The view from the hay fields makes the work easier!

And these are the yellow chicks now!

To all of you who missed the hatching, check out the late March blog entries. We're hoping for eggs in fall.

The brown chicks look like this.

Remember the only white baby chick?

He became this handsome bantam rooster.

The baby chicks are teenagers!

They love treats from the garden and the guys spend lots of time practicing their crowing!

Cordray Farms Beef sides ready to cut!

Hello, Friends!
We are finally beginning to make some headway on the waiting list for Cordray Farms Beef!   We are ready to take some orders now for beef sides. A side is one half of a steer. It will weigh about 350 lbs. With beef sides, you can have it cut exactly to your order. Want especially thin or thick steaks? Want tons of burger and no roasts? We'll talk you through the process and cut it exactly the way you want! It is the same all natural, pasture raised beef from cows born and raised on Lowcountry farms, you just get to call all the shots!
Beef sides are priced based on the precut weight at $3.25 lb.  Deposits of $200 will hold the side for you. Be sure to include your phone number, so we can call to get your cutting orders.
We have a few shares (1/8th of a cow) that will be ready, too. Send in $100 to hold a share and we'll call you to make a pick up appointment.
Thanks,
Michael C.
--
www.cordrays.com
Cordray Farms
Cordray's Venison Processing
6708 County Line Rd.
Ravenel, SC 29470
843.766.7922

Getting tractors lined up...

Awaiting the baler

This time of year, we are packaging sunshine! The hay fields on Johns Island have been storing up sunshine and warm summer rains as the grass grows higher and higher. An earlier picture showed Michael working on the mower arm and now all systems are go! The process begins with much muttering and exclaiming about the weathermen never really getting it right! This field's been cut and now is drying.

Getting ready!

Check out Lowcountry Outdoors by Jeff Dennis

Jeff Dennis hosts an interesting blog that covers all kinds of outdoor sports in the Charleston area. Jeff's a regular during deer season and we're happy to "trade links" with him. Click on the title to see Jeff's blog.

Next batch of Cordray Farms beef ready in 2 weeks!

We'll have shares and beef sides ready for pick up in 2 weeks!  To reserve yours, please send your $100 deposit. Be sure to include your phone number so we can call you to set up an appointment pickup time.

Beef sides are 325 to 350 lbs. We'll call you and get your directions for just how you want it cut. Cuts are individually wrapped, vacuum sealed and frozen. You'll pay $3.25 based on the precut weight.

Beef shares are 1/8 of a steer.
The shares may vary just a little, but we try to split the steer as close to evenly as possible. Each share is about 50 to 60 lbs and costs $4.95 per lb.
Each share consists of:
TBone/Porterhouse steaks - 4
Ribeye steaks - 3
Rump roast or sirloin tip roast - 1
Boneless stew - 1 pack about 1 lb.
Stirfry - 1 pack
Round Steak - 3 packs
Cube steak - 1 to 2 packs
Shoulder roast or chuck roasts - 2 or 1 of each
Flat Iron or Mock tender steak - 1
Sirloin steak - 1
Ground beef - 18 to 22 lbs. in 1 1/3 lb packs
Everything comes vacuum sealed and frozen. It will fill a medium size cooler. 
If you have any questions, give us a call.
Michael C.

--
www.cordrays.com
Cordray Farms
Cordray's Venison Processing
6708 County Line Rd.
Ravenel, SC 29470
843.766.7922

2008 Deer Harvest Report

The Post and Courier had an article today reviewing the data from last year's DNR deer harvest report. Check it out.
Interesting read with info on wild hogs, coyotes, and more details on their data gathering strategies.

New baby goats!

Just a few minutes old!

Experienced alligator hunters?

We aren't! But we had a call from a guy looking forward to hunting and actually capturing an alligator. He said he'd read all the suggestions from DNR and websites he could find, and wondered what we'd heard from guys who'd actually nabbed one. So, if you've got some suggestions that worked for you last year, please post them here. If you have some pictures to share, email them to claudia@cordrays.com and we'll share them, too. The guy that killed this huge one suggested that you should start weight lifting now!

Welcoming a new Clemson Grad!

As you might have noticed, I've not kept up with the blog too much in the last few weeks. It's been a whirlwind of activity around here, starting with this photo. Kenneth graduated from Clemson on May 8th, making our family a full house of all Clemson graduates. Starting from the top left, you can probably guess my and Michael's "more mature" hands, then Tristan and Callie Cordray, then Jeff and Michelle C. DiMaio, then the new graduate, Kenneth and his then fiance, now wife, Kristin Kierspe. We've all talked about getting this photo made for years. We finally did it! Thanks, Michelle!
Kenneth will be continuing his taxidermy business and joining us with venison processing and Cordray Farms. We are excited to welcome him home!

Beginning to prepare for hay baling

Cordray Farms beef grows on grass and hay. I'm going to try to keep you up-to-date on what goes into that process. It always starts with machine repair! This is the mower that cuts down the tall grass for baling. The blade seems to be stuck!

Are you a Wild Palmettovore?

The SC Department of Agriculture is encouraging folks to become Palmettovores. That's anyone who tries to eat food born and raised or grown in SC. It's a cute ad campaign, but I think it's leaving a ton of us out! What about all us Wild Palmettovores? We eat wild shrimp caught right off Folly Beach, catfish from Pinopolis, wild hog sausage from Ravenwood, and venison summer sausage from deer taken in our own backyards! And that's not even talking about the upstate rabbit hunters and midlands turkey chasers! I'm trying to contact the Ag guys to let them know that there's a bunch of us out here wild about SC food!

60 DAYS!

Check out the link at the very bottom of this page to see how long until Opening Day!

Cordray Farms Beef is ready!

Hello, Friends!
We are ready to take new orders for Cordray Farms beef shares and sides that will be available for pickup in 2 weeks.
Shares are 1/8 of a steer. They are about 55 to 60 lbs. and the cost is $4.95 per lb. For more information on what comes in a share, visit our webpage for details, http://cordrays.com/beef_shares.htm  To reserve yours, please send in your deposit of $100. Be sure to include your phone number on the check and we will call you to arrange a pickup appointment.
For the sides, you will need to send $200 for a deposit. We'll also need your phone number to call you for instructions on how to custom cut your beef. Sides weigh approximately 325-350 lbs. and are priced based on the precut weight at $3.25 per lb. All cuts are vacuum sealed and frozen, unless you specially request fresh, never frozen packaging and are available for immediate pickup.
Want more information on how we raise our all natural beef? Visit http://cordrays.com/Cordray%20Farms%20Beef.htm
We look forward to hearing from you!
Michael C.

--
www.cordrays.com
Cordray Farms
Cordray's Venison Processing
6708 County Line Rd.
Ravenel, SC 29470
843.766.7922

Last week to apply online for the Alligator Drawhunt!

These guys got their applications in on time last year and landed this big guy! The last day to register online is June 15th. Click on the title above to access the DNR site.