Chickens Are In the House!! (OK, Freezer..)

Sexton Ranches Natural Pasture Poultry!

Hello everyone!

Now isn't that a beautiful sight to see? I have to tell, you.. it is to me! I can't believe we are really now into the chicken production business!

Our first two 'batches' of chickens have been processed and they are now here at the ranch in my freezers! These babies are gorgeous! They are tasty (a girl has to do what a girl has to do) and let me tell you... they average 4 1/2 lbs. They are perfect!!!

Our whole fryer/roaster managed to feed a family of four for 1 dinner, and then three people for 2 lunches. I count my kids as adult eaters now. It's amazing how much food they can put away!!

Every Tuesday I travel to New Plymouth to drop off chickens, and pick up fryers.

Be sure to get on our 'list' to reserve yours!

Retail price is currently $4.00 lb.

AND.... We will soon have more lamb and sausage available!!!

Yippee!!!

Everything You Needed To Know, But Are Afraid To Ask, About Chickens

As we are getting ready to process our pasture poultry chickens (at approx. 8 weeks of age) a great question came up from one of our Boise customers...

What is the difference between a fryer and a broiler?

You see, on our sign, I have 'Pasture Poultry Fryers Coming Soon'.

Yet, out in the 'world' we often see Fryer and Broiler used together. Well, apparently, they are the same darn thing. And, for all intents and purposes, you might as well throw 'roaster' in there as well.

But - wait! Getting a definition can be a bit tricky! I did some research today and got conflicting answers regarding the size and age of bird. The results are anywhere from a 3lb. to 5 lb. bird, and 3 months to 5 months of age...

Here is one excerpt (with my snarky comments added in):


Broiler-fryers = fryers = broilers are between 2 1/2 and 5 pounds, and can be broiled, roasted, or fried. They're not good for stewing. (Note: I am assuming this is the dressed out weight that they are using!).

Stewing chickens are tougher and best used, as their name suggests, in stews and soups. (Note: At our place, 'retired' laying hens become stewing hens.. when they are about 2 or 3 years old!). And, that would be a 'slow' stewing hen..because they are tough tough tough!

Capons are castrated male chickens that are large (between 5 and 10 pounds) and tender, and have relatively more white meat. They're great for roasting. (Note: We do not castrate any of the roosters! That is one job that I do not want to add to the list of hats 'I' wear! Seems like some very tricky work, with a very large magnifying glass - I have very poor vision as it is - 47 year old eyes, ya know? Besides, how do you rope a chicken? Just kiddin'!).

Hmm.. So, my 'guess' is that the term fryer or broiler or roaster most likely applies to the method that you use to cook a 'young' chicken.

I should also mention we harvested about 20 chickens one year, when they were 8 months old.. THOSE were also stewing chickens. And after we 'et' one, they stayed hidden way back in the freezer for a very very long time.

Trust me.

Pasture Poultry and More Creatures Great and Small

Two Kids Walking Toward the Highway
Way in the background is a dead Honda (4 wheeler or quad, as we call them)
These are NOT happy campers!
They gave up when we got to the highway

Two Kids Ever So Happy to be Moving Hot Wire and Yearlings
I don't blame them. We had already cleaned out 4 boxes of chick crud!
Along with other assorted chores...

The Yearlings - Wanting Their New Grass!
Hold on everyone..
Jake? Jake? Watcha doing down there?

Heifers
This shot was actually taken in May, on one of my 'fun' photo days.
I'm sharing this, because this is the same field the Pasture Poultry are in!
The Poultry are following the Beef!

Helloooo Girls!
They love it when you get down low... Then they come over to check you out!

Mr. Sexton, Moving Wheel Line This Morning
I had a great idea, to go take photos this morning, while still in my jammies.
I snuck out to the field south of the house..
Unfortunately, Dick was 'in my way' and then he put me to work!

The wheel line was too close to the pasture poultry pens
and I got to help move one of the pens out of the way.
Did I mention I was in my PJs and a pair of clogs?
Out in the field?
Stepping in yuck?

The Irrigating Crew
Poncho, Bugsy and Lefty
(Sounds like a bunch of outlaws to me!)

Dick (ajka Mr. Sexton) Getting Ready to Move the Pasture Poultry

View of the Pens

Inside View - With Today's Fresh Grass

Ta Da - Pasture Poultry!

These are the pens that Dick made for our latest enterprise. Pasture Poultry.
The pens are getting moved toward the west -
so yesterday's used grass is what you see in front of the pens.
Right now, the chickens are about 5 lbs.
Our goal is a 4.5 lb. fryer 'dressed out' in your freezer!
(We are guessing a 75 percent yield)

So... In Two weeks 25 of these guys are getting processed!
Note: I am taking pre-orders!!!

