield the greatest amount, though these rabbits tend to be the most expensive and difficult to locate. The Satin will yield a beautiful wool that has a shine to it, unique to that breed. The English is the smallest of the Angoras, though it also tends to have some of the finest wool. They are characterized by their general similarity to a "cotton ball". I'll go into raising rabbits specifically for wool at a later time.
Of course there are several other breeds one could consider. Rare heritage breeds such as the American or Beveren. Marked breeds such as the Rhinelander, Dutch, or English Spot. Giant breeds such as the Giant Chinchilla, moderate breeds such as the Lilac, or small breeds such as the Netherland Dwarf. Exotic breeds like the Britannia Petite or Himalayan, new breeds such as the Thrianta, and fluffy breeds such as the Jersey Wooly.
Take care to choose the breed for your homestead carefully so as to maximize your benefits.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Cutting up Chicken into Fryer Pieces
This is a task that every person, regardless of homestead or home-maker should know how to do. Especially given the ever increasing cost of food. Cutting up a chicken really helps when you have birds that aren't quite "pretty" enough to be a roaster, and it increases the usefulness of your carcasses. Starting with an entire cleaned bird, place the carcass with the legs facing you. Using a flat-blade, well-sharpened knife, cut down through the skin beside the legs to free them up. At this point you are only cutting skin. Take both legs in your hand and push down flat against the back to 'pop' the joints loose, it makes it easier to remove the thigh bone later. Look into the carcass and find the rib cage, cut down the ribs to the spine. Then bend the carcass in half, bending at the back until the spine breaks. Use your knife to cut through the soft tissue and separate the carcass into front and back halves.
Take the back half and bend it backwards at the point of the spine. The bones should break, allowing you to separate the leg quarters from each other. Bend the leg at the joint and cut around between the leg and thigh muscles, cutting through the joint to separate the leg from the thigh. Wash and put these aside.
Next pull the front half of the bird to you. Place breast side up and wing side towards you. Start cutting around the ball of the wing, pulling the wing down as you go. There is a joint that will separate and the wing come away from the rest of the carcass. Repeat with the other wing. Set these aside. You have remaining the back and the breast. You can leave this whole, or separate the back and de-bone the breast.
To separate the back simply turn the carcass breast side down. Using a pair of butcher scissors or pruning shears (well cleaned), insert the shears into the side of the bird and cut through the ribs. Push in farther until all the ribs have been cut. Repeat on the other side. Turn the carcass around, insert the shears beside the neck, and cut through the clavicle bone on both sides. Then use your knife to cut through the meat, releasing the back. Set aside.
Finally you have the breast. Turn the breast up and sharpen your knife, it will need to be very sharp to de-bone the breast meat. I highly recommend de-boning the breast since it is very easy to do. You'll see a demarcation line between the breasts, this is where the keel bone is located. Make the first slice along this line, from top to bottom. Remember there is a bone there, angle your knife in towards the bone so that you can be sure to shave away as much meat as possible from it. Slice by slice, carefully deepen the cut down the keel bone and along the ribs until you have freed the meat from the bottom of the rib cage. There is another small rib bone below the keel that you'll need to scrape along. After freeing the bottom of the breast, work on removing the top with as much meat as possible. Remember this is where the 'wishbone' is located, so you'll have to work around it. Try to leave as little meat behind as possible. After freeing up the first side, repeat the process on the other side. When you are finished, you should have 2 large boneless breasts.
Wash the parts, separate as desired, and store or cook as you wish!
Take the back half and bend it backwards at the point of the spine. The bones should break, allowing you to separate the leg quarters from each other. Bend the leg at the joint and cut around between the leg and thigh muscles, cutting through the joint to separate the leg from the thigh. Wash and put these aside.
Next pull the front half of the bird to you. Place breast side up and wing side towards you. Start cutting around the ball of the wing, pulling the wing down as you go. There is a joint that will separate and the wing come away from the rest of the carcass. Repeat with the other wing. Set these aside. You have remaining the back and the breast. You can leave this whole, or separate the back and de-bone the breast.
To separate the back simply turn the carcass breast side down. Using a pair of butcher scissors or pruning shears (well cleaned), insert the shears into the side of the bird and cut through the ribs. Push in farther until all the ribs have been cut. Repeat on the other side. Turn the carcass around, insert the shears beside the neck, and cut through the clavicle bone on both sides. Then use your knife to cut through the meat, releasing the back. Set aside.
Finally you have the breast. Turn the breast up and sharpen your knife, it will need to be very sharp to de-bone the breast meat. I highly recommend de-boning the breast since it is very easy to do. You'll see a demarcation line between the breasts, this is where the keel bone is located. Make the first slice along this line, from top to bottom. Remember there is a bone there, angle your knife in towards the bone so that you can be sure to shave away as much meat as possible from it. Slice by slice, carefully deepen the cut down the keel bone and along the ribs until you have freed the meat from the bottom of the rib cage. There is another small rib bone below the keel that you'll need to scrape along. After freeing the bottom of the breast, work on removing the top with as much meat as possible. Remember this is where the 'wishbone' is located, so you'll have to work around it. Try to leave as little meat behind as possible. After freeing up the first side, repeat the process on the other side. When you are finished, you should have 2 large boneless breasts.
