Martin Luther King day found us thinning out our flocks.  It is never a pleasant thing, but the reality is, we eat meat.  We also have many, many chickens.

As much as I love my birds, they are only productive for a certain amount of time.  We have had hens lay for as long as 4-5 years – but as they age, their laying becomes sporadic.  With the amount of money we spend on good, clean, non-gmo and organic feed, we can’t afford to feed dozens of hens that no longer lay more than 1 or two eggs a week.  And so, we are required to thin our flocks.

Knowing that Monday was the day that this would take place, and not really looking forward to the day’s events, you can’t imagine my joy to find that this little turkey had hatched!

Of the many turkeys that we have raised over the years, the Broad-Breasted Bronze has been our favorite for meat.  They grow quickly and are huge birds!  We have had Toms and Hens – even eggs – but never any chicks – because with this breed, by the time the Tom is mature enough to breed, he is too big and unable.

This year, we decided to try cross-breeding.  We have a beautiful Spanish Black Tom – named Ferdinand (his mate is Isabella :).  We decided to see if we could get a Spanish Black/Broad Breasted Bronze cross……  Meet Luther.  We debated on what to call him – but in honor of the day of his birth – well, you get it.  He is the first of what we hope will me many just like him.  It will be several months before we can tell what the quality of meat will be from this cross, but we are thrilled with his arrival.

Yes, he is adorable.  Yes, he will eventually end up on the table.  But, the reality is that food doesn’t come from the store.

Food comes from the farm.  Someone has raised it, processed it, and delivered it to market.  The beauty of living on the homestead is that we know how our food was raised, processed, and handled.  Our birds have had a very good, happy lives.  They have been fed clean feed, fresh fruits and veggies, and all the fresh air, sunshine, bugs and grubs a bird could want.  They are humanely handled, processed, and prepared by people who have known and cared for them.

We are ever grateful for their part in our homestead and the joy, food, and entertainment they provide.  We are very careful never to waste or be casual about their contribution. I even render the fat from the birds to be used in cooking. . . . Our happy old birds are very, very fat!!!!

I am fortunate to have a husband and friends with whom I share the joys, challenges, work, and rewards of this kind of life.  It is not easy – but never boring.  We work hard, laugh hard, eat well and sleep like rocks!  Life is good!

Welcome, little Luther – and thank you in advance,

Kathy