Colorado

[trsturself]

I love this video, just had to share.

 

[lgc1970]

I love this video, just had to share.

Very cool video! My daughter just asked for a goat... we said "no", virtually in unison.

 

[maggiemo]

Funny video.
I just had a not so fun part of chicken keeping happen.
I have two hens who are about 2 1/2 years old who have been laying soft shelled or partial shelled eggs since they came out of their molt this Spring. No one else is laying weird eggs and everyone else has nice hard shells. Other than the egg problem they are happy and seem fine, they look beautiful.
But, I know it is a matter of time before these two hens have some reproductive complication that will end their life. So, I made plans to process them with a friend next weekend not wanting to wait for the inevitable.
This morning I went to water and feed the girls and I see one of the hens I was worried about separate on the ground in the run area. She lets me pick her up, which is unusual and I see her vent is messy and her comb is kind of purple.
I think, well. This is it. I have to kill my first bird I love.
I have killed lots of chickens, meat birds though. Not my laying hens.


I had her under my arm and I was walking to the garage to get the knife and I feel her shudder and I think to myself; that felt like a death shutter when the blood drains out of a bird. I put my hand on her heart and I feel it vibrating and she was dead.

I guess I had to type this out to tell someone who would understand both sides of chicken keeping. The bitter and the sweet.
mo

 

[Latestarter]

So sorry Mo... All part of life. I'm sure she had a good chicken life.

 

[Aacre]

I'm sorry to hear that she had to pass away, Mo. My condolences! I am happy that she went without you having to cull her though.

 

[lgc1970]

I think I will cry the first time that happens to me. We processed a couple hundred birds a year while I was growing up, just not ones that had been with us for a year or more. I always claimed weeding or vegetable collecting when that happened.

Good luck with the second hen.

 

[Pozees]

Funny video.
I just had a not so fun part of chicken keeping happen.
I have two hens who are about 2 1/2 years old who have been laying soft shelled or partial shelled eggs since they came out of their molt this Spring. No one else is laying weird eggs and everyone else has nice hard shells. Other than the egg problem they are happy and seem fine, they look beautiful.
But, I know it is a matter of time before these two hens have some reproductive complication that will end their life. So, I made plans to process them with a friend next weekend not wanting to wait for the inevitable.
This morning I went to water and feed the girls and I see one of the hens I was worried about separate on the ground in the run area. She lets me pick her up, which is unusual and I see her vent is messy and her comb is kind of purple.
I think, well. This is it. I have to kill my first bird I love.
I have killed lots of chickens, meat birds though. Not my laying hens.


I had her under my arm and I was walking to the garage to get the knife and I feel her shudder and I think to myself; that felt like a death shutter when the blood drains out of a bird. I put my hand on her heart and I feel it vibrating and she was dead.

I guess I had to type this out to tell someone who would understand both sides of chicken keeping. The bitter and the sweet.
mo

That is the bitter side. At least she died in your arms knowing you cared, if chickens know such things. The life she had was a good one. It seems I have to remind myself regularly, no matter what happens, the birds in our yards are so much better off than the birds (and their eggs) we see in the grocery store. Our birds know fresh air and sunshine, grasshoppers, grass, etc. It is very hard to lose them, especially after we've known them so long, but they still have great lives.

 

[maggiemo]

Thanks everyone. She did have a good life. Really a great life. Food, water, shelter, sun, tons of room, sister chickens who all get a long.
Lots of people don't have it as good as our chickens I am sure and like Pozees says, certainly not all chickens have a life as good as our chickens.

 

[alebuela]

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if I dreamed it: information about where to get a chicken processed near Denver. I have a SLW roo that I have to do something with, since a neighbor has complained about him to the powers that be. So he has to go. I haven't had any takers on my craigslist ad.

Where can I have him processed?

Thanks for any and all replies.

 

[maggiemo]

Long Shadow Farm in Berthoud is the only place I know. I am processing some birds there next weekend. I have a roo that I need to get rid of too, no takers on craigslist for him either.