Wash the parts, separate as desired, and store or cook as you wish!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Raising Rabbits
Rabbits are a wonderful way of getting your feet wet raising your own meat on limited space and budget. They tend to be less smelly than chickens and their reproductive methods are not only faster, but easier on the homesteader. Of course, it's a good idea to actually keep both rabbits and chickens, and while they should not be kept together openly, there is nothing wrong with your chickens and rabbits sharing a barn. Of course one of the biggest hurdles for many new homesteaders is actually killing and then eating your own rabbits. A few tips I offer, first do not name any offspring you intend to butcher, naming tends to increase a bond with the animal. Keep personal interaction with your grower rabbits to a minimum, lavish that attention on your brood rabbits instead.
A few things to keep in mind about rabbits: First, the meat is highly nutritious and lean. The meat will have a texture and flavor similar to chicken and can be used in exactly the same recipes. To make ground rabbit or rabbit sausage you will need to add some fat from other meat as it is too lean by itself, also it grinds easier if it is slightly frozen. Meat is not the only product your rabbits can give to you! Rabbit manure is very valuable as fertilizer in that it requires no composting, just add straight from the pan to the garden. Some rabbits can produce fine wool that can be spun by itself or combined with other fiber for luxurious yarns. Rabbit skins can be preserved and given a great number of uses, or sell them as green or tanned hides. Worms can even be raised in manure beds.
Rabbit feed can be supplemented by "green manure" from your garden: beet/carrot tops, melon rinds (in moderation), cut grass, radish greens, even honeysuckle, fresh green pine branches, and bamboo greens! Be careful not to feed too much fresh foods to rabbits less than 6 months of age. Overall, rabbits require very little input as compared to potential production of any livestock species in existence today.
There are two main methods and ideology for raising rabbits for production. One allows you to minimize your space needs and also identify exact parentage, this is cage rearing. The other will maximize overall production output by allowing the rabbits to "do what rabbits do" through colony rearing. Both methods will need some planning and basic materials to get started. Cage rearing you will need enough cages to comfortably house each brood rabbit individually. Each cage should be twice the length of the rabbit, stretched out, though larger is always better. Bucks should have ample space to mount a stretched out doe to breed. Pregnant does and growing brood juniors (bucks and does after weaning, but less than 6 months of age) require less space. Does with litters will need more space even than bucks. And you will need to account for at least 1 very large cage per litter for rearing your growers to butchering weight. You will also need enough feed and water bowls for each rabbit, and a large feed hopper for each grower pen/cage. I recommend your cages have a wire floor, but be prepared to also add a plank, tile, board, or mat of some kind to give the rabbits' feet a rest from the wire.
Cage rearing is fairly simple, always take the doe to the buck's cage for breeding. Rabbits do not have a 'heat cycle' they can breed anytime of the day or year, though they tend to be more receptive during the spring/summer than fall/winter. Perseverance is key though, if you want off-season litters, keep at them! The buck should mount the doe and attempt to breed. If she is receptive, she should stretch and lift her hindquarter. The buck should grunt and fall over, this is how you know the breeding was successful. Allow the buck to breed her 2-3 times more, then remove the doe. Take her back about 8 hours later to increase litter size. Mark your calendar for 31 days hence. Move the doe to a kindling (birth/litter) cage after about 2 weeks and offer her a nest with straw/shavings in it about 3-4 days prior to her due date. Then watch carefully. She should pull fur for the babies, if you see a pile of fur in the nest, you can carefully pull back to see if the babies are ok. If so, leave them alone. The doe may not even go back to the nest for up to 24 hours, this is perfectly normal. Check them daily for the first few days to be sure their bellies are rounded out. Well-fed babies should appear plump at all times, if they begin to appear slim and wrinkled she isn't feeding them. We'll go into that later though.
Colony rearing is slightly less labor intensive, though a little more space consuming. You would actually setup and prepare a large area fully fenced on all sides (don't forget the floor, rabbits can and will try to dig burrows! If they are successful, you will not be able to control the population and might not even be able to have a handle on total number or catch the young for consumption!) The rabbits would need to have sufficient feed and water available at all times. They will also require nest boxes or a well kept area of straw/hay for rearing litters. You will still need to check litters to be sure that any that die early are removed promptly. In this method you may use one buck for several does. You will know which is the sire of any given offspring, but will never know which is the dam. This is a great way to let "rabbits be rabbits" in a controlled way.
Whichever method you choose to keep your rabbits, have fun with them! Rabbits are a joy, and they're mighty tasty too!!
