I'm ruined forever - Page 2

Day old chicks wouldn't have flight feathers so in this case I guess they mean they actually remove the wings.  In that case they will never get my business.

Have one roo I need to process... I am soooo afraid that my family is going to get hooked too... and then have to wait a looong while for the next harvest day!

thats why you need a good incubator.hatch your own meat birds.

I feel the same way about being spoiled. I'm about to run out of the chicken I have in the freezer, and we won't have any ready to butcher again till June. I'm trying to figure out how to do a batch quick here or I might have to live off beef and pork till summer. I don't think I can go back to store bought chicken.

De-winging is just pinioning. It's not removing the entire wings.  Pinioning is done on breeds that are capable of flying, like Muscovy ducks.

Personally, I'd rather clip flight feathers each time the bird molts, but some people either don't want to or else are not capable.  Pinioning solves the flight problem once and for all.  It does have the advantage for the Bird that he can then be allowed to roam out on the ground and not be kept in a cage.

The de-beaking is for battery hens and occasionally for chukkar or pheasants. It's for birds that peck at and damage each other. Probably not necessary for anyone here since most of us keep our birds with plenty of space and allow them access to the outdoors.

welcome to the dark side halo! :)

I'll tell you one thing I have learned about CX, if you can buy locally hatched chicks do it.

I too looked at Central Hatchery's web site http://www.centralhatchery.com/index.html and I think they have the best prices around. I live in Michigan so I don't know what zone I would be in for shipping. Either way they would be the cheapest birds on the market. Local hatcheries won't sell for less then $2 per bird around here. If I'm buying a hundred that really starts to add up.

Carol/ Sunny Side up gave me a couple of her roos I helped process last spring. I rested them 3 days in the fridge and decided to use one for chicken and dumplings. I agree with you. Durn, That's mighty tasty AND, every time I eat factory chicken , I can tell.. It's like rubbery cardboard.. flavorless and awful...From now on, It's the real deal, free range (chicken tractors moved daily) meaties for me and my family!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by halo 

Thats what Im thinking, of getting some more maybe middle of March.  It was so nice processing these without flies swarming around.  I think by May it will be buggy again.  I need to decide pretty quick.  I think Schlecht has the best prices right now.

I LOVE Schlecht.. They bend over backwards to help you get your birds...