For the love of chickens

[Mee]

Wow, speaking about them and we have just turned a big corner, the whites and the emeralds are waiting with the others by my kitchen door and didn’t flutter off when it opened. It doesn’t take them long to work out where the good things like strawberry hulls appear from ?

 

[DharmaGirl]

I was going to learn this year. A friend and I were going to raise meat birds, until she made it my project. Sorry, we means we. I've had to put down a few chicks and a bird. I was so upset that I don't know if I could. I could to everything once the head and feet were gone. But I don't need to and there is a place that does it. If I can get to it by then, I will have them butchered. The roosters, I mean.

 

[DharmaGirl]

Wow, speaking about them and we have just turned a big corner,

Isn't it great when they realize who the food lady is, lol? My 6 week olds know now.

 

[Mee]

I was going to learn this year. A friend and I were going to raise meat birds, until she made it my project. Sorry, we means we. I've had to put down a few chicks and a bird. I was so upset that I don't know if I could. I could to everything once the head and feet were gone. But I don't need to and there is a place that does it. If I can get to it by then, I will have them butchered. The roosters, I mean.

chicks are easier :(. And I find them useful for feeding owls/ BoP etc - which I like having around for vermin .

We too have a few local places to take birds. And I have some neighbours who would for me I think. I just don’t want to cross that bridge now. If I had a bird in need of dispatch for welfare reasons I’ll brace myself.

 

[DharmaGirl]

Thirteen chicks now! They are so cute when they are just hatched! Adorable!

 

[TruthSeeker]

I pluck . I use the whole bird apart from the head. It’s been a few years though . I really don’t want to breed again because I’m not sure I still have the stomach for it. :(. I was the ‘slaughterman’ at our house - the only person with the skill and grit.

My father...now 100 years and over the rainbow used to go to a chicken farm when he was a kid. He would not eat chicken. They had eggs every day for breakfast, dinner and supper....everyday fried chicken....except on Sunday....it was baked....LOL! Worst he said, the few times they went to someone elses house for dinner....it usually was Sunday...and what did they have and were proud to put it on the table....a beautiful baked chicken, too!

 

[blackemerald1]

Amazing, I've just found out that chickens are now selling in my region, AU $80 per bird! That's $48 US.

 

[DharmaGirl]

AU $80 per bird!

I have a bird I could sell for that before the virus. Are all birds selling for that? The birds I'm breeding to sell would go for $40 a hen, and others maybe $20. I know the farm stores are selling out of chicks rather quickly. The hatcheries still have a lot. My incubator malfunctioned and I've been babying it along, I ordered a new one over 2 weeks ago on Amazon prime and expect it maybe early April. Only 13 out of 36 eggs hatched so far. I'll be so happy to get the new incubator.

One of my homesteading neighbors suggested I keep a mean attack rooster in the back so no one steals the chickens. The only problem is attack roosters are like the flu, they don't differentiate between good and bad people. He would get rid of the cat problem though. The mean neighbor's cat is in my chicken yard every day. Every single day. He is stalking my smallest chicken. He will really be surprised when Doris, my lead hen, goes broody. Doris attacked my mastiff when Nugget tried to look at her chick. Broody hens are not to be messed with.

 

[blackemerald1]

I think that is the lowest price. I found out bc my BIL is restocking his coup & he sources his hens from a long standing chicken farmer.

The only problem is attack roosters are like the flu, they don't differentiate between good and bad people. He would get rid of the cat problem though.

My parents have had the odd attack rooster every now and then. Prolific breeders but yeah very hard to handle & no they have no discretion at all. lol..

 

[Mee]

I think that is the lowest price. I found out bc my BIL is restocking his coup & he sources his hens from a long standing chicken farmer.



My parents have had the odd attack rooster every now and then. Prolific breeders but yeah very hard to handle & no they have no discretion at all. lol..

Especially in spring / early summer.

 

[Mee]

Nice thing tonight - instead of roosting above the new ones LB is in with them- they have spread over two perches instead of bunching up on 1 . They feel at home now.

 

[DharmaGirl]

Oh no!! One of my chicks was hatched on the Dark Side!

Darth Maul

Darth Chick

Actually it's a very sweet chick. I'm sure once it's feathers come in it will become a good Jedi chick.