Any one want to join me in waiting for eggs, posting and comparing notes?

[Ariekannairb]

I believe this is set to public but we actually caught our big girls first egg at our house. After I turned the video off my daughter shouts "oh congratulations!" to the hen. It was too cute.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151405450985954

 

[Fletch83]

Thanks, MB! They are both EE's as far as I know although barnyard mutt is probably a little more accurate!

Ariekannairb those are some CUTE pictures!!

 

[kacklinkelly]

Wow those egg totals are astounding. I thought my 60 was a great number. Basically came from two of our hens as our EE remains a slacker.

Just wanted to update you that I processed my first meatie today. I was not emotionally ready but it had to be done. She was unable to walk freely on her own and the others began stepping on her and preventing her from getting to food and water. So the deed is done. Lots of prayers were said by me throughout the process. lots of slow preparation, lots of breaks and now the meat rests in the fridge for a few days until it is taste test time. I am completely spent emotionally and am thankful for the learning she provided. Thanks for being here.

 

[Melabella]

Wow those egg totals are astounding. I thought my 60 was a great number. Basically came from two of our hens as our EE remains a slacker.

Just wanted to update you that I processed my first meatie today. I was not emotionally ready but it had to be done. She was unable to walk freely on her own and the others began stepping on her and preventing her from getting to food and water. So the deed is done. Lots of prayers were said by me throughout the process. lots of slow preparation, lots of breaks and now the meat rests in the fridge for a few days until it is taste test time. I am completely spent emotionally and am thankful for the learning she provided. Thanks for being here.

Oh wow, Kelly, big hugsto you! I admire your strength and determination, I am sure you wanted to give up and run into the house and hide under the covers! I am proud of you, and as you said, had to be done. I hope one day to be as game as you are! I couldn't do the necropsy for Matilda, just not ready yet!

Good job, and I hope the next one will be all the easier!

 

[Melabella]

This is classic! HA! Love all the pictures,, great bunch of feathers! