Last Thanksgiving, we had our first pasture raised turkey … and it was life-changing. My husband said it was the most delicious Thanksgiving meal he had ever eaten. And thus, a dream was born.
Because we had moved to our small suburban homestead just a few months before, I was already kicking around the idea of getting a few Cornish Cross and trying our hand at backyard meat birds. But what if I raised a few holiday turkeys, too? If I was going to do that, I might as well fully commit to raising a decent-sized batch of Cornish Cross. And while I was at it, maybe I should try raising a few Jumbo Pekins as well. For variety. And for prosciutto. And for pate.
Choosing Backyard Meat Breeds
After a few too many cups of coffee one morning shortly after the holiday, I texted my boss/best friend, Ginger (yes, THE Ginger of McMurray Hatchery), and told her that I wanted to raise all of my family’s poultry for a year in our small pasture. I was a little nervous; it felt like sort of a crazy dream since we were (and still are) so new to raising our own food. Her response? How exciting! Let’s do it!
First came our turkeys. I went with Murray’s Midget Whites because of their smaller size and relatively faster grow-out time compared to other production breeds. Then came 35 little Jumbo Cornish Cross chicks, who were all strong and hardy from the get-go. We grew out the turkeys for about 16 weeks because of scheduling and took our Cornish Cross to 8 weeks with zero health issues whatsoever. The Jumbo Pekins came next, and were the most healthy and robust round of birds I’ve ever raised. In the end, we filled our freezer with four turkeys, 31 chickens, and 10 ducks. Not bad for our first year!
Looking Back on Our Year
Looking back, I’m not only grateful for a freezer full of meat, but for a season of growth. Our family worked together to learn how to raise these backyard meat birds. We moved our Premier One netting every day, and the kids helped feed and water the birds right alongside me. Our system wasn’t perfect, and I definitely had to round up our chickens with a rake more often than I would have liked to. We made some mistakes along the way, but we learned a lot. We changed and adjusted and tried and tried again.
Above all else, we will spend the next year enjoying some of the most nutritious and sustainable meat imaginable from birds that lived truly happy lives. In his book The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs Joel salatin asks, “if I were this animal, would I want to live this way?” And when I think back to the way we raised these birds, my answer is always yes. Our Cornish Cross ran the pasture with our layer flock, taking dust baths and napping in the sun. Our turkeys foraged and followed us around when we worked outside. Our ducks swam and ate to their hearts’ content. All of this, right in our little backyard pasture.
Suburban Backyard Bounty
Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel when I reminisce on this year. I had the opportunity to learn something new many times over, to work day in and day out with my husband and children, and to provide a good quality of life for the animals I cared for. I was supported along the way by a fantastic community full of willing mentors and helpful friends. And now, at the end, I get to feed my family in a way that I truly believe in.
The best part? I did it all in a suburban backyard with little kids in tow. So my advice to you is this: if you feel even the smallest calling to raise a couple layers or try your hand at putting a few backyard meat birds in the freezer: go for it. Grow yourself and what you’re capable of. You can learn as you go. You can do it in small spaces. You can make it work around busy schedules and nap times. If I can do it, anyone can.
Cassidy Cornell is a mama, homemaker, and backyard poultry enthusiast living in Eastern Washington. She loves gardening, baking, and taking pictures of eggs.
All photos in this article are courtesy of Cassidy Cornell.
Cassidy’s Favorite Backyard Meat Breeds:
