Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[marchick]

Oh yeah, one other thing. That is an Orion smoker, one of the best smokers I have ever owned. Ridiculously simple to use, it will smoke a 15 pound turkey in 2 hours, and has just as much flavor as a 6-8 hour smoker. For anyone that likes smoked meat, I highly recommend the Orion

http://0.r.msn.com/?ld=d3b8PVQQbAId...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_9ehi1gnuat_e

How did your chickens turn out in the onion smoker? How did you cook it?

 

[scflock]

How did your chickens turn out in the onion smoker? How did you cook it?

They were fantastic. No injection, just butter, seasoning salt, and hickory chips in the smoker. Flavor was to the bone

 

[Percheron chick]

And how do you breed for those traits? Do you just cull any that aren't up to standard? Do you sell them? Separate them?

Just because a chicken isn't up to SOP for the color you are working on don't toss them until everyone is producing. Having an EE or OE pen on the side gives you a place to test your extra roosters.

 

[scflock]

Just because a chicken isn't up to SOP for the color you are working on don't toss them until everyone is producing. Having an EE or OE pen on the side gives you a place to test your extra roosters.

X2
I had a beautiful blue rooster, but he was leaking rust colored feathers. He has a harem of BCM now

 

[mirandaleecon]

Just because a chicken isn't up to SOP for the color you are working on don't toss them until everyone is producing. Having an EE or OE pen on the side gives you a place to test your extra roosters.

How would EE or OE test my roosters?

 

[marchick]

They were fantastic. No injection, just butter, seasoning salt, and hickory chips in the smoker. Flavor was to the bone

So it cooked them in there not just smoked them! Awsome! I want one! lol

 

[Miss Ameraucana]

Thank you for the info! Ok, that makes me feel better about the weather. I know he is in Texas so I assume the heat isn't as big of an issue, but the humidity really makes a huge difference. Last summer we had plenty of 90 degree days and a lot of those days had heat indexes close to 110. Quite a few of my chickens would just stand in their water...Thinking about setting up a cool mist system or something...

I live in the middle of Kansas and we had a horrible hot Summer triple digits just didn't want to end.

****Electrolytes, electrolytes, electrolytes****Keeps them hydrated and perky! When you use it daily it makes a big difference! their better able to cope!And they move around alot more.

. I cant stress enough! I buy the save a chick in the packets from the farm store. I'm sure there's cheaper but I don't know what it would be, but this does give them the vitamins they need as well in temp extremes! You could use gatoraid half strength I believe but the save a chick has vitamins in it too. It definitely helps alot!

 

[Miss Ameraucana]

So it cooked them in there not just smoked them! Awsome! I want one! lol

I wondered the same thing! A 15 pound bird cooked/smoked in 2 hours!
SC, we're coming to your house for Christmas!
Have a Merry Merry Christmas girl!

 

[scflock]

So it cooked them in there not just smoked them! Awsome! I want one! lol

That thing is so easy it makes you lazy. It cooks like a convection oven. Food and hickory chips go inside, charcoal goes outside, so the only thing that flavors the food is the hickory. 2 chickens took an hour and a half, 15 lb turkey is 2 hours, 5 pound Boston Butt in 3 hours.

 

[Percheron chick]

How would EE or OE test my roosters?

Personality. Is he good with his hens and people? Fertility. I had a beautiful bw roo that only had 25% hatch rate. Are the chicks robust and active from the start?
There is such a limited gene pool out there that you need to keep all options open. Some roosters look like spare parts until they are 1.