A few things to keep in mind about rabbits: First, the meat is highly nutritious and lean. The meat will have a texture and flavor similar to chicken and can be used in exactly the same recipes. To make ground rabbit or rabbit sausage you will need to add some fat from other meat as it is too lean by itself, also it grinds easier if it is slightly frozen. Meat is not the only product your rabbits can give to you! Rabbit manure is very valuable as fertilizer in that it requires no composting, just add straight from the pan to the garden. Some rabbits can produce fine wool that can be spun by itself or combined with other fiber for luxurious yarns. Rabbit skins can be preserved and given a great number of uses, or sell them as green or tanned hides. Worms can even be raised in manure beds.
Rabbit feed can be supplemented by "green manure" from your garden: beet/carrot tops, melon rinds (in moderation), cut grass, radish greens, even honeysuckle, fresh green pine branches, and bamboo greens! Be careful not to feed too much fresh foods to rabbits less than 6 months of age. Overall, rabbits require very little input as compared to potential production of any livestock species in existence today.
There are two main methods and ideology for raising rabbits for production. One allows you to minimize your space needs and also identify exact parentage, this is cage rearing. The other will maximize overall production output by allowing the rabbits to "do what rabbits do" through colony rearing. Both methods will need some planning and basic materials to get started. Cage rearing you will need enough cages to comfortably house each brood rabbit individually. Each cage should be twice the length of the rabbit, stretched out, though larger is always better. Bucks should have ample space to mount a stretched out doe to breed. Pregnant does and growing brood juniors (bucks and does after weaning, but less than 6 months of age) require less space. Does with litters will need more space even than bucks. And you will need to account for at least 1 very large cage per litter for rearing your growers to butchering weight. You will also need enough feed and water bowls for each rabbit, and a large feed hopper for each grower pen/cage. I recommend your cages have a wire floor, but be prepared to also add a plank, tile, board, or mat of some kind to give the rabbits' feet a rest from the wire.
Cage rearing is fairly simple, always take the doe to the buck's cage for breeding. Rabbits do not have a 'heat cycle' they can breed anytime of the day or year, though they tend to be more receptive during the spring/summer than fall/winter. Perseverance is key though, if you want off-season litters, keep at them! The buck should mount the doe and attempt to breed. If she is receptive, she should stretch and lift her hindquarter. The buck should grunt and fall over, this is how you know the breeding was successful. Allow the buck to breed her 2-3 times more, then remove the doe. Take her back about 8 hours later to increase litter size. Mark your calendar for 31 days hence. Move the doe to a kindling (birth/litter) cage after about 2 weeks and offer her a nest with straw/shavings in it about 3-4 days prior to her due date. Then watch carefully. She should pull fur for the babies, if you see a pile of fur in the nest, you can carefully pull back to see if the babies are ok. If so, leave them alone. The doe may not even go back to the nest for up to 24 hours, this is perfectly normal. Check them daily for the first few days to be sure their bellies are rounded out. Well-fed babies should appear plump at all times, if they begin to appear slim and wrinkled she isn't feeding them. We'll go into that later though.
Colony rearing is slightly less labor intensive, though a little more space consuming. You would actually setup and prepare a large area fully fenced on all sides (don't forget the floor, rabbits can and will try to dig burrows! If they are successful, you will not be able to control the population and might not even be able to have a handle on total number or catch the young for consumption!) The rabbits would need to have sufficient feed and water available at all times. They will also require nest boxes or a well kept area of straw/hay for rearing litters. You will still need to check litters to be sure that any that die early are removed promptly. In this method you may use one buck for several does. You will know which is the sire of any given offspring, but will never know which is the dam. This is a great way to let "rabbits be rabbits" in a controlled way.
Whichever method you choose to keep your rabbits, have fun with them! Rabbits are a joy, and they're mighty tasty too!!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Butchering Chickens
If you're like me, then you should be getting close to the time to think about putting those plump birds in the freezer. A good fryer size should take about 8-10 weeks, roaster to maybe 12-14 weeks. Use your best judgment, but don't let those biddies get too large and tough! Keep a check on the size of the breast meat, that's usually how I judge the best time for butchering. While you're waiting, start getting the things you'll need together. Basic bird butchering equipment should include the following:
Prepare the water bath for scalding, it should be as close to boiling as possible. Start it early, large amounts of water can take awhile to boil! If you have an outdoor boiler, so much the better! It's best to try and keep things as serene as possible. Cut feed at least 12-24 hours before butchering to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, do not remove water availability. Select your bird and hang them upside down by their legs until they calm. Place them into the killing cone so their head is exposed out the bottom. Open the beak and insert your knife into the mouth through the back and into the brain. Hold the head so the throat is exposed and slice evenly and deeply from one side to the other.
