Lets talk chickens.

[blacklab]

I used to watch my grandma grab chickens out of the coop, grab them by the head and wring their necks so they couldn't run around(waste of energy), then chop the head off.

She would literally grab the chickens by the head and spin them around, like some sort of party favor.

Those were the days.

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

I used to watch my grandma grab chickens out of the coop, grab them by the head and wring their necks so they couldn't run around(waste of energy), then chop the head off.

She would literally grab the chickens by the head and spin them around, like some sort of party favor.

Those were the days.

I remember my dad doing that. He would grab their head and spin the whole bird in a couple of tight circles under his armpit. Then chop. No stress on the bird, no taint in the meat.

 

[Orfy]

You think that's how we talk!!!!

 

[Danek]

You think that's how we talk!!!!

Yeah, for shame - everyone knows we talk like Dick Van Dyke in "Mary Poppins".

 

[Clayton]

i have chickens , i like them alot i have about 35 or so.
No mosts ducks do not lay like chickens ,mine really only layd in the spring but some breed will lay year around ever other day or so.

if you are wanting eggs these are the birds to have
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/product/black_australorps.html
these are the egg layingest chikens i have ever seen
i have 6 Black Australorps that lay more than all my other hens combind
and thay are also Very Calm and will come right up to you and eat out of your hand. i have that will hop in your lap to be petted.

that page on slaughtering is ok , but its really not hard to leave the skin on (witch is better becase to can do what ever with the skin on like fryed and baked)
but all you have to do to take the feathers off is get you a big pot ( dont know where you can get one of thoes and fill it whole chiken deep, then bring your water to a full rolling boil, then kill your bird (h0wever you like to do it the fastest to me is grab the chikens head and the pop your hand like you are cracking a whip, but dont hafe ass it you got act like is a big wipe and you are really gona crack it )

post mortem hold it by the feet and keep the body under water for about 30 -45 sec afterward the feather will just wipe off it may take 2 dunks after ward you gut and cut as normal

 

[Clayton]

Orfy
As a side note. i free range all my birds (chikens turkeys guineys ducks geese and 2 peacocks)
i have a big sheep dog she keeps them all safe

And if you feed you birds lot of table scraps and Garden and yardwaste
the egg yokes will be a bright orange the more plant matter thay get the brighter the yokes will be this is total normal , it just means thay have a balenced diet and dont just eat corn all day

all total i have a bout 60 birds and i only buy feed in the winter the rest of the year they free range it (but i have 20 acres)
btw chikens love fat any time you trim some steaks or chops or clean a deer or pig your ckiens will eat that **** up , in fact that will eat everything
including your pritty backyard plants , i had a sarrno pepper plant in a pot on my portch and my chickens ate every pepper on the whole huge bush becase 1 pecked at it so the rest had to get on it.

 

[zoebisch01]

Orfy
As a side note. i free range all my birds (chikens turkeys guineys ducks geese and 2 peacocks)
i have a big sheep dog she keeps them all safe

Now you have my attention.

So do you have your range fenced or does the dog keep them localized? Will the dog keep them away from roads and neighbors areas? In other words has she been trained to stay off neighboring land? I have plenty of land for free ranging but the problem is keeping them in the boundaries.

 

[Fingers]

I keep my free range birds in a fenced area. I used to let them wander around the yard but a neighbor's dog came and killed a bunch. That, and the turkeys were stopping traffic. Those things are like a youth gang when they get older. Wandering around being all tough and intimidating... cigarettes hanging out of the corner of their mouths....

 

[zoebisch01]

Wandering around being all tough and intimidating... cigarettes hanging out of the corner of their mouths....

You should see my Muscovies!

 

[Clayton]

well she romes a bit but the bird really dont go all that far from where the coop is and where i throw out food , i would say thay dont really go more than 700 1000 feet form there coop, the dog keeps them safe from varmets and the roosters keep them close to the barn

 

[zoebisch01]

Any Huevos yet Orfy?

 

[Orfy]

Not yet.

Chuck where around 14 wk so anything upto 22 weeks I think.

 

[zoebisch01]

Dos Huevos, por favor!

