ALABAMA!!

[Orps]

We had our first forced cull this morning. We had a hen with a very prolapsed vent last night and she was much worse this morning despite our best efforts at bathing, using Prep H, isolating her, etc. Once it was over, my husband and I chose to process her for eating as she was healthy other than the prolapse. Once we had her opened up we found she was egg bound, having been too swollen to lay the fully formed egg and we also found the other four in the process of being formed. I thought it was very interested from a somewhat clinical standpoint. I am sad we had to end her life but I could not stand to see her suffer and I know it was the right thing. Thank goodness my husband is not a wuss like me because he did most of it for me. We have talked about raising meat birds this spring but after this, I know for a fact I could not do it on a large scale.

I'm sorry you had to do that. Will you be able to eat her? I don't know if I can name a bird and the eat it. I'm a wuss.

 

[Tomtommom]

 

[Crickett]

I'm sorry for your loss! And to answer the other question, once the chicken is processed, I don't think of it by "name " it's just meat. May sound weird, but it's how I cope.

 

[Wisher1000]

They say the first one is the hardest, maybe try just one more. I have no room to talk, I have yet to do one.

 

[RedneckGurl]

She didn't actually have a name. Most of my birds do not - I just call them generic things like "little mama" or "pretty girl" but there are a few who do have specific names and it would have been much harder with one of them. As to eating her we are making chicken noodle soup tonight.

 

[Tomtommom]

Seems to me for a chicken that passes to atleast be eaten, rather than tossed. would be the most respectful thing to do. I dunno. I feel bad trashing them.

Anyhoo.

One yay and one boo.

The yay: Tomorrow the chicks should be hitting TSC. Woohoo. Fingers crossed they'll have something good. Y'all be sure to post what your store has

The boo: I found a bloody egg in the box. It's kind of elongated... making me wonder if maybe one of my girls hasn't been laying for a while and started back up and her plumbing isn't quite up for it yet. I checked a few vents on those that seemed to maybe walk funny, but heck they all walk funny, and catching them is one thing. Trying to actually FIND the vent with these fluffy butts is another thing entirely (especially on the Australorps. Sheesh they're fluffy).

There seemed to be a little fighting in the flock as well. I don't know if the smell of blood got them going or what. One of my white rocks got her wattles nipped twice by one of the production reds. Rinsed her off and used a styptic pencil to stop any bleeding and put her back in. They seem ok now.

They never had much of a pecking order, but I think one if finally forming. Got a couple chest bumpy tizzies going around. Spring and hormones flowing maybe. No men in the house though.

I was already planning on selling off a few, and it seems the ones I was planning on selling are trying to move up in ranks.... good timing. I'm going to wait until I move the new babies in with the adults, that way I only mess with the order of things once (remove some adults, add some juvies).

 

[kingfrodo]

They say the first one is the hardest, maybe try just one more. I have no room to talk, I have yet to do one.

You're absolutly correct. The first one for me was difficult. Second was just a little sad, didnt bother me no where as much.

 

[Tfonda]

I went by the local TSC today and they have the bins already for new chicks coming in the am. All they has on their lists that were coming were Red pullets and pullets, bantams, and specialty pullets...do you just have to look at the chicks and guess what some of them are i guess??? This will be a first time thing for me. Also i acquired fertilized eggs from a friend today and they are in the incubator so we shall see Ready for my first little chicks tomorrow brooder is ready!!

 

[RedneckGurl]

I thought this was interesting so I figured maybe some of my fellow chicken fans would too. This is a picture of the ovary from my processed hen. All of the little balls are what would have become eggs. You can see that some are even yellow as the yolk would be in a fully formed egg.

 

[Tomtommom]

I went by the local TSC today and they have the bins already for new chicks coming in the am. All they has on their lists that were coming were Red pullets and pullets, bantams, and specialty pullets...do you just have to look at the chicks and guess what some of them are i guess??? This will be a first time thing for me. Also i acquired fertilized eggs from a friend today and they are in the incubator so we shall see Ready for my first little chicks tomorrow brooder is ready!!

They put vague notes on them.

Last year, the first week they had 'white rock pullet', 'red pullet', some ducklings and 'Jersey giant straight run'. The Jerseys were the special that week, at $1.99. The rest were $2.99. Ofcourse, the Jerseys turned out to be Australorps

Second week they had 'sex link pullet' 'cornish x' 'australorp pullet' and some more ducklings. I don't recall if I went in the third week, or if it was more of the same. The chelsea store had clearly marked 'buff orpington pullets'.

The notes are often vague and when they're specified, they may not always be right. Most of the time the folks you're dealing with have no clue, even if they've had chickens for years. You'd be surprised how many experienced chicken keepers have not a clue about breeds and standards. That's where us crazy overly researching backyardigans come in

Oh, word of caution. The bantams are usually gone within hours.

I thought this was interesting so I figured maybe some of my fellow chicken fans would too. This is a picture of the ovary from my processed hen. All of the little balls are what would have become eggs. You can see that some are even yellow as the yolk would be in a fully formed egg.

It is interesting. I had no idea! I've only culled roosters. I didn't expect there to be so many that seem big. I expected them to be smaller.