A Very Meaty Subject

We are watching with anticipation the plight of farmers across our nation. We see scenes of dairy farmers having to toss out millions of gallons of milk because the demand is not there, people are concerned that there will not be enough meat for people to eat because of outbreaks of the Covid-19 virus at meat processing plants, the concerns go on and on.
That being said, I've also noticed that people in our small community have stepped forward as much as they can to purchase their needed foods from our community's local farms. I've also noticed that gardens are popping up where they may not have before and the sale and demand to own chickens is astronomical. People are realizing that they need to return to a time where we grew our own food or depended on the local farm to provide the needed daily sustenance.
As many of you know, I've had egg laying chickens for over 5 years now and I think of the countless number of eggs that these birds have provided to me and to those who have purchased from me over the years. I've enjoyed gathering the eggs each day and the thought of someday being brave enough to raise chickens for meat just seemed a foreign and scary thing.
All of that changed this week on Wednesday when a box of 50 peeping cornish cross chicks arrived at our local post office.
These chicks were ordered far in advance of the pandemic so I had no problem with supply at the hatchery and I split the cost with a friend who also wanted to raise meat birds (insider tip - it's cheaper (cheeper? lol) to purchase in larger amounts.
I've never ordered that many chicks at one time so the noise on the way home was crazy loud as the chicks were chirping. Chicks can survive after hatching for a max of 3 days with no food or water, but after that amount of time, they really start complaining. A strange side effect is that I literally feel pain when I hear their distressed chirps. I can't explain it except to say that it must be like a human mother hearing her child cry when it is hungry, etc.
I arrived home with my share of the chicks (20 to be exact with an extra 2 tossed in by the hatchery to make sure that I received what I ordered alive), set up their brooder with heat lamp, water and food and gently removed them from their shipping box into their new home for the next couple of weeks.
I'm happy to say that they instantly calmed their loud chirping and immediately noticed the food and water. The noise was reduced to gentle purring (yes, chickens purr) and soft contented peeps.
The birds are adorable right now, little portly fluffy yellow bodies and the thought of turning them into meat in 8 short weeks seems a bit terrifying but I also know that the meat from a local farmer or the store has to come from somewhere. I also understand that these birds will quickly grow from cute and fluffy to smelly and feathery.
As our environment changes with the search for sources of meat and other produce, I encourage all of us to consider raising our own food or searching out one of the many farms in our community who sell all different types of meat and produce. We are in the heart of melon country after all. Stay well my friends.