"Jeremy \"UncleHoot\" Praay" <jer### [at] questsoftwarecmo> wrote:
> Since I started raising and selling chickens, I've become more and more
> aware of the so-called "industrial food system" in the U.S.


Once was driving on the state highway through rural southeast Virginia. There
was a detour. We had to make a 2-mile jog at 5 MPH through some barely-paved
roads.  We came across this one establishment.

There were a few buildings that were painted the most depressing shade of gray.
Everything looked like a movie set for concentration camp barracks. Eventually
it dawned on me that I was on a FARM. And that these were probably makeshift
residences for migrant farmworkers who weren't there now.  The whole "graphic
design" of the place had a look and feel of trying to be as unwelcoming as
possible.

Anyway, I often wonder what the people there are like. It would be interesting
to know what kind of stories would be told by religious clergy meet with the
people who lived.  It would be interesting to hear what kind of philosophical
chats the owner would have at his local club.

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What is this "chicken" stuff? Is it similar to Meat™?

-Mike

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"Leroy Whetstone" <lrw### [at] joplincom> wrote in message 
news:4AC### [at] joplincom...
>
> Congatulations on raising 300 birds!
>
> We just raised 100. We don't sell the meat. We eat it :)
> We sell eggs. Brown eggs.
> Half of our birds end up as fried chicken.(we buy mixed hens & roosters)
> I've been raising chickens off and on for 15 years. I don't let them run, 
> where I live (the woods in Missouri) there are to many critters.
> I have never had the chance to eat one of the hens after their laying
> days are done, a racoon usaly gets them first.

I've become complacent in that regard.  Even the neighborhood dogs rarely 
show up in our yard anymore.  I just hope that if something bad does happen 
(and it will eventually), that it doesn't completely wipe them out.  I've 
read that dogs will occasionally do that.

> A friend of mine had 40 or so Reds (I grow Bar Rocks)and she's tring to 
> raise them free range style. She's down to 20.

In addion to the meat chickens, we have 14 hens and a couple banty roosters. 
I tried to get a variety of egg colors ranging from brown to light-brown to 
white to green.  It's fun to put them in the carton and see a rainbow of egg 
colors.  :-)

> You mention the finances of growing chickens. I never did make a big 
> profit, even selling eggs for two years and counting what we would spend 
> for the meat of the ones we butchered. This year we already spent over 
> $600 and they are just started laying.(got 4 eggs)

I can't seem to make money selling eggs.  There are too many other people 
doing the same thing in my area.  So, we just try to sell the extras and 
consider it a hobby.

>  How much did you pay for your chicks? We paid $1.25 each. I'm seriously 
> thinking of hatching my own. All I need is an incubator and 23 days or so 
> of electric. If you let a hen set on them then you have to be real brave 
> and quick to get those chicks from that mother hen :O
>
> Have Fun!

This last batch, I bought 150 from www.jmhatchery.com for around $1.20 each, 
including shipping.  They're not your standard cornish cross meat chicken. 
Most of the time, I try to buy from my local hatchery (around $1.25 
shipped), or from the farm store in the spring, which sells them for 99 
cents each.

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"SharkD" <mik### [at] gmailcom> wrote in message 
news:4acdddb0$1@news.povray.org...
> What is this "chicken" stuff? Is it similar to MeatT?
>
> -Mike
>

The funny thing about that remark is that "meat" as defined by the USDA does 
not include poultry.  They have one set of regulations for "meat" (pork, 
lamb, beef, etc) and another for poultry.  Lucky for me, the poultry 
regulations aren't as cumbersome.

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Jeremy "UncleHoot" Praay escreveu:
> Mostly, I feel like I'm offering something to our community at a reasonable 
> price.  If anyone balks at the price, I really don't care; they can buy 
> their chicken from Walmart at the cheapest price possible. 

Exactly:  create your own audience.  One should not be concerned that 
most will eat at McDonald's when thinking about opening a restaurant...

all this chicken talk left me hungry... :P

-- 
a game sig: http://tinyurl.com/d3rxz9

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Leroy Whetstone wrote:
> Darren New wrote:
>> It's especially apparent (to me) in the fruits and vegetables, all of 
>> which taste essentially identical. Apples are cardboard here.
>>
> 
> And store bought tomatoes suck! I wont eat them raw.
> 
> 
Bred to look perfect! Oh, wait.. you mean they are also supposed to 
taste like something? Damn you're picky! lol

-- 
void main () {
   If Schrödingers_cat is alive or version > 98 {
     if version = "Vista" {
       call slow_by_half();
       call DRM_everything();
     }
     call functional_code();
   }
   else
     call crash_windows();
}

<A HREF='http://www.daz3d.com/index.php?refid=16130551'>Get 3D Models, 
3D Content, and 3D Software at DAZ3D!</A>

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Invisible wrote:
> Also, I'm not saying they add extra water to the chicken to make it 
> heavier, but... well if you slice it up and start cooking it, you end up 
> with a pretty impressive lake of water...
Water (+ gunk) is often added to chicken breasts to make them heavier.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/chicken-injected-with-beef-waste-sold-in-uk-1696407.html

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"Verm" <a@b> wrote in message news:4acf4ac5$1@news.povray.org...
> Water (+ gunk) is often added to chicken breasts to make them heavier.
>
>
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/chicken-injected-with-beef-waste-sold-in-uk-1696407.html

Wow.  It's kind of sad when you feel like you need an ingredients label on 
something as simple as a chicken breast.

We grew-out a chicken to 10 lbs (dressed weight) last year, just by letting 
it live a couple extra weeks.  The breast on it was HUGE.  It took us 
several more dinners and lunches to finish it off.  :-)

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Jeremy "UncleHoot" Praay wrote:
> 
> Nevertheless, "Organic" is not actually a term that we are allowed to use, 
> and it's really not a term that I truly believe in, anyway.

I stock at Wal-Mart at night (supplements my military pension), and I 
have quite a bit to say about the labeling.

I am firmly convinced that the laws should prohibit any plant or animal 
being named on the front of the packaging if there is any artificial 
flavorings added.  It shouldn't say "orange" if the flavor does not come 
from an actual orange.  Ditto for "grape," "root beer," and "crab."

The other night I was stocking the dairy section.  One item I stocked 
bore the words, "Natural Vanilla Soy Milk."  I was thinking, "Uh, no, if 
you squeeze a soybean, vanilla milk does not come out."

We also stock "natural" Colby/Monterey Jack cheese.  I had not known 
that two different kinds of cheese naturally formed in one batch.

Regards,
John

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John VanSickle wrote:
> "Natural Vanilla Soy Milk." 

"Soy beans do not have teats!"  (George Carlin, I think)

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

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