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I've only done about 50 birds but it gets better with practice. First lesson learned: Cut AWAY from you or you'll eventually mix chicken blood with your own. I use the ear as a reference. The breast faces me in the cone. Pick a spot between feathers and make a quick, long cut with a very sharp...

It's done! From two cockerels I wound up with 4 lbs of ground chicken meat from breasts, thighs, and legs. Thanks for the video link, BCMaraniac. It was awesome but I modified the technique somewhat. I found skinning the back of the birds difficult so left the skin and feathers bunched behind...

I have two cockerels still alive from my last batch of day-olds. I should have processed them months ago with the rest but didn't and now it's cold out. I'm going to get rid of them but can't use the scalding pot or outside water source right now so picking and safe evisceration would be...

I agree - eat him. And I like having roosters around. One of my earliest bad memories is being chased and put down by a rooster, and your kids don't need that. Reconsider when they're older and can learn the 'kick out of my way' technique, because a good rooster will sacrifice himself to keep...

I think you're better off providing crushed oyster shells to supplement calcium deficiency, otherwise they may start feeding on the intact eggs before you gather them. They won't eat more than they need, though.

This is the first time I've introduced new cockerels to a flock. Last April I purchased 26 day-olds and beat the odds. Eighteen pullets and eight cockerels. Five weeks ago I introduced the pullets to my existing flock with few problems. Shortly after that I selected and introduced two of the...

All threads concerning hawks and their control mention the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the maximum penalties imposed. The thing to remember is different areas of North America apply the act differently based on the perceived importance of the predator/chicken within a certain community. Some...

Now you really got me interested, so I looked into the MBTA. My examination was cursory, but it's interesting that the lawmakers of the time treat migratory birds as human property that is deserving of protection only to the extent that they continue to serve human interests. One thing I...

"There is no open season on Raptors, however Section 26(2) provides landowners with an exemption to hunt, take, trap, wound, of kill wildlife that is a menace to a domestic animal or bird at a time not within the open season (and a few other exemptions that are underlined above). It is my...

Yesterday evening I found a dead hen inside my secure run. She was wedged under the ramp to the pop door. Two piles of feathers; one near the carcass. The head was missing and the neck stripped to the breast. I thought maybe a racoon or mink did the deed by pulling her head through the WWM, but...

A few years ago the British Columbia, Canada government passed some draconian laws which severely restricted small scale processing. This was likely due to influence from large scale, commercial processors since there is very little history here of problems with farm-gate sales. Note – these...

Your plastic pool brooder should work out fine, just don’t forget the red heat lamp and thermometer. I used the same type of setup with my batch of 26 day-olds. A valuable lesson: Line the bottom of your pool with old towels before you put the shavings in. I had a chick displace an Achilles...

Do a search of "composting deep litter method". The 'bad' poop accumulates under the perches of the roost where it's dealt with much more frequently.

I'm a newbe with 8 free range chickens. I'll scrub the coop and replace shavings every 12-18 months. The droppings pit gets mucked out every couple of months (I did it yesterday - half hour job). They poop in the coop twice as much during winter than they do during summer. I can handle up to 30...

A 10'x12' coop is a significant size and you have a lot of options to consider. It should be fun! My coop is a bit larger. Consider: How many birds do you eventually want to wind up with? Lots of posts here give good space-per-bird data. We designed for 30 hens total but currently only have...

This will be my first winter with chickens. I was going to heat the coop when the temperature dropped below -15C (5F) but have now decided not to. I think the important things are: good litter, water in liquid state, wide perches so feet are protected, good ventilation, and draft protection...

So far I've processed 14 cockerels and have three to go. I'm self taught (thanks BYC) because I didn't know anyone to show me in person. I'm comfortable doing them in batches of three using a killing cone. Can I get some tips on finding the exact location to make the cut? My birds didn't...

A small commercial grade self regulating panel will cost about $300 and should last for a very long time. Higher output panels aren't much more expensive but require an external charge regulator as well ($$). The most cost effective battery system uses deep cycle 6 volt golf cart batteries and...

Go around to construction sites in your area and ask the builder if you can rummage through their scrap heap/bin. Most will be glad to allow this, especially if burning is not allowed. Do not just take stuff without permission - that's theft. If you describe your situation you may wind up...