MAKIN' MEMORIES ON THE FARM

November is here! Some farmers are still harvesting, while others have wrapped up their harvest for 2026.

November brings out a busy time for poultry producers…this is the time of year we like to cut centers and clean out some of the litter in our barns. Many fields are open and can accept trailer loads of litter, so litter gets loaded out of poultry houses and taken to fields where it can be piled for the winter and spread as fertilizer in the spring. Some producers clean all the litter out of their barns, while other producers leave some litter behind…it’s all in what works best for the farmer and the chickens.

We usually cut centers, which sounds so confusing, so let’s break it down! The first thing Levi does to the litter after the flock goes to market is windrow the litter on the sidewalls. The litter that’s left in the center parts of all the barns is loaded onto trucks and taken to be piled in fields. The litter that is piled in fields is pushed into one giant pile that crusts over on top; this helps preserve the nutrients found in the litter. The crust also helps keep the litter
underneath it dry.
After the litter in the centers of the barns is hauled away, the litter that was left in the windrow piles is spread back out onto the floors and we incorporate new pine shavings into that litter with our pulverizer. Some farms in our area use miscanthus grass; in other parts of the country, farmers use peanut shells, sawdust, rice hulls…a variety of products can be used depending on where farms are located and the availability of materials.

So, what’s happening on our grain farm in November? We should wrap up our harvest, make a list of repairs we will need to make before next season, and we will finish up our seed order for 2027. We placed a tentative order before harvest, but we need to set it in stone so we can accept the deliveries over the winter and prep for next season!

Did you try our trivia question? The answer is true! Much like chickens in our area, turkeys start out with what is called starter feed, usually it’s in a crumble consistency and then they move to a grower feed and finisher feed that are pelletized. The feed is made with different ingredients that help with their growth at various stages of development. Poultry Nutritionists guide the development of feed for the stages of growth to make sure the birds have what they need as they grow.

Just another fun fact…turkeys are way out of my comfort zone, I’m actually scared of them! Chickens are preferred around here!