It's Hatch Day!!

Our trial run with the Nurture Right 360 is a success! These lovelies are barnyard mixes, and include Light Brahma, Jersey Giant,  Rhode Island Red, production red, Olive Egger and Easter Egger in their gene pool.

What's new?

It's spring, and it's wet here in the Great Black Swamp!  So wet the garden isn't tilled, and won't be until things dry up some.  So no produce yet, and no produce until about a month after we're able to till.  That's ok though, there's other project working here on the homestead.

I have rats and mice!  What started as an additional protein source for my raw fed dog has expanded enough that I have extras available.  I almost always have rats and mice available.  I have plain feeders, and I have fancies.  Sometimes the fancies are feeders, too.  The joke is that I'm feeding my cats caviar rats when they get red eyed devils, harleys and silvermanes.  Call me or send me an email if you're looking for feeders for your reptiles or another protein source for your raw fed pets.  My pack of predators love their rats and mice.  

I also have hedgehogs!  It's the only critter around here that doesn't multi-task as a predator or food animal.  I have two 3 month old hedgies available right now.  A pinto male, and a badger female.  She might be a chocolate badger.  I also have a lovely girl who is a retired breeder.  Let me know if you're interested.  I'm working on getting some pictures uploaded, but that could take a bit of time.  Squirmy critters are difficult to photograph well.  

I've added a trio of Champagne d'Argent rabbits to my American herd.  They're a nice, solid meat rabbit with good personalities and very nice pelts.  Breeding stock and fryers of both will be available in August.  

Chickens!  I have Buff Orpingtons, Speckled Sussex, an Ameracauna and 2 dozen Isa Browns in the brooder.  I have extra Isa Browns, and those will be available as started pullets later this summer.  In the meantime, I have a half dozen production reds free ranging with a white Jersey Giant roo named Clyde.  They're keeping the tick population in check, and slurping up worms when it rains.  They've had a lot of worms lately.

Depending on how well I do selling rodents at the reptile show this weekend, I may be coming home with quail.  So exciting!  Quail are great, sustainable, and very prolific.  I'll have to choose between jumbo brown, white coturnix (Texas a&m) and Italian.  Decisions, decisions ...

My favorite homestead project right now though is my pigs.  Ginger and Curry have been enjoying their fermented feed, lawn and field clippings, and produce scraps when not rooting everything they can reach.  Curry is scheduled to head to the processor around the 4th of July, and I'm debating whether or not to keep Ginger to raise up her own batch of bacon seeds, or if she's going to keep Curry company on that trip to the processor.  Curry will be whole hog sausage unless someone speaks up and wants to buy a half hog, in which case you'll get to fill out your own cut sheet.  The current plan includes raising another batch of pigs, probably 4, that will be ready in the fall.  Lots of flexibility in this plan, it'll depend on a lot of factors, including demand for pork.  I love sausage, but can only eat so much of it myself.  

I hope your spring is treating you well!  Let me know if there's anything you're interested in, and I'll see you at the Fort Wayne Reptile show and Defiance Farmers Market!

The bunnies are coming!

Bunnies for backyard meat production, bunnies for your bellies.  Starting March 25th, and continuing through May 30th.  More breeding stock rabbit details here!

Oh, you were more interested in bunnies for your belly?  You're in the right place!  Farm processed rabbit meat is $5/#, and they average 2.5-2.75# each.  Available starting March 25th, while supplies last.  If the ladies continue to cooperate, rabbit meat will be in stock for the rest of the year.

If the phone doesn't work, shoot me an email.  That'll get checked once a week.  
wildvitality at gmail dot com

Happy Spring!

Martha Stewart's making rabbit stock

Meat rabbits got a little more press over in Martha Stewart land.   Check out her recipe for rabbit stock!

http://www.marthastewart.com/338489/homemade-rabbit-stock

Chickens and Rabbits

If you have put a deposit on a meat chicken or reserved a rabbit, they're ready!  I'm about halfway through processing the chickens, and the same goes for the rabbits.  

I've had some interest in another batch of chickens, and will be able to do that this spring.  Rabbits are available all year, so please contact me if you'd like to be added to the wait list.  As it is right now, all rabbits are spoken for until about the middle of November.  I am adding 2 does to my herd to better supply your rabbit meat requests.  

Chickens and rabbits are dressed and packaged in BPA-free shrink style freezer bags.  I love these bags, they do a great job of preventing freezer burn and preserving the quality of the meat.  

If you'd like to reserve some rabbits or be contacted about chickens in the spring, please email me, wildvitality@gmail.com, or talk to me at the farmers market.  I'll be there Thursdays and Saturdays through the beginning of November.  

Cilantro Lime Rice, Chipotle style

Cilantro is a frequent flier in our CSA boxes.  Today I used mine to make Chipotle style Cilantro Lime Rice.  You can also substitute Cilantro entirely or in part for Basil in your favorite pesto recipe.

2014 CSA shares

It’s that time of year again!  The first of the seed catalogs has arrived, and Wild Vitality Homestead 2014 CSA Shares are now available.  This year meat birds will be handled as CSA shares to allow me to raise everything you need.  I’ll be able to quote you a per pound price when I’ve finished negotiating the non-GMO feed, which will be in range of $4/pound.

1 have 1 share left of each size.  Shares are first come, first served.  If you are interested in a share or have any questions, please feel free to email me at WildVitality@Gmail.com.

Wild Vitality Homestead 2014 CSA

Heirloom Veggies               Heritage Animals

Chemical Free foods with history,

Nutrient density and better flavor

Weekly pickup at Defiance Farmers Market

Early June – Mid October

CSA members receive 15% discount on all

Wild Vitality services and remedies

Veggie Shares:

Chemical free

Heirloom varieties

Weekly selection of leafies, roots, classics and herbs

Family                        $600

Couple                       $400

Single                        $200

Meats:

Commercial breeds, pasture raised

with supplemental non-GMO feed

Turkeys         $25 deposit per bird, balance due on delivery

Chickens       $15 deposit per bird, balance due on delivery

Eggs from hens raised on pasture with supplemental non-GMO feed

$4/dozen ala cart

Rabbits           Heritage Breed ~ American Blues and Whites

Raised on high quality conventional pellets with supplemental garden goodies

$4/# farm processed
$6/# processed at inspected facility by request

Wild Vitality Homestead   Cecil OH

Wildvitality@Gmail.com    720.323.7319

Wildvitalityhomestead.blogspot.com

Produce * Rabbit * Pastured Poultry * Eggs