end of summer part 1

Our farm summer is over: the garden done, all the meat birds gone in various ways, the cows returned to their home farm. 

 Some kale and chard remain to be eaten, but it was a nice summer with the garden. Not the greatest for tomato yields, but what we got was delicious. 

 We raised and took two batches of meat birds to the slaughterhouse, putting 32 roasters into our freezer. In a way the chicks have become pretty normal for us, though the arrival of the new little ones is always cause for squeals from the girls. A dozen new layers joined us this year, bringing the total to 13 along with Mini-Me, the sole remainder of our last bunch. She doesn't lay any more but has attained pet status. 

This summer's experiment was pheasants and ducks. To sum it up, ducks were adorable and pheasants were pretty but flighty. But of course we always have to look at the success of the venture, i.e., how did they taste, and were they worth the effort? 

The pheasants were gorgeous as their feathers came in. The colours! Greens, rusty red. brown speckles, and even iridescent purples when the light hit them right. Stunning. And as they strutted around their run, they really did look lovely. That was before they escaped, were recaptured, and escaped again. So, I have no idea how they tasted. Likely not worth the effort, though in a couple years I may be crazy enough to try again.