Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Three hours today. It chucked it down at miday but by the time I got off the bus the rain had stopped and there were occasional bursts of sunshine.

It was quiet. Henry has stopped muttering to himself; seriously, over the past few weeks Henry has been making almost constant sounds and he is normally a quiet chap. He was back to his quiet self today.
I've done a bit of a ManueB below with the picture volume.

Initially I just put a sigle tray of food down and for a while they all ate from it, until Fret gave Mow a peck as a reminder that she eats first.

They stayed as a group for about an hour until Mow wandered off to her favourite forrage spots. Henry went over and kept her company for a while and eventually Fret and Carbon went over to join them.

As a group.

Henry kept more than an eye/ear out for Carbon. He went and got her once.

Yes it's very noticable that Dig isn't there. For all his faults he livened the place up. Henry, Fret and Carbon will just take it in their stride. They've seen a lot come and go in their lives. Perhaps Mow misses Dig at times but she seemed content enough today.

 

[Molpet]

Three hours today. It chucked it down at miday but by the time I got off the bus the rain had stopped and there were occasional bursts of sunshine.

It was quiet. Henry has stopped muttering to himself; seriously, over the past few weeks Henry has been making almost constant sounds and he is normally a quiet chap. He was back to his quiet self today.
I've done a bit of a ManueB below with the picture volume.

Initially I just put a sigle tray of food down and for a while they all ate from it, until Fret gave Mow a peck as a reminder that she eats first.
View attachment 3803241

They stayed as a group for about an hour until Mow wandered off to her favourite forrage spots. Henry went over and kept her company for a while and eventually Fret and Carbon went over to join them.
View attachment 3803239

View attachment 3803238

View attachment 3803240

As a group.
View attachment 3803237View attachment 3803236View attachment 3803230

Henry kept more than an eye/ear out for Carbon. He went and got her once.
View attachment 3803235View attachment 3803234View attachment 3803233View attachment 3803232View attachment 3803231

Yes it's very noticable that Dig isn't there. For all his faults he livened the place up. Henry, Fret and Carbon will just take it in their stride. They've seen a lot come and go in their lives. Perhaps Mow misses Dig at times but she seemed content enough today.
View attachment 3803229

Yes it's very peaceful when the problem birds are removed.

Bargain I would say.
It will be interesting to find out whar Dig tastes like. I don't eat shop bought chicken so basically I very rarely eat chicken these days. It's the resting after plucking and gutting that I found important when it came to cooking. I've roasted a few middle aged roosters who should have been as tough as old boots but the one we roasted was pretty good; tougher than the shop chickens, but still very good to eat.

Yes I rest longer for older birds, up to 10 days. I usually pressure cook old ones. I had a two and half years old roo and I PC for 40 minutes a few times before he was tender. But he was great pulled chicken.
I have did buy a couple chickens, because I didn't hatch when I had covid issues... they like veal compared to beef. I prefer my own 16 wks+ birds. Much more flavor.

 

[Sally PB]

I am sorry about how things turned out with Dig, but not really surprised that he couldn't stay. I'm sure he had a good life and a swift passing.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Yes it's very noticable that Dig isn't there. For all his faults he livened the place up. Henry, Fret and Carbon will just take it in their stride. They've seen a lot come and go in their lives. Perhaps Mow misses Dig at times but she seemed content enough today.

It is nice to see them peacefully foraging together and to see them joining Mow on her little adventures.

Today, ours were really being naughty, but they have had a lot of disruption the last few days, as we have started the remodeling work and they HATE change, no matter how much better it is.

We have expanded the coop roosts and changed the configuration to give them more room. Which also meant moving nesting boxes. They got a new door. Double hardware cloth for security, and their new nesting boxes will be here Friday.

These will give the girls more privacy and the openings will keep the boys from being able to get in there. (47.2"L x 18.5"W x 35.4"H.) These are just for egg laying. We have the plans and lumber for the broody suite and are putting in another window on the front, which doesn't get direct wind, but will act as a good vent to push the hot air out. Also going to be double hardware cloth and framed.

Their raised garden is starting to sprout, so they are really interested in that. Once we get the run expansion done, we are going to plant more edible vines shrubs, herbs and flowers around for them. Eventually it will be like their own personal jungle.

 

[fuzzi]

Three hours today. It chucked it down at miday but by the time I got off the bus the rain had stopped and there were occasional bursts of sunshine.

It was quiet. Henry has stopped muttering to himself; seriously, over the past few weeks Henry has been making almost constant sounds and he is normally a quiet chap. He was back to his quiet self today.
I've done a bit of a ManueB below with the picture volume.

Initially I just put a sigle tray of food down and for a while they all ate from it, until Fret gave Mow a peck as a reminder that she eats first.
View attachment 3803241

They stayed as a group for about an hour until Mow wandered off to her favourite forrage spots. Henry went over and kept her company for a while and eventually Fret and Carbon went over to join them.
View attachment 3803239

View attachment 3803238

View attachment 3803240

As a group.
View attachment 3803237View attachment 3803236View attachment 3803230

Henry kept more than an eye/ear out for Carbon. He went and got her once.
View attachment 3803235View attachment 3803234View attachment 3803233View attachment 3803232View attachment 3803231

Yes it's very noticable that Dig isn't there. For all his faults he livened the place up. Henry, Fret and Carbon will just take it in their stride. They've seen a lot come and go in their lives. Perhaps Mow misses Dig at times but she seemed content enough today.
View attachment 3803229

How bucolic, a picture postcard look.

Henry is a Good Boy.

 

[16 and me]

Yes I rest longer for older birds, up to 10 days.

Do you leave them in the fridge for 10 days before cooking them? Forgive my ignorance, but I thought they would spoil after such a long time. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me to discover that it was all juat mainstream meat propaganda I grew up with.

 

[Molpet]

Do you leave them in the fridge for 10 days before cooking them? Forgive my ignorance, but I thought they would spoil after such a long time. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me to discover that it was all juat mainstream meat propaganda I grew up with.

Yes in cold refrigerator.
USDA is 10 days from slaughter to sell by date.

Also used to be common to hang unplucked and not gutted birds. People in USA totally freak about that nowadays.
https://honest-food.net/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

Birds sold in stores are usually thrown in a common water bath to cool. If an intestine is nicked the fecal matter is in the water and all are contaminated. That's why some are air chilled, which cost more.

 

[fuzzi]

Yes in cold refrigerator.
USDA is 10 days from slaughter to sell by date.

Also used to be common to hang unplucked and not gutted birds. People in USA totally freak about that nowadays.
https://honest-food.net/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

Birds sold in stores are usually thrown in a common water bath to cool. If an intestine is nicked the fecal matter is in the water and all are contaminated. That's why some are air chilled, which cost more.

I recall reading about hanging a pheasant in the book Shogun. It did appear rather...

 

[16 and me]

Yes in cold refrigerator.e
USDA is 10 days from slaughter to sell by date.

Also used to be common to hang unplucked and not gutted birds. People in USA totally freak about that nowadays.
https://honest-food.net/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

Birds sold in stores are usually thrown in a common water bath to cool. If an intestine is nicked the fecal matter is in the water and all are contaminated. That's why some are air chilled, which cost more.

Wow! That's a game changer! And that explains why you can't leave storebought meat uncooked in the fridge for more than a few days, given where it's been before it was packaged. Thanks Molpet! I'll read the article shortly.

 

[Molpet]

I recall reading about hanging a pheasant in the book Shogun. It did appear rather...

That was hung way too long. What happened to the person who took it down because of the oder, was when I quit reading