just seen this, and ive seen some b4 of people looking for battered hens, I get some when ever I have the room for them from northrop egg farm it is located in western pa they sell off there ''spent'' hens twice a year... and if any one lives in pa wv ohio or NY they do advertise it fairly...
i like the buff orpingtons but i never had the dorkings buckeyes or the giants lol.. but i like opingtons i'm thinking about getting some more again this year... i have a couple bantams and they are nice birds and i get a few little eggs out of them 2 lol... the big ones are my fav. dual purpose...
since you did all the slaughtering yourself, did you have to be inspected i no in PA there is some clause that if you do less than 1000 birds you don't have to be, but im not sure how it works.
i wouldn't think ive seen chickens live around horses and cows and be fine, i even raise pigs and the chicks follow me down to the pig pens and they hop right in with them and i haven't had a problem, but i wouldn't tell anyone pigs and chickens get along well enough to let chickens roost in a...