Alternatively you can also break the neck prior to placing in the killing cone: Hold the bird cradled in your left arm (if right-handed) facing your right side, place your right hand palm toward the beak in a V behind the bird's head, with your first and second fingers around the back of the head/neck. Holding the head in your hand, stretch the neck down and the head back. Do this quickly in a fast motion to break the neck cleanly. You should be able to feel the bones separate. This can be difficult for people with small hands or if the bird is especially large or older. You can then place the bird in the cone quickly and slice the throat to bleed out.
If you did not break the neck prior to bleeding, use the shears to break through the spine and the knife to remove the head. Place the head in the refuse bag for disposal. Wait until the bird has bled out and is no longer exhibiting large spasms (these are involuntary results of the spinal cord, the bird is NOT alive!) Remove from the killing cone and immerse in the boiling water for a couple seconds. Do not leave too long as you merely want to loosen the feather base, not cook the meat! Check the large flight feathers frequently, these are the hardest to remove. After dipping, immediately start pulling the feathers. I recommend cutting the tip of the wings off, those feathers are VERY difficult to remove without causing damage to the skin.
When you have most (if not all) of the feathers removed, hang the bird by it's feet in a safe area. Use the blowtorch or candle and run the flame over the carcass to remove the 'pinfeathers' or hair-like feathers that detract from the cleanliness of the bird. That and they are kind of gross to see on your plate! Pay special attention to the legs and groin area, they seem to be more common there.
You can now remove the feet of the bird, use the knife to cut around the hock joint, bending as you go to remove it cleanly. Toss feet into the offal/refuse bag. Place the bird on a clean, disinfected surface to prepare to remove the innards (offal). On the top of the tail you'll find an oil gland, carefully cut the whole thing away from the bird (or remove the tail entirely). Cut down the front of the neck and pull the skin away from the neck bone. Pull the esophagus and trachea away from the neck itself and to the front. Use your shears to cut through the bone and rinse the neck thoroughly. Toss this part into the ice water or feed raw to dogs. Hold the breastbone in your hand and make a horizontal cut into the lower body cavity, this ensures you don't cut the entrails. Reach in with your hand and gently pull the intestines out of the body cavity, be careful not to rip any of the parts. Set these aside for later. Make sure you pull the trachea/esophagus out with it. If you are careful, you should be able to remove all of it together. You may have to pierce the diaphragm to get to the lungs/heart. Cut down to the anus and cut it away from the body with the entrails still attached. Double check the inside of the carcass to be sure you removed all of the lung tissue (this can sometimes be difficult to do), if not consider using a fork to scrape them out. Wash the carcass inside and out with cold water and place carcass in the ice-water bath.
Before tossing the offal into the refuse bag, consider taking the liver, heart, and gizzard from them. To prepare the gizzard, cut length-wise and remove the internal matter (if any), use a knife to also remove the white inner lining. Wash well and chill. For the heart, remove the valves close to it and the thin membrane encasing it. Wash thoroughly to remove any blood clots and chill. For the liver, flip the folds of it carefully until you locate the small, greenish, grape-like appendage, this is the gall bladder. Using a sharp knife, remove the gall entirely without damaging it. Wash the liver and chill.
If you have an older bird on your hands, or one that you have no intention of roasting, consider skinning as an alternative to plucking. Be sure to clean up your work area thoroughly when finished and bury or dispose of any offal. Make sure to store the meat in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible.
- Killing cone (this can be as simple as a bleach bottle or milk jug washed out with the nozzle and bottom cut out, hang it bottom-up and lashed securely to a fence, board, or other surface)
- Non-serrated knife (keep it very sharp)
- Knife sharpener
- Butcher scissors or garden bypass pruning shears (to cut cartilage and bone)
- Very large pot (big enough to immerse the entire bird in it) filled with enough water to cover whole bird
- Plastic bag for feathers & offal
- Blowtorch, candle, lighter, etc
- Cooler filled with water & ice
- Bucket to catch blood
- Hose
Prepare the water bath for scalding, it should be as close to boiling as possible. Start it early, large amounts of water can take awhile to boil! If you have an outdoor boiler, so much the better! It's best to try and keep things as serene as possible. Cut feed at least 12-24 hours before butchering to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, do not remove water availability. Select your bird and hang them upside down by their legs until they calm. Place them into the killing cone so their head is exposed out the bottom. Open the beak and insert your knife into the mouth through the back and into the brain. Hold the head so the throat is exposed and slice evenly and deeply from one side to the other.
Alternatively you can also break the neck prior to placing in the killing cone: Hold the bird cradled in your left arm (if right-handed) facing your right side, place your right hand palm toward the beak in a V behind the bird's head, with your first and second fingers around the back of the head/neck. Holding the head in your hand, stretch the neck down and the head back. Do this quickly in a fast motion to break the neck cleanly. You should be able to feel the bones separate. This can be difficult for people with small hands or if the bird is especially large or older. You can then place the bird in the cone quickly and slice the throat to bleed out.