Anyhoo, I didn't realize the age. How they actin?

 

[WortMonger]

ummm Chicken!!!!!!!!!!!

[youtube]2ohiUbQyDhk[/youtube]

 

[Orfy]

Dos Huevos, por favor!

Anyhoo, I didn't realize the age. How they actin?

They are free ranging, getting bigger and bolder, eating from my hand, take themselves to bed. Want to come in the house!

 

[zoebisch01]

They are free ranging, getting bigger and bolder, eating from my hand, take themselves to bed. Want to come in the house!

Hehe, I have a small chick that was hatched out under a Muscovy but because I screwed up the timing by putting her under a week early (well the egg anyway) she hatched before the ducklings so I had to take care of her. She follows me around and will sit on my shoulder .

 

[Ecnerwal]

...and do they like recycling your spent grains? Seems like they would/should.

 

[Orfy]

A frickin last....

2 eggs today. some type of record for the time to start laying.!!!!!!!!!

 

[zoebisch01]

Ahh, you shall never return.

Oh, btw. I just recently found out (neighbor called the Uni and asked the poultry dept.), if you use a red lamp (not necessarily infrared, just red) during what normally is the dormant laying phase it will cause the laying cycle to kick back in, but will not affect the sleep cycle. I put a red lamp on a dusk-to-dawn photocell timer and since then they have started laying again. Dad called me last night with similar results.

 

[EdWort]

Well Orfey, I've joined you in the egg laying business. SWMBO has been wanting fresh eggs since we had chickens on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

We had an old garden that was fenced off from the deer, rabbits and other critters and we converted it to a chicken run. We also converted an old Lowe's playhouse we found on Craigslist to be a coop.

I added the door to the run and it is clear Plexiglas and pulled up each day to let them out.

The chicken run is 20' x 16', which is completely enclosed, including the top.

 

[EdWort]

We picked up 4 chicks at the feed store today.

Here's a Buff Brahma, a Light Brahma Hen, and a Barred Rock Hen. They are 3 weeks old.

The fourth chicken is a Brown Leghorn at 6 weeks.

We'll see how long it takes before they start laying eggs.

 

[Ryan_PA]

This must have been covered in the brew house thread, but how much land do you have Ed?

 

[EdWort]

Just over 4 acres.

 

[RayInUT]

I think the hawks, eagles, and mountain lions would eat them at my house! I had chickens when we lived at our old house. I hate to say it but they are such filthy animals I have trouble even eating them these days. Chickens are pretty nasty creatures.

 

[mmb]

I think the hawks, eagles, and mountain lions would eat them at my house! I had chickens when we lived at our old house. I hate to say it but they are such filthy animals I have trouble even eating them these days. Chickens are pretty nasty creatures.

I assume they are as clean as you keep their habitat. Scraping guano isn't fun but keeps the coop tidy. I wore a mask when doing it for my grandpa as a kid.

 

[Orfy]

I have to let mine range.
How many do you have?

From my 3 I'm getting 2 - 3 eggs a day. Just enough for us.

 

[Clayton]

i have about 20 chikens 10 turkeys and some ducks and guiney foul that just run wild on my land eating ticks and grass , i have a hen house where thay can go to lay there eggs but thay mostly sleep in the trees, unless a hen box gets more that 6 eggs in it, then one will try to set them, the best way to get them to lay where you want is to place plastic eggs in the boxes you make. that are only nasty if you coop them up in a pen,, and i dought if i did the same to you , you would be much better, you have to $hit mate and thay are givein all the food they can eat

 

[Clayton]

by the way these are the best chickens to have. thay stay close to there pen and were thay are feed, lay tons of great eggs and are very calm and friendly
McMurray Hatchery - Black Australorps

its good to have one or two of these as well the cocks and hens are strikeing and she will set a nest of your choosing for your next genaration with out fail and thay dont break eggs

 

[BlindLemonLars]

We'll see how long it takes before they start laying eggs.

If they don't start producing eggs on schedule, just roll one of your Big Green Eggs over by the coop. They'll get the message.

 

[Clayton]

yeah and oyster shells really help production