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What finished weight are you seeking in your turkeys? I had 4 toms processed ydy that were looking pretty big. They finished at 17 - 19 at 2 1/2 months of age. I started them at 27% protein but backed it down to 21% 3 weeks ago because I thought they were growing too fast. The hens I can...

Any thoughts? I process a small amount of birds a year (under 100) but I would like to grow my production. The EZ Plucker (new) would still be less than the Featherman Pro AND include a warranty. I used a local processor this spring and they did okay, but didn't like the bags they used. I...

My chicks had a shaky start, with losing half of them due to a heat lamp failure. I purchased replacements at TSC, just a couple days older than the small chicks. A few chicks have developed pasty butt, a condition I am not familiar with. Also, one of the TSC chicks has started sneezing...

Argh! Ydy I received 25 beautiful, healthy chicks from Eagle Nest Poultry, and now half are dead due to exposure. I thought I was prepared, with my heat lamp from Premier One, and an outside insulated shed, but the heat lamp failed while I was away at work and when I returned, many were quite...

I'm planning on ordering some meaties and would like to raise a few layers as well. I've never kept layers before. Can this be done in the same pen, or do I need to separate?

This year I raised some chickens, sold some, and kept some for myself. How do I account for the ones I kept? Do I need to write a check from the personal account to the farm account to show revenue, in order to write off all expenses? Extreme newbie question, I know, but I need to get the...

I LOVE the shrink wrap bags at cornerstone but i don't think I am setting the clip correctly. I purchased the cheapest tool (maybe a mistake) and it seems to close the clip with the sharp ends sticking out. I them wrangle the blasted tool to try to set the clip tighter and to fold the ends...

I'm new to chickens (and to farming really), and the DH is not quite on board with it all, so I work alone when doing all animal chores, including processing. Frankly, it is taking me FOREVER to finish the job. The killing, scalding, and hand-plucking is not so bad, neither is the gutting, but...

I attempted to process 3 turkeys last night. The scald temp dropped after dunking the first one and plucking became a chore! In fact, some feathers wouldn't come off at all. In frustration, I threw the birds on ice and went to finish my other chores. Now I have a cooler of cold, wet birds to...

What sort of soap do you use, if any? I just butcher a bird and made an oops on the backend, resulting in some fecal matter contamination. What to do? Can I eat the bird, if washed an cooked properly?

I made the mistake in feeding the chickens some homemade ricotta cheese that I had made from leftover milk. Twice. Now the birds swarm me every time I enter the pen. I can't take a step without having 10 or so at each foot and I step on them all the time. When I reach for water/food...

The first batch of chickens have been devastated by CRD. I started with 50 chickens and 14 turkeys and am left with 9 chickens and 11 turkeys. The last 9 will probably die soon. They are 5 weeks old and too small to process. Somehow the turkeys are holding up better. They look awful but the...

Hi, I'm a new member and chicken producer. I inadvertently purchased broilers and turkeys from CRD infected stock. I'm still suffering some losses but I have only 4weeks to go with the broilers, if they survive. Can one eat a CRD inflected bird? This first batch would be for our own...

Greetings, I am brand new to chickens, having picked up 50 broilers and 14 turkey poults 4 weeks ago. I plan to add some layers later on. It has been a discouraging time, since I have been struggling with respiratory illnesses in the chicks since day 1. This forum is a great resource, and I...