So…What Did You Learn? Er…Uh…
“So,” she asked, almost as soon as we had said hello, “what did you learn this time around?”
I was rather taken aback by the question, coming out of the blue, as it seemed. But I really, really appreciated it. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” (Socrates)
When she asked it (“she” being one of YOU, my chicken customers coming by to pick up your chickens – perhaps you remember who you are 😉), my immediate thought was of the most recent butchering day, that of course being the closest thing to my mind, and I stumbled around and gave some answer about something I had learned to do differently that day. But it set me to thinking.
One of the most important things I can do as a “chicken lady,” as a gardener, as a homesteader…really, as a person in ANY capacity…is to observe, to examine what I do, and to figure out what works and what doesn’t, careful observation being one of the most helpful things we can ever do.
So, since one of the qualities I try to offer you is a peek behind the scenes, letting you come see how we raise and process our chickens and ask any questions you like, maybe you’d appreciate knowing some of the things I’ve learned this year as a chicken lady!
Give them two feeders per shelter. It has always disturbed me to see how they jump on top of each other to get at the feed, even if I’m just topping off what’s already there. What happens then is that in jumping on one another, they can cut each other’s backs with their claws. (Observation!) Once I added a second feeder, things calmed right down. Apparently by giving them only one feeder, I was training them to fear that they wouldn’t get to the feed in time, training them to stress.
Do not limit their feed. This was a big change for me. Limiting feed to what “they” say the chickens need has some reasoning behind it: namely, these broilers are bred to gain weight quickly, and so limiting their access to feed to certain hours of the day and to a certain amount per day can help them gain at a more reasonable pace. But what I learned is that in the end they gain weight TOO slowly and even end up “skinny,” because their nutrition goes more toward maintenance than growth.
Add a second person at the bagging station. I have another customer to thank for this one! As you know, we’re always glad to show people how we process our chickens, and some of you enjoy getting to lend a hand. One man came out specifically to learn how to butcher, hoping to raise his own chickens some day, and he ended up noticing a hole in my process and jumping in to fill it. You know, I had really been frustrated by that particular piece of the puzzle. I would always say, “It doesn’t make sense to me that it takes nearly as long to bag and price the chickens as it does to butcher and process them,” but I could NOT figure out what was wrong. Without a word, he jumped in and filled that gap…and now I know what was missing! So we’ve added a second person at that station, and it probably cuts the time there in half.
Add bins to either side of the pricing station. My daughter saw a better way to manage the flow at the pricing station, keeping chickens from piling up, keeping labels from getting wet, and keeping things moving AND more sanitary.
And that’s why when I show people around, and when they come help us work, I always ask them to ask about anything that seems odd or that they don’t understand, and to let me know if anything “gives them pause” or makes them uncomfortable. After all, sometimes when you do something one way all the time, it’s hard to step outside of it and see a better way.
Oh, there are more things I’ve learned, more tweaks I’m making, but I hope you enjoyed a little look at what goes on behind the scenes, the thoughts between the seasons.
And I hope you’re enjoying your chickens! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. I’m always happy to hear from you.
Happy Fall!
Jennifer Collins