Sup Bros,

Just wanted to pop in and remind everyone that now is the time to plant things like garlic, onions, and strawberries.

Now, I will be honest, I’m from the south. So I’m not exactly sure what the planting procedure is up there in Iceland (northern US). But you should probably look into it, and get to work now. Don’t wait till the end of spring next year to try to get something planted.

Garlic, onion plugs (in the south), and strawberry plugs are overwintered type plants. Unironically these are three of the best garden treats in my opinion.

There’s nothing like homegrown garlic and onion, and who doesn’t like free strawberries?

Plant these now in the fall and they marinate over winter for a spring/summer harvest. Strawberries really don’t show out until the second year, which is even more reason to get some in the ground now.

This substack pretty much died, so I’m not sure if anyone is even really reading this or interested. Let me know in the comments and I’ll write a follow up post telling you what varieties I’m planting and where I got my plugs.

If you want honey from the June harvest it’s in the shop and selling fast.

The Backroom Bundle’s the best deal if you’re stocking up, get it here.

Ya’ll don’t work to hard out there…

Farmer

My birds stopped laying and now I’m buying eggs with over 20 hens in the yard.

If you’ve been there, you know the feeling. Total BS lol.

Here’s what I check when laying drops off, and how to tell what’s normal and what’s a problem.

1. Time of Year
Even in the South, high heat or short days slow them down.
Less than 14 hours of daylight? Production drops.
When it’s 98 and humid, they go on strike.

2. Molting
Molting is when they drop feathers and grow new ones. Usually late summer or fall.
While they’re growing feathers, they stop laying. Nothing you can do but wait.

Fix: Boost protein and leave them alone. It’s normal.

3. Parasites
Mites, lice, or worms will drag birds down. You’ll see pale combs, thin bodies, maybe feather picking. You’ll see signs in the poop if it’s worms. This slows egg production.

Fix: Check under wings and vents. Dust the birds. Clean the coop. Put down lime to dry the floor out and keep parasites in check.

Deworm if needed. Safeguard or Cydectin, teaspoon down the throat with a dosing syringe. Once, and then again in 2 weeks.

4. Age
Pullets lay strong their first year. After that, it slows down.
By year 3, many are part-time layers at best.

Fix: Track who’s producing. Cull if needed. Or let the freeloaders stay if they earn it in other ways.

5. Broody
Some hens go broody and quit laying cold. They’ll hog the nest, puff up, and growl if you come near.

Fix: Break the brood in a wire cage or let her ride it out. She won’t lay until she’s done.

6. Feed
Low protein or weak feed shuts down eggs fast.
Scratch and scraps won’t cut it.

Fix: 16% layer feed. You can give them a boost by mixing in some higher protein pellets with the layer feed. Oyster shell on the side. Fresh water always.

The scratch seed mixes are junk food for a laying hen, almost no value. Give this as “treats” not as feed.

7. Hidden Nests or Egg Theft
If they free-range, check every corner and bush for hidden nests.
If you’re seeing yolk splatter or empty shells, something’s stealing them.

Fix: Lock them up a few days. Patch holes. Keep a trail cam if you have to.

Pro Tip

s: Snakes are egg thieves, most people forget about snakes when predator proofing their coops (including me). Check the nesting boxes periodically throughout the day if you suspect a thief. Also, keep an eye on your dogs, if they can access the nesting boxes, they may be getting extra snacks when you’re not looking.

Wrap up:
When hens quit laying, there’s a reason.
Check the calendar. Check the bird. Check the coop. Fix what’s off.
Don’t just throw money at it or start over. Pay attention and adjust.

P.S.
If you missed it, fresh 2025 raw honey is in stock now.
No heat. No filtering. Straight from comb to jar.

Order Here

It’s been a while. I haven’t quit. Just been working.

Hives came through strong. Pulled over 200 gallons this spring and early summer. Got it all bottled and stacked ready to go.

Shop Raw Honey Now

Wildflower nectar from woods and pastures in small town southeast.
No big ag. No migratory bees. Just clean local honey.

3 pound glass and squeeze jars are ready to ship.
Free UPS Ground shipping on all orders over $35.

If you’re not buying, that’s fine.
I’ll write again when there’s something worth saying.

Farmer

You ever get tired of paying over $15 for a grocery store chicken that tastes like drywall and regret?

I was too—until I found a glitch.

These days, I raise birds that taste better, live better, and cost me damn near nothing. No organic sticker needed. No big fancy infrastructure. Just a little hustle, a little know-how, and a buddy in the right business.

Today I’ll walk you through it.

But this isn’t just about chicken.

I started raising my own chicken because I’m tired of eating bleach-washed meat—even the so-called organic stuff. It’s a damn shame we have to do it ourselves just to get clean food, but that’s where we are now. Unfortunately, the supply chains can’t be trusted, and the big labels don’t mean what they used to.

So around here, everything we do—whether it’s food, animal feed, skincare, whatever—we’re always trying to find our own source, grow our own, or make it ourselves. Because it’s about one thing: cutting off the global corps and making clean products that actually work.

