Post #4 is pretty much on the money. We use a Dark Cornish cock over Delaware pullets. Sexlink results are the same. Silver down for the cocks, golden down for the pullets. White feathered males, reddish brown females. I use the Dark Cornish for the double breast. I also agree with...
We use a 4" X 8" X 18" gusseted bag. It will hold up to an 8 pound carcass. I supply them to clients when processing their poultry. Last year they cost $66. per 1000. (6.6 cents per bag) We vacuum then twist with a tie. If they are to be frozen longer than 3 months we suggest covering with...
Clarifications for post 24-
1. If hand plucking add 10 minutes to the labor time, and plan on sorely cramped hands and fingers by the end of the day.
2. Accidents can and do happen. I spent an afternoon having my left pinky sewed together. My wife drove to the ER.
mayrooni- Before you get the 100 birds, there are questions to answer, and homework to be done. What are your poultry meat needs? How much chicken do you eat in a week, month, year? What are your freezer capacities? Is there sufficient outside space to raise the birds to full term? From my...
Yes, and welcome back to the world of chickens. Only one warning for the northern latitudes and colder climate, keep in mind that the large combs and wattles are good candidates for frostbite.
An update of our ongoing capon project with comparison of intact siblings:
Used this for two years
Parent 1 (P1)
Dark Cornish Cock Delaware Pullet
Family 1 (F1)
Sexlinked results
Whites are cockerals Red/Brown are pullets
Used for capons...
Schmaltz- not counting any bonus squares it is good for 24 points in scrabble, using all the your tiles for an extra 75 points! Besides that it is the clean excess abdominal fat from an overweight chicken, which has been rendered (heated on a stove) to it's melting point, then strained, cooled...
We have been raising our own flock for several years. The main focus has been for capons, but the results and observations may assist in some of your questions.
Used this for two years
Parent 1 (P1)
Dark Cornish Cock Delaware Pullet
Family 1 (F1)
Sexlinked results...
TBB- Certainly hawks kill many chicken, but are really only able to carry off very small chickens. They would tend to kill, and consume what they could on the spot. We have had Bald eagles kill full term chickens, and only after several have had a turn at eating of it, would one eventually...
Due to the quality of services the price varies greatly. The person that pays $2. per bird then can't understand why the bird still has some entrails or lungs in the bird, or many broken legs, and or torn skin. The service provider that charges by the unit tends to cut corners over the...
Sterilize- Other than washing the tools after doing a batch of birds, or wiping down with alchohol between birds I do nothing. The very nature of the theatre (garage, shed, barn) negates any chance of a sterile environment
Neuport-
1. Ditch the bottles and learn to use spring clamps to secure the cords to your work surface. Yes the bird needs to be stretched out to prevent the bird jerking about (that will prevent accidental cutting while inside)
2. Crimping and twisting of the connective tissue starts the...
jbkirk- Remember when a bird dies on the table, continue your learning. Use cotton or paper towels to absorb the blood, and continue the procedure. Turn the bird over and try the other. One other thing to try with a flighty bird is to cover the head with a dark cloth to calm them down. Try...
I have crossed a DC cock over Lt Brahma hens. The plus was this cross produces a sexlinked chick, so you know what you have right away. Our purpose is only meat. The real negative for us was in using the Lt Brahma the growth rate is way too slow as they build carcass frame (bones) first, and...
Do you recall how many birds she did per batch? Doesn't sound too difficult if the batch size were 4 or 5. Did she hatch her own eggs? Barnyard variety birds? That era would have been small fryers at 8 weeks even for Rocks or Del's. The CX weren't available yet.