Raising Chickens on the Homestead

Chickens were the second animals on our homestead and the first non-freeloaders. They give us breakfast every morning, meat for the freezer, and a few lessons along the way. We don’t have just one flock either. We have two flocks year-round and three when we are growing out meat birds 2 – 3 times per year.

How We Are Raising Chickens

The Assorted Layers – Eggs Only
Our egg basket looks like somebody dropped a box of crayons in it: blues, greens, chocolate browns, and creams. The assorted flock is here for one reason, and that’s to lay. They don’t go in the freezer. Every egg they lay ends up on our own table or dog bowls. My favorite is Deviled Eggs with dippy eggs or scrambled a close second. Oh-yeah, I forgot about Red Beet Eggs with Jalapenos and Onions.

Barred Rock – Dual Purpose
The Barred Rock is the old-school homestead bird. Hens lay a steady supply of eggs, and we raise a bunch for the freezer. They’re hardy, calm, and we hatch our own replacements. If you only have room for one breed, this is a good one to start with.  We established this flock in case we could not mail order Cornish Cross birds for some reason.

Cornish Cross – Meat Birds
Cornish Crosses have one job, and they do it fast: roughly 8 weeks from chick to freezer. Unfortunately, we can’t hatch our own, so we must buy chicks every round. We start them in the broader then raise them in chicken tractors on pasture, move them daily, and process every bird ourselves. Processing day is not too bad.  We are getting it down pretty good now, it is a big team effort.  It is for sure satisfying to know exactly where your food comes from.  Although processing day has a very strict rule… no chicken for dinner that night.

Processing Equipment we Use

Large Pot on a Burner for a Scalder
Automatic Plucker
Killing Cones
Pop Up Tents
Coolers
Plastic tables