Around the AFG Homestead: Pickin' Up Chicks

Less than one year down of living our new healthy, homesteading lifestyle, and already we are preparing to raise meat chickens!  And yes, we are going to process them ourselves!  Our friends over at Giles Ranch offered to let us raise the chicks at the same time so that we can process them together!  They have some nice equipment so that will be very convenient!

The chicks are so cute!  It is crazy to think they will be ready to go in 8 weeks!  It has been almost two weeks since I took these pictures and the birdies are huge!  They almost have all their feathers now!  In fact this picture was after only two days and already they were growing their wing feathers!  They will grow twice as fast as a regular chicken!  Crazy! 

 
Here is a picture of the chickens today:  two weeks old!  Not quite as cute anymore, but I guess that will make it a little easier on me when the time comes to process.  Not that being ugly is my only stipulation for killing something (my husband was giving me a hard time about that).  I simply find myself not getting quite attached to these since they are stinky, ugly, and have a short life span.  I understand that the purpose of us caring for them now is to provide us with food later.  It is so great knowing that the chicken you feed your family was taken care of, and given a healthy diet!

Here is the chicken tractor the birds will move into in about a week!  We will move it once or twice a day so they always have fresh grass!  Skyler made this chicken tractor using scrap pieces of siding and metal.   He bought the wood and mesh (I think that is what you call that gated stuff!? lol)



Do you raise meat chickens?  Do you process them yourselves?  We would love to hear from you!

Two Year Anniversary & Late Barn Hop

Sorry for not posting the Barn Hop yesterday everyone!  Yesterday, June 27th, was Skyler and I's two month anniversary!  Sunday night we went to a Springfield Cardinals game and got to see the most amazing fireworks and ballgame for $6!  Woo Hoo!  That's better than a movie!  Then yesterday we shopped for one another in Springfield, ate at a Japanese Steakhouse (where we ate on our first date), and we were going to go to the cheap movie theater and watch a flick, but it got pretty late and so we came home!  It was lovely!

The past two years have flown by!  We are still so in love, and marriage is bliss!  I am looking forward to many more years of adventure with this amazing man!

And since I was gone yesterday, I am posting this Barn Hop a little late, but I know you will enjoy it! 

 More to come from the AFG Homestead tomorrow! :) 

Hosted by:

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Amy @ Homestead Revival

Kendra @ New Life On A Homestead

and me!

Around the AFG Homestead: A Growing Orchard

An orchard is one of those things you've got to get going early if you ever want fruit.  Although, it may not seem like much fun at first . . . .working so hard to get everything planted and then not getting much in return . . . in a couple years it will all pay off, and you'll be glad you went to all the effort. 

This year we bought:  an apple tree (to go with our other apple tree), a necterine tree, two cherry trees, and a plum tree, (we already have three peach trees), blueberry bushes, blackberry bushes, gooseberry bushes, boysenberry bushes, raspberry bushes, strawberries, and of course we have our grapes we planted back in the fall.  So far everything is coming along quite nicely.  I am very excited to have fresh fruit for pies, jams-n-jellies, smoothies, etc.! 

Here is a look at our orchard, make sure to leave any orchard tips you may have in the comment section below! Thanks!

Here is part of the orchard.

The bushes are growing so fast!  We already need to start training them!

Isn't this beautiful!??

Wish I could say it was yummy too,

but by the time I came back out to show Skyler it was gone!

Guess, I'll be sure to pick it right away next time! 

Around the AFG Homestead: A Beginner's Garden

Since it's been awhile, I am going to spend some time on this segment we'll call "Around the AFG Homestead" where I will try to give an update on what's been going on around here this spring and summer. 

The first post, obviously, is going to be about our Garden.  It is a meager little thing, and very blotchy!  We began by starting our seed inside (brocolli, cauliflower, spinach, and tomatoes).  This was way back in February!  Well . . . our tomatoes are the only thing that made it!  The others died after we put them outside in the garden.  We did try to wean them off being inside by gradually moving them into the elements, but they were not prepared for our chickens.  Who knew chickens would like brocolli!? (it very well could have been rabbits, but I know the chickens like to nibble, and scratch in our garden too!)

We decided to plant the rest of our seed straight into the ground.  We figured that's probably what they did back in the day, so perhaps it would be more successful for us . . . so far this is what we have planted:  corn, green beans, peas, spinnach, lettuce, radishes, carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, onions, and peppers.

And this is what we've got so far:

Here's the Beginners Garden!

Our corn. . . coming up nicely, but not nessacarily in rows (as the song says).

A mole went through right after we planted it, and so our corn is very here and there.

Yea!  One of my most anticipated produce!  Greenbeans!  They have finally arrived.

However, our chickens did knock one plant over and it broke! Bummer!

Spinach:  Take 2

Our Tomatos haven't come yet,but the plants are looking nice

considering we started them inside ourselves!

Finally, our lone onion!  We planted a whole row, but I think we

got them in a little late . . . so far he's the only one making it!

So there it is!  Our homely garden!  It is hard not to compare when I see our neighbors, and others whose gardens are immaculate!  We've talked to some of them to get some tips, and since many of them are elderly I figured they would have wise suggestions.  Unfortunately many of them use miracle grow, and pesticides.  We would like to stay away from this as much as possible, but it seems having a really nice garden is difficult without 'em!  If you have tips for organic gardening, we would love to hear them!  Please leave your comment below!  :)

The Homestead Barn Hop

Hey there everyone!  Long time no post! . . . sorry about that!  Although, my husband and I are teachers and we have the summers off we have yet to slow down!  We have been busy giving baseball and baton lessons, I started teaching my Zumba classes, we have traveled to see family and been two three family reunions (one of which was a week-long get-to-gather in Branson!  Of course we have also been hard at work on our homestead!  Yea!  I have a lot to update you with!  Stayed tuned!  God willing I plan to begin posting more frequently starting this week!  Have a wonderful Monday, enjoy the Barn Hop, and I'll see you back here tomorrow! :)

Hosted By:

 Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Amy @ Homestead Revival

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

and me! :)

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