Small Farms

If you are thinking of ordering baby chicks this spring and are considering some of the rare breeds, November may be the best time to get that order in.  Many hatcheries accept early orders for their baby chicks and this is one way to ensure that you will receive some of the more coveted breeds of chickens, ducks, geese, swans, turkeys and peacocks.

Most hatcheries won’t ship fewer than 25 chicks.  The reason is that the little chicks need each other’s body warmth to survive the trip.  Any fewer than these numbers could mean that some of your chicks won’t survive the postal service.

My personal experience has been with McMurray hatchery.  I’ve always received the chicks I’ve ordered, plus one or two “bonus” chicks that they offer with early orders.  There are many other hatcheries within the United States- if you are looking for one close by, simply Google “hatcheries” and you’ll find one near you.

Alternatively, many feed stores sell different types of chicks in the springtime and they may also take orders as well.  Your local Cooperative Extension should also be able to assist you in finding reputable hatcheries in your area.

~~Charlotte

SmallFarms4You.com

Many city folk think all turkeys are created equal, but if you haven’t had a heritage turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you may be missing out on a delectable feast!  Small farmers may elect to raise these types of turkeys because they generally can bring more money due to their flavor.  These types of turkeys are in demand by restaurants and chefs and not usually sold en-masse to a local supermarket chain.

The following are heritage turkey breeds:

• Standard Bronze
• Bourbon Red
• Jersey Buff
• Slate
• White Holland
• Narragansett
• Black Spanish

The most common non-heritage turkey breed is the Broad Breasted White; this is what is usually bred and raised for the holidays each year.

If you are considering raising heritage turkeys on your small farm in the upcoming year, first, find out if there is a market where you live to sell these turkeys.  If someone else will be processing them for you, they may require a certain number of the same turkey at the processing plant.  All turkeys aren’t equal- they range in size, which affects calibration at the processing plant.

Second, once you understand the local market, put in your orders early at a hatchery.  These breeds are in big demand, and the number of available chicks is usually limited- first-come, first-served.

~~Charlotte

SmallFarms4You.com

If you’ve considered raising turkeys on your small farm, it is equally important to consider turkey processing.  Someone is going to have to process those turkeys when the time comes, and planning ahead will save you a lot of grief.

Before you launch into the turkey business, consider who will be processing the turkeys.  Will you be able to do it, or will you have to sell your turkeys to a processing plant?  There are problems with either scenario, so read on to find out what is required.

Do-it-Yourself Turkey Processing

This isn’t for the faint of heart.  You’ll be killing the turkeys using various methods- usually by sticking them in “killing cones” and then letting them bleed out.  You’ll also need certain pieces of equipment to help with the processing such as:

• Scalder
• Picker
• Knives for evisceration, cutting, deboning
• Refrigeration
• Packaging
• A way to transport processed meat to market

This equipment can cost around $7,000-10,000 for a minimal setup.

Taking Birds to a Processing Plant

Easier in one respect - you won’t have to kill, clean or package the meat.  Catching the birds is sometimes problematic and you need to avoid bruising the birds or the meat will will be discolored later.  In addition, you’ll have to cage them carefully and not over-crowd them or they may die or break bones in transit.  You’ll need the following for this project:

• Cages to transport the birds
• Trucks to transport the birds

If you’d like to learn more about processing your own meat, contact your local Cooperative Extension for your state rules and regulations on doing this, especially if you’re going to sell meat to the public.  It is also a good idea to contact local poultry processing plants to see if they can do this for you, and what the cost is.

In the mean time, here is a helpful link that will detail exactly how this process is done on a small scale:

Small-scale Poultry Processing 

Raising turkeys on a small farm can be fun and profitable because they can be rotated like any other cash crop on your property.  If you have a few acres that you could rotate pastured turkeys on, this could be a good side business for the small farmer.

Ideally, raising turkeys in pasture requires several fenced off areas so the turkeys can be rotated a few times during the season.  If you have dogs and coyotes in the area, the use of electric poultry fencing is a good idea.  Most small farmers in these areas also bring in their turkeys at night so they aren’t vulnerable to predators.  There should also be some kind of shelter in these pastures when inclement weather hits so the birds are protected.  Portable shelters are ideal for this.

Turkeys like to forage on grasses, particularly soybeans, and bugs that are readily available in a pasture setting.  (They really enjoy slugs where I live in NY - and we had a bumper crop of them this past summer!).

100 turkeys can be easily raised on 1-2 acres and they can be purchased from many hatcheries inexpensively.  When it is time to butcher them for the holidays, they may be sold to a poultry processing plant.  The breeds that are most in demand by chefs are the Heritage breeds because of their superior flavor.  Of course, other breeds may be raised as well.

If you’d like to learn more about this particular business, please contact your local Cooperative Extension office or visit the following websites:

North Carolina Cooperative Extension 

Raising Heritage Turkeys

Raising Turkeys the Old Fashioned Way