If you did not break the neck prior to bleeding, use the shears to break through the spine and the knife to remove the head. Place the head in the refuse bag for disposal. Wait until the bird has bled out and is no longer exhibiting large spasms (these are involuntary results of the spinal cord, the bird is NOT alive!) Remove from the killing cone and immerse in the boiling water for a couple seconds. Do not leave too long as you merely want to loosen the feather base, not cook the meat! Check the large flight feathers frequently, these are the hardest to remove. After dipping, immediately start pulling the feathers. I recommend cutting the tip of the wings off, those feathers are VERY difficult to remove without causing damage to the skin.
When you have most (if not all) of the feathers removed, hang the bird by it's feet in a safe area. Use the blowtorch or candle and run the flame over the carcass to remove the 'pinfeathers' or hair-like feathers that detract from the cleanliness of the bird. That and they are kind of gross to see on your plate! Pay special attention to the legs and groin area, they seem to be more common there.
You can now remove the feet of the bird, use the knife to cut around the hock joint, bending as you go to remove it cleanly. Toss feet into the offal/refuse bag. Place the bird on a clean, disinfected surface to prepare to remove the innards (offal). On the top of the tail you'll find an oil gland, carefully cut the whole thing away from the bird (or remove the tail entirely). Cut down the front of the neck and pull the skin away from the neck bone. Pull the esophagus and trachea away from the neck itself and to the front. Use your shears to cut through the bone and rinse the neck thoroughly. Toss this part into the ice water or feed raw to dogs. Hold the breastbone in your hand and make a horizontal cut into the lower body cavity, this ensures you don't cut the entrails. Reach in with your hand and gently pull the intestines out of the body cavity, be careful not to rip any of the parts. Set these aside for later. Make sure you pull the trachea/esophagus out with it. If you are careful, you should be able to remove all of it together. You may have to pierce the diaphragm to get to the lungs/heart. Cut down to the anus and cut it away from the body with the entrails still attached. Double check the inside of the carcass to be sure you removed all of the lung tissue (this can sometimes be difficult to do), if not consider using a fork to scrape them out. Wash the carcass inside and out with cold water and place carcass in the ice-water bath.
Before tossing the offal into the refuse bag, consider taking the liver, heart, and gizzard from them. To prepare the gizzard, cut length-wise and remove the internal matter (if any), use a knife to also remove the white inner lining. Wash well and chill. For the heart, remove the valves close to it and the thin membrane encasing it. Wash thoroughly to remove any blood clots and chill. For the liver, flip the folds of it carefully until you locate the small, greenish, grape-like appendage, this is the gall bladder. Using a sharp knife, remove the gall entirely without damaging it. Wash the liver and chill.
If you have an older bird on your hands, or one that you have no intention of roasting, consider skinning as an alternative to plucking. Be sure to clean up your work area thoroughly when finished and bury or dispose of any offal. Make sure to store the meat in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Preparing the Garden
Early spring is when you need to start thinking about getting your garden ready to plant. This article will help you with choosing the area and preparing to plant your garden. If you've never put in a garden before, prepare yourself, gardens are a lot of work. There is a lot of personal satisfaction and ultimate reward, but definitely a lot of work! And always the kind that will get you into a hard sweat and have you filthy and worn out at the end of the day. The first thing to remember is that gardening has regional aspects that you need to investigate. If you live in the north, you really need to wait until the danger of frost has passed and the ground has thawed enough to work. Farther south will be best to work the ground as early as possible to take advantage of the cooler spring days . Be careful in areas that have a specific wet season, planting too early could mean the death of your plants to drowning!
Some questions to ask yourself when getting ready to put in your garden should be: how large of a garden will I need to plant the crops I want to grow? How large a garden can I physically install and maintain? Where can I install my garden such that it will be exposed to the maximum amount of sunlight each day? Don't rule out some of the alternate gardening concepts such as vertical gardening for running plants (using a trellis for cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, squash, and even melons), container gardening (great for a wide variety of plants), raised garden beds (best when your soil isn't the best to work with or grow crops in), or square-foot gardening (share-cropping, or planting compatible plants in small areas). In truth, the best homesteader should consider employing all of these methods, especially if you are dealing with a restricted-space issue.
Once you have decided on the size and placement for your garden it's a good idea to mark off the corners. This will give you a real-time idea of the amount of space in which you will be working. If there is grass growing in the area, leave it long and uncut for a little while. This seems to make it easier to remove later, especially if you'll be working the soil by hand. Some essential tools you will need to have include a sharp shovel, garden rake, hoe, and hand-trowel. It's nice if you know someone that has a tiller that will either help you or lend it to you. Regardless you will still need to break up the soil. Use your shovel and use your foot to push as far into the soil as you can, push forward and then back to loosen the chunk and then move to the next spot. If you are not using a tiller, then you'll need to lift these chunks and turn then over. When the entire garden is either loosened or turned you'll move onto the next step. If you are using a tiller, now is the time to get it going and till the plot. The loosened soil should till fairly easily. If you are not using a tiller, get your hoe out and use it to break up the dirt. If using a tiller, plan to turn the soil at least twice. In between tilling use the garden rake to remove as much vegetation as possible, start in the center of the garden and flatten out the 'rows' that the tiller creates. The more wild plant matter removed at this point, the less you will have to pull out later. Turn the tiller the other direction and turn the soil again. At this point it's a good idea to wait a week. You can then walk through and pull out anything left wild that tries to grow. Most of what was left should die off from the paired tilling.