We started by making it for ourselves. Now we offer it to others who are done playing the grocery store guessing game.

There’s more at the end of this story—and it’s not just about meat.

The Setup Most Folks Use (and Why It Fails)

Most people who try to raise meat birds the “right” way start with a catalog.

They order 25 Cornish Cross chicks from a hatchery, pay shipping, get bags of high-dollar feed, build a brooder, and then hope they make it eight weeks without losing half the batch to heat, shipping issues, or leg issues.

Then they add up the feed, supplies, and lost birds… and realize they just paid $27 a pound for their own chicken (after all costs are added up).

Been there. Done that. Don’t do that anymore.

What I’ve done instead is set myself up over time with simple infrastructure that works. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive—just smart, reusable setups that make processing fast and low-stress.

Take the brooder, for example.

I built mine from a wooden crate I got from a local manufacturing plant. Thing's 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, 2 feet tall. Added some screened doors with hinges on top, rigged up hooks for feeders, waterers, and heat lamps—and that was it.

Most manufacturing places treat crates and pallets like trash. If you ask, they’ll practically beg you to take 'em.

And that’s the point—you don’t need to spend money when a little hustle will do. Build it right, use it again and again, and suddenly you’re not just raising chickens—you’re building a system.

The Glitch: Tyson Extras

I’ve got a buddy who raises meat birds for Tyson. Commercial operation, big-time numbers. That means there’s always a surplus—chicks that don’t match the shipment size, are a day off schedule, or are just plain extras.

To Tyson, they’re waste. To me, they’re dinner.

I get those chicks for next to nothing. Sometimes free. Sometimes a flat twenty for a box. Doesn’t matter—they just want 'em gone.

I bring them home, throw them in the brooder for a couple weeks, then move them to a pasture tractor. That’s where the magic happens.

These birds grow fast. I’m talking monster thighs and heavy breast meat—way bigger than the Cornish Cross you’ll pick up at Tractor Supply.
Yeah, they’re probably vaccinated before I ever get them. That’s the tradeoff. But raised right, on pasture with clean feed and space to move, they still turn into the best meat I’ve ever pulled out of a roasting pan.

And for the folks thinking they’re avoiding all that by buying chicks from Tractor Supply or online—hate to break it to you, but those are vaccinated too. Almost every big hatchery is running Marek’s vaccines at minimum, and a lot of them are pushing into the newer mRNA-style tech. That’s not fearmongering—it’s just fact.

So down the road, we will need to start raising our own meat birds from scratch. Hatch ‘em ourselves, grow ‘em clean. It takes more time, but if you want total control over what goes into your food, it’s the only real way.

For now, this system is a compromise I can live with—one that lets me learn, refine, and figure out whether this could be a real path to market.

Not just clean chicken for my own freezer, but maybe clean chicken for folks around here too—if they ever come around to caring what’s in their food.

Real Feed, Real Yard Time

In the tractor, they get sunlight, space, bugs, and grass. None of that warehouse stench. Just fresh air and movement.

I feed them an organic 6-way scratch mix and non-GMO layer pellets—nothing fancy, but clean. I found a feed source that sells both for $14 a bag, so I stock up at a great price.

That, plus fermented kitchen scraps and rotation across the pasture, keeps them growing solid without breaking the bank. Egg sales from the layers help offset feed costs too.

Here’s the general feed plan and timeline we follow:

Chick to Butcher Timeline (8 Weeks)

Week 1–2: Brooder Phase

• Heat: 95°F down to 85°F

• Feed: 100% starter (20–22% protein)

• Bedding: Pine shavings

• Water: Clean, warm, with optional probiotic/electrolyte first 3 days

• No scratch feed yet

Week 3–4: Grower Phase

• Heat: Cut heat after week 3 if fully feathered and nights stay above 60°F

• Feed: 70% layer pellet + 30% 6-way scratch

• Move to tractor once feathered and weather is stable

• Start rotating on grass daily

Week 5–6: Grow + Finish Phase

• Feed: 50/50 pellet + scratch

• Birds start packing on weight, gaining real size

• Adjust tractor rotation as manure builds up

Week 7–8: Finish Strong

• Feed: 25% pellet + 75% scratch + pasture

• Last 3–5 days: mostly scratch + pasture only

• Let the growth mellow, fat develop, meat flavor up

The Processing Setup

We only do about 10–12 birds at a time. Not because we can’t do more, but because it keeps the work manageable and the freezer full without turning it into a full-time job.

If I were to buy chicks online and tried to sell these, the price wouldn’t touch the grocery store birds—and let’s be honest, most folks around here still see “free range” as a marketing gimmick, not a reason to pay more.

Now with the free chicken glitch from my buddy, the cost is getting closer to a viable market, but I’m still not in it to profit just yet.

So I raise for the family. I keep it clean, keep it small, and skip the headache of trying to convince people who don’t want to be convinced.