The bummer Lambs (enclosed in a hot wire pen) and The Ducks!
See those ducks in the background?
Those are Sami's ducks.
They crack me up!!!
One of them (must the the sentry) makes this 'laughing' quack...
'Quack, Quack, Quack'.
Reminds me of the Joker or Riddler on Batman.

The Bummer Lambs Enjoying Their New Milk 'Bucket'
The bummer lambs have been weaned off bottles!
No more warm milk
No more being attacked by lambs 'head butting' you!

The Ducks - Caught in the Act
This morning these buggers were caught picking on chickens!
First off, the chickens are hiding eggs.
This is one of their locations.
I caught the head duck chasing a chicken right before this shot,
with all the followers behind him.
They chased the chicken out of the bush.
Something to be investigated....

Jake, chasing Ducks Sometime Ago
I don't think any of us have caught one yet!



**************

Yesterday, the 'boss' left us some instructions while he drove off to Nampa to pick up 100 more chicks (pasture poultry).

First, we had to clean out all the 'chick boxes'. Four of them. This involves hauling wheel barrow after wheel barrow of 'shavings and crud' out to the compost pile. About three loads per box. That was my job.

Then, we had to clean all the chick feeders and waterers. The kids did this job. Along with a few water fights tossed in.

Then, to make room for the new babies, we transferred the older chicks from the garage (the older ones arrived May 28th - I remember the day DISTINCTLY because I had to drive to the post office at 7am to pick them up! Which, was also the last day of school, which I helped at, along with two bottle feedings of the lambs - 6 am and 11 am..( to the brown shed.

Get all that?

THEN, in between all of this, we had a 9am 'DATE' to move yearlings - aka, hot wire... So, the kids and I took one of the quads, and drove down the highway, through the fields, and moved the animals... Nice and easy.

But the quad did not start up again.

And we had to walk back.

So, when we got to the highway the kids were hot and bothered.

So, I walked home. IN my mud boots (hot mama on the highway) and got the car and went back and got the kids.

The quad was left in the field for Mr. Sexton.

Who said 'why didn't you pull start it?' Along with, 'The Honda has a bad starter'.

Um... no one told us! And WHAT pull starter?

Oh.. but the excitement did not stop there!

Apparently, after I had left with Jake to 'go do' the Baker Market, Dick and Sami left here on another Honda (the little one), to go get the Big Honda out of the field..

Hmm... that means two Hondas, that came home on the highway. Each with a driver.

Hello!



Anyway, Pasture Poultry is here! We are taking preorders for the 25 birds that will be ready in two weeks!!!!!!!

All Creatures Great and Small!

Baby Calves
Nope! That's not a mirror image!

Eggs, Lamb Milk, andA Birthday Cake
This is our back up fridge... Not much room for extras!
Later in the summer this is where I usually stash
all my market fruit!
Gonna need another fridge!!

The Bummer Lambs
Some are in their new fenced yard, and the younger ones
are chasing Jake (outside of fence)

.The Bummer Lamb Pen
This is a hot fence. Before, the lambs were running loose and wild!
Since they are bottle lambs, they would run up to anyone and smack into
them, trying to find milk...
So glad the fence is up!
Now we need the chickens penned up.
They are hiding eggs in very difficult places!!

And the Smallest Of Creatures
My daughters baby gophers.
She found them while out irrigating with her daddy...
They only lasted 3 days.
If you see her, don't say anything.
She was feeding them milk w/ a dropper.
And, either the heat lamb was too hot (my guess), or her missed feeding
caused their unfortunate demise...
****************

Oh my...

It's June and it is crazy crazy busy here at the ranch!

The kids are out of school (YEAH!)... so now they get to sleep in until 6am... I know.. It seems mean, doesn't it? Only 6am??? Yet, during the school year they get woken up at 5:45 am... so really, they are getting to sleep in!

We have to wake early because of the bummer lambs - that get fed at 6am, then noon, then 6pm.

Believe me, this schedule is so much nicer than it was 2 weeks ago, when we were feeding lambs in two separate groups at all different hours!

So, errands to town get run in between feedings... And on market days, one poor child has to stay home and do all the chores... that are normally split between them.

Our days consist of:

Bottle Feeding the bummer lambs (we have 10).

Feeding Chicks and Chickens

Gathering Eggs

Watering the Lawn or Mowing the Lawn

Helping Dad with any projects: Fencing, Marking Lambs (coming Monday), etc.

So, there you have it!
I'll share more later!!!!