If your garden is on an incline, it's best to setup your rows perpendicular to the incline, so that water and soil will be retained and not permitted to run downhill. If you are using a tiller, till the garden into even rows all the way across. If no tiller, use your hoe to accomplish the same thing. Even running crops can be planted into the rows, you do NOT have to create fancy dirt mounds as the seed packets claim. Just be careful of your spacing. At this point, try to avoid stepping on top of a row mound. Use your hand trowel or the corner of your hoe to create a furrow in the top of the rows you plan to put seeds into. You can then sprinkle your seeds carefully and evenly across the row and use both hands to cover them with dirt. Plant any seedlings purchased spaced carefully apart and well into the soil. Put up any necessary trellises. Set up your watering system to insure that all of the garden will benefit from the extra water.
Keep an eye on your garden over the next week. Your seedlings should sprout in even rows. Anything growing out of place can be pulled carefully out. Careful weeding, watering, and pest control will give you the most abundant yields. Above all, enjoy!
Some questions to ask yourself when getting ready to put in your garden should be: how large of a garden will I need to plant the crops I want to grow? How large a garden can I physically install and maintain? Where can I install my garden such that it will be exposed to the maximum amount of sunlight each day? Don't rule out some of the alternate gardening concepts such as vertical gardening for running plants (using a trellis for cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, squash, and even melons), container gardening (great for a wide variety of plants), raised garden beds (best when your soil isn't the best to work with or grow crops in), or square-foot gardening (share-cropping, or planting compatible plants in small areas). In truth, the best homesteader should consider employing all of these methods, especially if you are dealing with a restricted-space issue.
Once you have decided on the size and placement for your garden it's a good idea to mark off the corners. This will give you a real-time idea of the amount of space in which you will be working. If there is grass growing in the area, leave it long and uncut for a little while. This seems to make it easier to remove later, especially if you'll be working the soil by hand. Some essential tools you will need to have include a sharp shovel, garden rake, hoe, and hand-trowel. It's nice if you know someone that has a tiller that will either help you or lend it to you. Regardless you will still need to break up the soil. Use your shovel and use your foot to push as far into the soil as you can, push forward and then back to loosen the chunk and then move to the next spot. If you are not using a tiller, then you'll need to lift these chunks and turn then over. When the entire garden is either loosened or turned you'll move onto the next step. If you are using a tiller, now is the time to get it going and till the plot. The loosened soil should till fairly easily. If you are not using a tiller, get your hoe out and use it to break up the dirt. If using a tiller, plan to turn the soil at least twice. In between tilling use the garden rake to remove as much vegetation as possible, start in the center of the garden and flatten out the 'rows' that the tiller creates. The more wild plant matter removed at this point, the less you will have to pull out later. Turn the tiller the other direction and turn the soil again. At this point it's a good idea to wait a week. You can then walk through and pull out anything left wild that tries to grow. Most of what was left should die off from the paired tilling.
If your garden is on an incline, it's best to setup your rows perpendicular to the incline, so that water and soil will be retained and not permitted to run downhill. If you are using a tiller, till the garden into even rows all the way across. If no tiller, use your hoe to accomplish the same thing. Even running crops can be planted into the rows, you do NOT have to create fancy dirt mounds as the seed packets claim. Just be careful of your spacing. At this point, try to avoid stepping on top of a row mound. Use your hand trowel or the corner of your hoe to create a furrow in the top of the rows you plan to put seeds into. You can then sprinkle your seeds carefully and evenly across the row and use both hands to cover them with dirt. Plant any seedlings purchased spaced carefully apart and well into the soil. Put up any necessary trellises. Set up your watering system to insure that all of the garden will benefit from the extra water.
Keep an eye on your garden over the next week. Your seedlings should sprout in even rows. Anything growing out of place can be pulled carefully out. Careful weeding, watering, and pest control will give you the most abundant yields. Above all, enjoy!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Baby Goat/Sheep Castrating
In the spirit of what I've been doing recently, I'll talk about the best way to castrate your baby goats & sheep. I class these two together because the process is the same. It's different for pigs and cattle, so I'll talk about those later. And yes I have experience with all, including chickens (to make capons). For ease of explanation, I'll stick to goats for now, just know that everything here can be used identically for sheep.
