December 10, 2009
Well, winter seems to have settled in for good in western New York. Forecast is for 10-12 inches of new snow and 30-50 mph winds for the next 24 hrs. Fortunately we moved the two sows (red and black) along with blacks piglets into the barn a couple days ago.
We took our first 2 steers to the processor last week and they had a nice layer of fat on board so 100% grass/hay-fed animals can and do match up with stock yard beef as far as conditioning and the meat has the advantage of better flavor in addition to being healthier for you because of the favorable ratios of beneficial fats. To more beeves to go at the end of the month and hopefully their conditioning will be as good.
Our fall batch of pastured pigs went to market in late October at 7 months and average hanging weight was 263 lb. The flavor and texture of the meat are fantastic. Our winter batch of pork will be processed in late January at approximately 6 months so these should be a bit lighter. These aren’t all sold yet so please contact us if you’re interested in a side of pork.
Our Thanksgiving turkeys, despite being processed at a week younger age (16 weeks) than last year, still averaged 21-22 lbs with several in the 27.5 lb range. We shortened the amount of weeks we raised them to try to get the average closer to 20 lbs. But, I guess the cooler (albeit wet) summer allowed them to chow down and still put on the weight. Feedback from our customers in regards to quality and flavor has been incredibly positive. HLW Acres in Attica, NY does do a great job at processing (we stay there for the whole process) and we appreciate their service and attention to details. Thank you!
Our laying flock is still producing at better than 90% which is amazing to me since daylight hours are almost at their shortest. They’re still spending a good part of the day outdoors and are still laying and roosting in their hen-houses-on-wheels rather than in the hoop-house (which is a bit warmer and where their food and water is).
We still have frozen broilers available for sale but will probably be sold out by mid January so contact us ASAP if your supplies are dwindling.
That’s pretty much it as far as goings on at Sojourner Farms. We wish all of you safe, joyous, healthy and happy Holidays. Enjoy the season and try to spend quality time with family and friends.
Pierre and Lesa