Joe Claborn gives a brief orientation.
Thank you to all who came out for our first Farm Day at Claborn Farms this past Saturday (January 16, 2016).
Here’s a short overview of the day that we thought you might enjoy if you weren’t able to attend.
After a brief orientation at the Claborn’s house, we went out to look at the egg storage room and that hatching room. The egg storage room is where all the eggs are kept at a reduced temperature until they’re ready to be placed into the incubators.
Joe teaching about hatching.
The hatching room contains several temperature-and-humidity-controlled hatchers. This is where the chicks actually hatch.
We move eggs from the incubators into hatchers just a few days before the hatch. This gives the eggs a stationary place to stay until hatch (the eggs don’t get rotated in the hatchers like they do in the incubators) and a place with higher humidity, which enables the chicks to more easily rotate within the shell when they’re pecking their way out.
Inside the hatching room
After a brief intermission to put the meat onto the grill for the meal that would come later, we headed out to the barn.
Putting chicken on the barbecue grill
There, Joe went over watering, watering equipment, feeding and feeding equipment, and he and Pat discussed what has worked well for them and what hasn’t. They also showed a home-built chicken waterer that they’ve developed for their own use on the farm.
Poultry and equipment discussion in the barn
Next we visited the barn where some of the breeding flocks are housed. Joe told about the various flocks there. His Barred Rocks were quite impressive, in size, shape and plumage.
Barred Rock breeders
Then we went for a tour of additional coops and chicken houses outdoors, where more breeding flocks are kept, along with “grow out” pens for birds that are being raised for meat and or egg production.
Touring the outdoor flocks and pens
Then we went over to see the portable pens where the heritage turkeys are housed.
Seeing the portable turkey pens
Next we went to see the Texas Bresse flock. Last, we ended the day with an excellent meal of barbecue chicken (made from chickens grown right here on the farm), cheese grits, green beans, peach cobbler and ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, while we answered additional questions about poultry.
Ending the day with a fine meal.