The very first thing you'll want to do is make sure your baby(ies) are actually boys or bucklings (rams). Sounds simple, right? In fact it really is. When your baby is born you can either lift the tail or feel between the legs for the scrotum. Once you have your boy identified, next thing you will want to do is make sure he has both testicles descended. Palpate the scrotum between your thumb and other fingers and feel for two semi-elongated firm testicles. If they are both present, you are good to proceed. The absence of one or both is a uni- or bi-lateral cryptochid and should never be kept for breeding under any circumstances! You'll want to send that one out of the herd altogether as they can rarely be successfully castrated without veterinary intervention. Sometimes waiting a little while to see if they will drop is okay, but plan to send him along if they don't after a few weeks.
Next you'll need to gather your supplies together. I recommend the following:
1. Scalpel, new disposable or make sure to have new blades if you have a re-usable handle, if you are going to be doing a lot of boys, you'll want to change the blade after every 10 or so as it does tend to get dull after awhile
2. Chlorhexadine (also called Nolvasan) is a disinfectant that you mix with water. The water should be a light to medium blue. You can put this in a spray bottle, it's used to disinfect the area you'll be working on the animal.
3. Alcohol and a small bowl/jar, this is used to put the scalpel in between babies to keep it completely clean
4. Paper towels
5. Scarlet oil in a spray bottle to spray on and around the affected area.
6. Notepad and pen/pencil to keep track of the babies that have been done.
7. Helper, someone to wrangle the babies and hold them for castrating.
8. Chair for the helper to sit and hold the babies.
9. Box or container for the discarded 'parts'
10. Hand sanitizer, for you to sanitize your hands in between babies. If it's warm enough a bucket of water, soap, and a clean towel work well also.
11. A clean stall or jug with fresh bedding for the new little wethers to go into after the procedure so you can watch them awhile for signs of shock.
12. Penicillin is optional, but you certainly can dose them with a quick shot if you are feeling nervous or if the babies will be in an unusually filthy area after they are done. If your goats are in a clean pasture, this is not absolutely necessary
Never castrate any baby older than a few weeks to a month of age. While an older goat can be castrated, I honestly do not recommend it as the blood flow will have been established by around 2-3 months of age. So if you plan on keeping those boys with does/ewes without worrying about them breeding, pull their boy parts out early! Also bear in mind that the older the baby is at castrating, the bigger they will be and the harder to hold down. Additionally remember if you plan to sell, that castrated goats and sheep (wethers) have a lot more salable uses than do their intact counterparts.
Now then, you have everything set out and ready to go, the scalpel should be in the alcohol and the Novalsan mixed up. Make sure your hands are clean. Go fetch your first little boy and have your helper sit in the chair. The helper should hold the baby on its back/butt with feet up and facing you. Have your helper put the left knee and hock in one hand and the right knee and hock in the other. It works best with the foreleg to the outside of the rear leg. The helper should then gently spread the legs apart. The belly and especially the scrotum should be well exposed by using this holding technique. The helper needs to be expecting the baby to struggle and hold on tightly no matter what.
Spray the scrotum with the Nolvasan solution, soaking the entire area thoroughly, be generous in the dousing including near portion of the legs and even the tail if it gets in the way. Take up the scalpel and pinch out the bottom of the scrotum. You'll want to apply some pressure to minimize the number of times you need to cut. In a clean stroke remove the bottom 1/3 of the scrotum. The baby will scream, this is normal! I promise the baby will forget all about it in no time! Toss the piece of scrotum in the offal container and then pinch the top of what's remaining of the scrotum above the testicles with one hand, with the other hand grab the testicle and slowly pull it from the scrotum. The pinching hand is there to aid in preventing pulling anything else out with the testicle, so be aware of what you're feeling there! You want a slow even pressure until the testicle comes free, never yank or jerk as you could pull something else out with it. Make sure the entire testicle comes out, including any cord that might break early. Repeat with the other testicle, never releasing the pinching hand the entire time (or you could risk the other testicle being pulled into the body!). Before you release the pinching hand, make sure to pull off anything that could hang down below the opening, fat or anything. If you leave anything hanging out, you risk it becoming an entrance for bacteria into the wound. Then your helper can release the rear legs and you should spray the entire area thoroughly with scarlet oil. Place the baby on it's feet in the clean stall/jug/pen and stand back and watch for a few minutes. The baby may go lay down for awhile, this is perfectly normal. After awhile the baby can be returned to it's mother for affection and comfort.
Now, some people ask me why I am not an advocate for banding. I have several reasons, not the least of which is that it requires specialized equipment to do it! You have to have a bander and bands. Then there is the increased risk of infection and gangrene. Plus if improperly placed, you can actually inadvertently miss a testicle! Then you are no better off than before. I simply much prefer to slice and pull. There is no way with this method that you will ever miss a testicle...ever. Not if you are certain that you pulled both of them in entirety.
Good luck!
