Friday, September 21, 2007

No Turkeys for Thanksgiving

I've been weighing the turkeys every week to chart their progress, and the cold weather last week really took a toll on them. They're now a full week behind schedule, so I've decided to only offer them for Christmas. I don't think there's any point in trying to sell 6-8 lb turkeys.

I've added additional protein to their diet, in the form of roasted soybeans and earthworms, so hopefully they'll start to catch up to their projected weight. I've also decided to delay putting them on pasture for one week to allow them to grow.

Speaking of pasture, I need to get started building their pasture pen. Wood and I don't get along, so I've decided to build a pvc pen with a wooden base for strength and weight. There are a few plans available online, but none of them quite meet my requirements, so I'll probably just design my own. The projected size is 8'X 8', which is a bit more manageable than Salatin's 10' X 12' pens. Next year, I'll be able to re-use the pen for broilers, and should be able to fit about 50 of them in it.

3 comments:

Tracy said...

"Wood and I don't get along"???? That's hilarous. I will have to hear more about that some day.

Tracy said...

I really should blog some of our things somewhere like this. Because my son just made himself an awesome shepherd's crook and I was really impressed with how he did it and how it turned out. I should have taken photos of the project in its various stages..

Mel, Foxtail Farm said...

Ooh, neat. Is it a leg crook or neck crook? Is he planning to use it on the goats or is he saving it for sheep? My method of catching the goats is to turn them into a new paddock, and then when they're busy eating, sneak up on the one I want and grab a horn. There are a few that I've never been able to catch, though.