They do stink. I'm still not entirely sure a skunk was the murder culprit, but it's now dispatched. Didn't really count on catching a skunk. I had planned on getting a coon, and taking him way out in the woods (like 5 miles away) and letting him go. But I'm not gonna play around with a...
Here's a backround for everyone:
Something got in my coop a couple weeks ago. Tore up two chickens (had to put them down) and ate the head and neck off a third one. I found no prints, but something small dug under the side of the barn, then back out the side into the run, and then climbed...
Kathyinmo you must work in a vet office! I'd love to have all that stocked up. Is everything there stuff you can get OTC, or did you see a vet for some of it?
I just fenced off a corner of my existing run and built a small temp. coop for my quarantine birds. That way they were separated from general population, yet close enough to begin to integrate into the flock. Granted, just fencing between the flocks does little for airborne viruses, but it...
I don't know if the new environment would work as a distraction. Moving to a new place can be stressful for them and often when they are stressed they take it out on others, like maybe the littlest one. That's not always the case though. It really depends on the temperament of your birds...
I had that problem last year. Golf balls do work well. We also took several plastic easter eggs and (this is kinda gross) filled them with chicken poop. THey got 2 of them opened and never cracked another egg again!
LaSombra's comment sounds about right. They are likely relating dark with cool, or just see the coop as a safe place, and go there when stressed or uncomfortable. Try locking them out, if you can. Or at least make sure they have plenty of water.
Another option (I've done this) is to...
Nice pictures. I have some 4-5 week old Australorps that are a riot. They are so much more curious and friendly than my RIR's were at that age. If you keep handling them at their young age, they will like you so much more as they grow. Keep up the good job you're doing!
Yeah, my wife wasn't interested in coming back and watching, but she looked at the pictures and wasn't grossed out. The kids had a doctor appt today so they were gone for most of it. I told my son what had taken place and he was like "Yeah, OK. When can we have a snack." Didn't bother him...
You don't need courage, just borrow some from this board, that's what I did! It wasn't as bad as I feared. And it was VERY interesting (in a good way) once the skinning and quartering up began. Kinda neat then.
The killing part kinda sucked. One of them kept looking at me and blinking, and a few flapped around violently at the end. I guess that's how they go, but I bothered me at first.
I will do meat chickens again this fall, for sure.
Here's my set up, back by the barn where the kids and neighbors can't see. Built the stand with some spare wood:
Here's the first to give their life for my family:
The finished product:
The breasts weren't as large as I had figured on, but I'm happy with them. I did 7 birds in about...
So, today is the day. We have 7 cornish x that we are ready to process. I have never done this before, but I think I'm ready to try. I am going to bleed them out, skin them, and quarter them up into freezer bags.
These are my 6 year old son's chickens that we got from his...
Congrats! We have about 5 more weeks to go here. I was kinda dreading it also, but between the advice on this board and the volunteered help of some friends I am confident.
Again, congrats on your success!