I built a lean-to off the back of the barn for butchering. Nothing fancy, but it keeps the mess outside and the process smooth. I picked up a Yardbird Plucker, it was a little pricey but it’s worth every penny. This one is built to last and was a much needed piece to make processing so much easier. Makes the job go fast and it works great. Trust me, I’ve plucked lots of birds by hand and it’s probably the worst job of all time.

So now we kill, scald, pluck, clean, chill, bag. A dozen birds in a morning and our freezer's happy for months.

Butcher Day Step Plan (Small Batch: 10–12 Birds)

TOOLS NEEDED:

• Kill cones (or traffic cones)

• Sharp knife (boning or filet)

• Large pot for scalding (heated to 145–150°F)

• Yardbird plucker (or hand-pluck if you hate yourself)

• Stainless or plastic table

• Buckets or tubs for offal

• Ice water bath

• Shrink bags

Butcher Day Step Plan (10–12 Birds, Small Batch)

Step-by-Step Flow:

1. Pre-Butcher Hold (12–24 Hours Before)

• Catch birds at night while they’re calm

• Place them in a cage or crate off the ground (sawhorses or blocks work great)

• No feed during this time—just clean water

• This clears out their digestive system, keeps the carcasses clean, and makes evisceration faster and easier

• Check the forecast—don’t butcher in high heat, storms, or strong wind

2. Setup & Heat Water (Morning Of)

• Use a crawfish-style propane boiler and start early

• Monitor temp with a clip-on candy thermometer or digital probe

• Ideal temp is 145–150°F—too hot and you’ll tear skin in the plucker

• While water heats, set up:

  • Kill cones (mounted or cone-style buckets)

  • Butchering table (plastic or stainless)

  • Ice water bath (big bin full of ice and cold water)

  • Yardbird plucker (check it's working ahead of time)

3. Dispatch

• Place bird head-first into cone

• Quick slice across both sides of the neck (jugulars, not windpipe)

• Let bleed out for 1–2 minutes

• Use a catch bucket or tray for blood

4. Scald

• Dunk bird 3–5 times in the 145–150°F water, agitating slightly

• Test a wing or tail feather—if it pulls easy, it’s ready

• Don’t scald too long—over-scald leads to torn skin

5. Pluck

• Into the Yardbird plucker, spin 15–30 seconds

• Check for leftover feathers (wings and tail especially)

• Hand-pluck anything missed

6. Eviscerate

• Remove oil gland at the base of the tail

• Cut around vent, gently pull intestines

• Reach in and pull heart, lungs, liver, crop

• Trim any excess fat or lining

• Rinse bird thoroughly inside and out

7. Chill

• Submerge into ice bath for at least 1 hour

• Stir occasionally or rotate birds to cool evenly

• Replace ice as needed—keep that water cold

8. Bag & Freeze

• Use shrink bags (dip into ~180°F water briefly) or vacuum seal

• Label with date, batch, and weight

• Freeze flat for easy stacking and thawing

Pro Tips:

• Get birds off feed 12–24 hours before butcher—cleans them out and keeps your table clean

• Process in small batches—2–3 birds at a time keeps pace smooth

• Sharpen your knife every few birds—don’t fight dull steel

• Keep a hose nearby on low flow for rinsing and cleanup

• Have a second set of hands if you can—it cuts your time in half

The Payoff

These birds are healthier, taste better, and don’t come with guilt, mystery meat, or a bloated price tag from a grocery aisle that still thinks “natural” means something.

The fat’s yellow. The skin crisps. The meat has flavor again.

And maybe most important—I don’t eat bleach chicken anymore.

You know the kind: rinsed in chlorine solution, sprayed down in a facility that processes 180,000 birds a day, bagged and labeled with words like “organic” or “free range” that don’t mean a damn thing once the carcass hits the chill tank.

Even the organic birds in big-box stores go through chemical processing. The difference between my birds and theirs? I know what didn’t touch mine.

And the whole system? Still cheaper, cleaner, and more satisfying than the book version.

Want to Try Something Similar?

If you know someone in the chicken business, ask what they do with their extras.

If you don’t, check your local feed store. Ask around. Buy someone a coffee. These side channels still exist—you just have to go looking for them.

What Else We Make (and Why)

Same with everything we do around here. No fluff. No middleman. No watered-down nonsense.

We’ve been making a balm too—great for dry skin, all-over moisture, and protection that actually works.
It’s called Bee Tallow Balm, made from grass-fed beef tallow, raw honey, propolis, and a little royal jelly.
No seed oils. No preservatives. Just the good stuff your skin actually wants.

I’ll talk more about that soon.
Same story: build it yourself, make it clean, do it better than what’s on the shelf.

And the same goes for our handcrafted soaps made with custom recipes we’ve been using ourselves for over a decade—and they’re finally back in stock.

But for now, if you’ve got a little yard and a freezer, you’ve got the makings of a cleaner, cheaper meat supply.

No feedlot. No fuss.

Just birds, bugs, and a better plan.

It’s been a while, what do you want to talk about next time? Drop a comment, I’d love to hear from you.

Your Friend,

Farmer