Recent content by Rica

  1. Rica

    Will a lonely chook raise chicks?

    I decided to give three of my meat chooks a stay of execution to see if they would lay. Unfortunately, however, they are not prone to longevity, and two of them have to go due to health problems. My question is: If I leave one chook she will get lonely. Can I introduce some young chicks to keep...
  2. Rica

    Distended crop/ real big lump on chest

    Just following up on this post- Since I first wrote, the chook in question is still with us, and the situation hasn't changed. I tried some home remedies, namely: Applesauce - She loved it. No change. Yoghurt - The chooks thought this was great, but no change. Crop Massage - yeah, I can get her...
  3. Rica

    If I catch a crossed beak early, can I do anything about it?

    Hi there, I have three Cob500's left of my flock of five and I have told the remaining girls they get a stay of execution if they lay me an egg. (Actually I just went soft after harvesting the roosters). They are about 12 weeks old, and they eat grower crumble, food scraps, and grain, all in...
  4. Rica

    I Did the Deed!

    Thanks greyfields, I'm positive I got the lungs out, since I tried to feed them to the cats. : ) (they weren't very interested. Spoiled girls!) The whole process was just not as overwhelming as I had expected. I think the killing cone is a great idea, if I was thinking about doing this on a more...
  5. Rica

    I Did the Deed!

    Hi all, Just thought I'd share some thoughts on my first chicken harvesting experience with you. I slaughtered my first two Cobb500 (http://www.cobb-vantress.com/) Roosters on Sunday. They were 8 weeks and 4 days old, and the dressed weight came out at 2.7kg each! I still have 3 hens on the go...
  6. Rica

    Distended crop/ real big lump on chest

    Yeah they are in a tractor, so finding dirt and grit isn't a problem. I imagine if anything some more free ranging wouldn't hurt, but with several cats around, it's pretty time consuming supervising them. Thanks again!
  7. Rica

    Distended crop/ real big lump on chest

    Fantastic - thanks for that. I'll watch for any changes in her condition. I have taken to restricting their food at night anyway, as all they ever want to do is eat. If i left them to it, no joke they would eat several kilos a day. And we're only talking about 5 birds here. I've been...
  8. Rica

    Distended crop/ real big lump on chest

    Hi all, Just wondering if anyone has come across this before in meat birds. One of my meat hens has a very enlarged crop. It has always been a little larger than the other birds, but i have recently noticed she is also lagging behind in development. I only have 5 birds, and they are 6 1/2 weeks...
  9. Rica

    Buthchering Question

    On the skin issue, I write this from the point of view of a cook, not so much for convenience sake... If you don't usually eat the skin I would take it off. However, if you were planning on roasting the chook, i would definitely leave the skin on. The chook will dry out a lot if it is roasted...
  10. Rica

    Buthchering Question

    Hi there, Just adding my two cents. I am currently raising 5 Cobb500's for eating. The plan is to eat them somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks. They are 2 weeks old today and they are HUGE!!! On the salt water issue, this process is known as brining, and is a way of making the meat moist and...
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