Pendleton Market Starts Tomorrow Night!

A few Chickens Love the Kitty Crate
(the problem with 'free range' chickens!)
Even though they have their own houses, a few renegades look for their own
hiding places.
Just a few. These are the eggs we get to eat!
I'll be happy when the egg mobile is built!

The cows got moved into the back 40.

The cows apparently like the chicken house fence, a little too much!

They just got moved today!

Our first bummer lambs of 2009!
Anna and Briana
(Sami named them)
Jake is feeding them!

Back When the calves were weaned
Cows on onside of the double electric fence
Calves on the other!
We have grass growing now!
Lots and Lots of grass

Do You See the Egg?
One of our chickens decided she wanted to lay eggs under this little bench.
Then one of the dogs decided he would steal all the eggs he found loose!
The egg is covered in a concoction of hot sauce stuff.

Back when the ducks were itty bitty - and cute and manageable!

Hello Everyone!

Today is May 7th and the Pendleton Market starts tomorrow!!!!

It's hard to believe the markets are up and running again!

Last Saturday Sami and I stood in the rain for four hours at the Boise Market... and drove in the rain both ways (total of 5 hours drive time)... Here's how it went. Got up at 3:20 am, left at 4:20 am, drive in the rain, setup in the rain, took down in the rain, drove home in the rain... Insane.

Let's just say... we were wet... everything was wet. The inside of my market money box, the inside of my boots, all of it... Wet, Wet Wet.

And, come to think of it, it's been raining since!

*****

So, what's new, you ask?

We started lambing yesterday! Yep. Got some baby lambs. Two babies are in our garage right now under a heat lamp. Itty bitty little things!

And, we have all sorts of chicks, ducks, chickens and eggs in various stages of 'growth' around here! There are 52 dozens eggs in the back fridge (watch out Pendleton!)...

The 'newness' includes:

• 70 laying hens
• 50 live chicks under heat lambs
• Another 5 chicks that were the only survivors of a 'horrid' mail order (50 were sent)
• 7 ducks - causing lots of problems....
• 50 more chicks to arrive next week....
  

Anyone ever raise ducklings?

This is our first time and boy, are they little stinkers! They are sharing a box with the 5 survivor chicks... The waterer is 'empty' within an hour because they do very weird things with their duck bills... You can actually hear this funky guzzle noise that they do! And if you look closely, water gets splayed out the sides of their bills! Strange...

But, they are adorable!

And, the mama cows are now 'in the back 40' - the field behind our house. One already was in my yard, and another has managed to 'mangle' part of the chicken coop fence (it was a nice 'kennel' fence I might add!) - by using it as a 'rub' to get rid of her winter coat.

So, tomorrow I will be venturing to the Pendleton Market. They have lots of changes in store for us vendors.. A new location, a new manager, and apparently, some new guidelines!

Here's to the 2009 season! Let's hope some sunshine graces us with it's warm face this Mother's Day weekend! Our tradition is to go plant shopping, and then to our favorite Mexican restaurant.. But, since it's been raining, the sheering crew has been on hold until the sun arrives.

Most likely we will be shearing this weekend (fingers crossed!)....

And, I hope to mow my lawn...
It's insanely long!!!!!
hmm.. maybe I should let the cows in the yard!

Easter News! Market News! Tasting News!

Both of These Eggs are from Our Chickens!
The 'bullet' was a double yolk.. We're getting lots of doubles!

Just A shot of Sami and a few members of her 'herd'
Sami's goat (Olive), calf (Star) and puppy(Bugsy)
Note.. Bugs was chasing more than herding!

More of Our Eggs!

Ranch Log, March 31st... 32 degrees - and (fingers crossed) climbing!

Deep Sigh....
It's March 31st and winter will NOT go away! My world is 'white' outside. White sky, white ground... Yep. It's snowing. Oh the beauty of living at 3,500 feet! Hard to beleive it was 60 degrees last Friday! Yes, 60. Haven't seen that gorgeous temperature in a while! And, come to think of it, I have not seen it since last Friday! That was the day I washed windows, did some yard cleanup and got all giddy about Spring! Later in the week, it snowed. I took the kids skiing on Thursday... keep in mind our 'spring staycation' included things like, fixing the trampoline, getting the garden area cleaned/planned, bike rides, playing in Boise (yes! did that one!) and other 'silly spring things'!

OK.. Back to 'work'! Thanks for listening...

We've got lots to share to fasten your seat belts and get ready to print!!!

