Course Tutor
Sally Morgan of the Empire Farm What you will learn Once you taste traditionally raised chicken meat you will never want to buy a supermarket chicken ever again! Chickens are easy to keep and you don’t have to raise them just for eggs. On this course you will learn how to raise your own chickens for meat. During the morning you will learn about the different breeds that are suitable for meat, some of which are dual purpose for eggs and meat. Most people buy their meat chickens as day-old chicks, so we show you how the raise the chicks under heat lamps. We cover all aspects of keeping the chickens, including housing and paddocks, rotations, feeding, disease, predator control, legal aspects, buying stock etc. We will also look at keeping the dual purpose breeds, for raising hens for eggs and cockerels for meat. After lunch we demonstrate how to slaughter a chicken and pluck it. Then everybody has a go at eviscerating a chicken. Administration The numbers on this courses are limited to 12 people so that there is plenty of opportunity to discuss specific topics of interest. Much of this course takes place outside so warm weatherproof clothing and wellington boots are needed, plus a change of shoes. The price includes all tuition, course notes, light lunch and refreshments during the day. You also get to take home and try the chicken you have prepared. Pigs and Poultry What about a weekend away learning about pigs and poultry? This is our most popular combination of courses. If you decide to do the Keeping Chickens for Meat on Saturday 15 May and Keeping Pigs on Sunday 16 May you can book both courses at the second person rate. | 
