Hey Buckeye Barn TN friends! It’s about that time when we roll up our sleeves and process our heritage breed turkeys.

Processing day is Nov 20, 2021. Pickup day will be Nov 21, 2021 from 10am-5pm.

You’ve probably heard that bone broth is good for you. Our grandparents and parents gave us chicken noodle soup when we were sick. They didn’t have the science to know how it worked; they just knew it worked. And they were right.

When it comes to giving your family something good for breakfast, skip the sugary cereals and grab some farm fresh eggs. This recipe is super simple and the best part is that you can double it and freeze one for later! And this is a great way to get your microgreens in on the side. (sunflower, broccoli & amaranth shown).

Why do we raise meat birds (aka Cornish Cross)?

Several years ago I began paying more attention to what my family ate and what additives, chemicals, antibiotics, etc. were hidden in our foods. Wow! It’s amazing how much garbage, fillers and colorings are in our day to day food consumption. Sadly, most of us don’t even realize how much money we’re spending on sub-par food and how much damage it’s doing to our health.

Enter the backyard chicken movement, where regular folks like us can raise chickens for eggs and meat right in our own backyard! And it doesn’t take a huge space either. Once we escaped from the dreaded HOA neighborhood and bought a small farm, I went chicken crazy. Yes, I’m the Crazy Chicken Lady. I don’t mind being called that - after all, I’ve been called worse ;).

Anyway, we went all out and decided to have a laying flock, as well as meat birds for our family food. The beauty of meat birds is that they grow super fast and can be ready to harvest in 6-8 weeks. So the time commitment per batch isn’t too overwhelming. We built a chicken tractor, which is basically a mobile coop that can house about 35 birds. Every single day, we move that tractor to fresh, new grass. Every single day the birds get a fresh salad bar of greens and bugs. They get to be chickens and live as nature intended, while also depositing fertilizer in our fields. And once their job is done, they provide us a clean, pesticide-free, hormone-free, pure meal for our table. We don’t take that lightly, mind you. In exchange for clean eating meat, we give them an awesome chicken life.

Now, I know you can go to Walmart and buy their whole chickens, run home and gobble it down. But, take a moment to think about the life that bird lived in a tiny cage or crammed tight in a warehouse covered in manure, never stretching its wings or seeing the sunshine. Many are over-fed with medicated grains, additives and fillers just to fatten them quicker, causing heart attacks and broken legs from their own weight. Then the carcass is injected with water to increase the selling weight.

Not all birds are raised in such terrible conditions. Many of the big producers now use the term “cage free” or “free range” which means the bird get one square foot of space. Another term I laugh at is “pastured raised” as the USDA says that as long as there’s a small door on the side of the warehouse where birds can stand outside, they can label as such. With 10,000 birds in a warehouse, how many do you think will get out that little side door with maybe a few blades of grass?

So, we chose to do it the old-fashioned, more natural way. After we’ve put in the time and work to grow our own birds, we sure do appreciate mother nature and all she is capable of.

Last week, we had terrible rain and storms. Much to our ducks’ pleasure, the creek behind our house rose exponentially and all our pastures were several feet under water. Not only was the water very cold, it was like a rushing river, taking logs, limbs and debris down along the way. ..

Why do we raise meat birds (aka Cornish Cross)?

Several years ago I began paying more attention to what my family ate and what additives, chemicals, antibiotics, etc. were hidden in our foods. Wow! It’s amazing how much garbage, fillers and colorings are in our day to day food consumption. Sadly, most of us don’t even realize how much money we’re spending on sub-par food and how much damage it’s doing to our health.

Enter the backyard chicken movement, where regular folks like us can raise chickens for eggs and meat right in our own backyard! And it doesn’t take a huge space either. Once we escaped from the dreaded HOA neighborhood and bought a small farm, I went chicken crazy. Yes, I’m the Crazy Chicken Lady. I don’t mind being called that - after all, I’ve been called worse ;).

Anyway, we went all out and decided to have a laying flock, as well as meat birds for our family food. The beauty of meat birds is that they grow super fast and can be ready to harvest in 6-8 weeks. So the time commitment per batch isn’t too overwhelming. We built a chicken tractor, which is basically a mobile coop that can house about 35 birds. Every single day, we move that tractor to fresh, new grass. Every single day the birds get a fresh salad bar of greens and bugs. They get to be chickens and live as nature intended, while also depositing fertilizer in our fields. And once their job is done, they provide us a clean, pesticide-free, hormone-free, pure meal for our table. We don’t take that lightly, mind you. In exchange for clean eating meat, we give them an awesome chicken life.

Now, I know you can go to Walmart and buy their whole chickens, run home and gobble it down. But, take a moment to think about the life that bird lived in a tiny cage or crammed tight in a warehouse covered in manure, never stretching its wings or seeing the sunshine. Many are over-fed with medicated grains, additives and fillers just to fatten them quicker, causing heart attacks and broken legs from their own weight. Then the carcass is injected with water to increase the selling weight.

Not all birds are raised in such terrible conditions. Many of the big producers now use the term “cage free” or “free range” which means the bird get one square foot of space. Another term I laugh at is “pastured raised” as the USDA says that as long as there’s a small door on the side of the warehouse where birds can stand outside, they can label as such. With 10,000 birds in a warehouse, how many do you think will get out that little side door with maybe a few blades of grass?

So, we chose to do it the old-fashioned, more natural way. After we’ve put in the time and work to grow our own birds, we sure do appreciate mother nature and all she is capable of.