• Easter Deliveries - Date Change!: I am moving the delivery date to next Wednesday, April 8th! Most of you that have placed orders are 'in the know' but for those that are waiting until the last minute, please be advised!!! I'll be in Baker at noon, La Grande at 2pm and Pendleton at 4pm - at the usual stops, on Wednesday! Please contact me immediately to be sure we have your order in the hopper!
  
• Note: We changed the delivery date due to two other events that I am is at this weekend! (We are doing a lamb tasting Friday Night at the Crossroads Center for the Arts, and, Andi is attending the 'Strategies for Today's Market' Workshop/Business Fair in Baker this weekend!)
  

• Speaking of 'hoppers' and Easter: Got Eggs? WE DO!!!!!! We have tons of fresh, natural, range free chicken produced eggs! It's a surprise to us that we have so many eggs being laid. Our new 'girls' were not supposed to lay until May! Oopsy daisy! Anyway, with Easter on April 12th now is a GREAT time to load up on some gorgeous naturally colored eggs to decorate! Yep! We have brown ones, blue ones, green ones!!! They are gorgeous all natural or enhanced with your favorite color dyes. Boil them and decorate them with your favorite supplies (we use my never ending supply of scrapbook goodies over here at Casa Sexton!) such as stickers, ribbons, and buttons! And by the way, if you have never had fresh off the ranch eggs, you MUST try them! They have a gorgeous dark yellow yolk, and are very healthy and rich in vitamins and minerals! Our eggs are gathered every night by Jake, and both he and Sami will be selling eggs at the markets this year!
• Speaking of Easter Dinners! If you prefer to dine out in a beautiful, wonderful, and tasty atmosphere, our friends and partners at Ten Depot (Hi Sandy!) and Foley Station (Hi Merlyn!), both fine restaurants in La Grande, and awesome supporters of local producers, are all stocked up with our Grass Fed Natural lamb! Be sure to contact them if you are planning to dine out for Easter - or any other evening for that matter! And let them know your friends at Sexton Ranches sent you! Now, if you are preparing a beautiful feast for your family - be sure to get in touch with us... We have Racks of Lamb, Lamb Kabobs and a few roasts left! (I have a shoulder roast slow cooking in the oven right now!!!)
  
• And, Speaking of Markets! Oh my! The markets are just around the corner! Our season kick's off with the Boise Market on April 18th! Pendleton starts May 8th, Baker is June 6th and La Grande is May 16th!

Here's a DRAFT of our market plans:

• Boise: The first and third Saturdays
• Pendleton: The 2nd and 4th Fridays
• Baker: The second Saturday
• La Grande: The fourth Saturday
  

Note: This is just a draft! I still have to plot it all out on a calendar and match it to other events and happenings on the ranch! Note: Baker is still deciding on which week night to have a market, Wednesday or Thursday... We may be at one of those as well! And La Grande has a weeknight market too that we might try out! We'll keep you posted...

Website Plans: You may have noticed our website is sorely lacking in up-to-date info! I have actually been using our blog to keep things current... Those of you that ask for current prices I email pdf files to, as well as the newsletter and other ranch publications.... Our latest strategy is to 'do it ourselves'...The website that is! So please be patient as I try to deal with this whole new learning curve! It's going to take awhile until 'it's up and running'. But the good news is, I will be able to update it on demand! Yeah!

OK! Well, I see the snowflakes are getting bigger and bigger out there! It's 11:30 am and I better go see if the chickens and Sami's rabbits, goat, calf and other 'loose' critters need more shelter!

I hope to hear from you soon and see you at the markets! If you are in the Baker Area, stop by Crossroads Friday night! The tasting includes: Rack of Lamb, Lamb Shoulder Steaks, Natural Lamb & Beef Salami's, and, I'll have some of our eggs decorated to hand out!

Take Care,
Andi

March Deliveries and Chicken News!

Chick-A-Wahs!!!
(The name we call when feeding)
See our Free Range Chickens????

iHere are a few (along with a cat) roaming the yard!

Is It Spring Yet?
My raised beds...

More Chickens!

Hello everyone!

Deliveries are this Saturday for Eastern Oregon, and next weekend for Boise. Other areas, please email me...

Newsflash!!!! We have eggs coming out of our ears! Our chickens are back in the groove... and we have 50 additional chickens (remember we bought chicks in December?????) that should be laying in May! Oh my.... so this means, a new product at our markets!

Eggs are available NOW with your orders.

Suggested items for March delivery: Lamb sausages, beef or lamb salami, Beef Kielbasa & Bratwurst (for St. Patty's Day), Beef Roasts, Lamb Roasts, and EGGS!

Easter is next month! Watch your snail mail for a newsletter - markets will be starting next month!!!!

Happy Spring(ish)...