The very first thing you'll want to do is make sure your baby(ies) are actually boys or bucklings (rams). Sounds simple, right? In fact it really is. When your baby is born you can either lift the tail or feel between the legs for the scrotum. Once you have your boy identified, next thing you will want to do is make sure he has both testicles descended. Palpate the scrotum between your thumb and other fingers and feel for two semi-elongated firm testicles. If they are both present, you are good to proceed. The absence of one or both is a uni- or bi-lateral cryptochid and should never be kept for breeding under any circumstances! You'll want to send that one out of the herd altogether as they can rarely be successfully castrated without veterinary intervention. Sometimes waiting a little while to see if they will drop is okay, but plan to send him along if they don't after a few weeks.
Next you'll need to gather your supplies together. I recommend the following:
1. Scalpel, new disposable or make sure to have new blades if you have a re-usable handle, if you are going to be doing a lot of boys, you'll want to change the blade after every 10 or so as it does tend to get dull after awhile
2. Chlorhexadine (also called Nolvasan) is a disinfectant that you mix with water. The water should be a light to medium blue. You can put this in a spray bottle, it's used to disinfect the area you'll be working on the animal.
3. Alcohol and a small bowl/jar, this is used to put the scalpel in between babies to keep it completely clean
4. Paper towels
5. Scarlet oil in a spray bottle to spray on and around the affected area.
6. Notepad and pen/pencil to keep track of the babies that have been done.
7. Helper, someone to wrangle the babies and hold them for castrating.
8. Chair for the helper to sit and hold the babies.
9. Box or container for the discarded 'parts'
10. Hand sanitizer, for you to sanitize your hands in between babies. If it's warm enough a bucket of water, soap, and a clean towel work well also.
11. A clean stall or jug with fresh bedding for the new little wethers to go into after the procedure so you can watch them awhile for signs of shock.
12. Penicillin is optional, but you certainly can dose them with a quick shot if you are feeling nervous or if the babies will be in an unusually filthy area after they are done. If your goats are in a clean pasture, this is not absolutely necessary
Never castrate any baby older than a few weeks to a month of age. While an older goat can be castrated, I honestly do not recommend it as the blood flow will have been established by around 2-3 months of age. So if you plan on keeping those boys with does/ewes without worrying about them breeding, pull their boy parts out early! Also bear in mind that the older the baby is at castrating, the bigger they will be and the harder to hold down. Additionally remember if you plan to sell, that castrated goats and sheep (wethers) have a lot more salable uses than do their intact counterparts.
Now then, you have everything set out and ready to go, the scalpel should be in the alcohol and the Novalsan mixed up. Make sure your hands are clean. Go fetch your first little boy and have your helper sit in the chair. The helper should hold the baby on its back/butt with feet up and facing you. Have your helper put the left knee and hock in one hand and the right knee and hock in the other. It works best with the foreleg to the outside of the rear leg. The helper should then gently spread the legs apart. The belly and especially the scrotum should be well exposed by using this holding technique. The helper needs to be expecting the baby to struggle and hold on tightly no matter what.
Spray the scrotum with the Nolvasan solution, soaking the entire area thoroughly, be generous in the dousing including near portion of the legs and even the tail if it gets in the way. Take up the scalpel and pinch out the bottom of the scrotum. You'll want to apply some pressure to minimize the number of times you need to cut. In a clean stroke remove the bottom 1/3 of the scrotum. The baby will scream, this is normal! I promise the baby will forget all about it in no time! Toss the piece of scrotum in the offal container and then pinch the top of what's remaining of the scrotum above the testicles with one hand, with the other hand grab the testicle and slowly pull it from the scrotum. The pinching hand is there to aid in preventing pulling anything else out with the testicle, so be aware of what you're feeling there! You want a slow even pressure until the testicle comes free, never yank or jerk as you could pull something else out with it. Make sure the entire testicle comes out, including any cord that might break early. Repeat with the other testicle, never releasing the pinching hand the entire time (or you could risk the other testicle being pulled into the body!). Before you release the pinching hand, make sure to pull off anything that could hang down below the opening, fat or anything. If you leave anything hanging out, you risk it becoming an entrance for bacteria into the wound. Then your helper can release the rear legs and you should spray the entire area thoroughly with scarlet oil. Place the baby on it's feet in the clean stall/jug/pen and stand back and watch for a few minutes. The baby may go lay down for awhile, this is perfectly normal. After awhile the baby can be returned to it's mother for affection and comfort.
Now, some people ask me why I am not an advocate for banding. I have several reasons, not the least of which is that it requires specialized equipment to do it! You have to have a bander and bands. Then there is the increased risk of infection and gangrene. Plus if improperly placed, you can actually inadvertently miss a testicle! Then you are no better off than before. I simply much prefer to slice and pull. There is no way with this method that you will ever miss a testicle...ever. Not if you are certain that you pulled both of them in entirety.
Good luck!
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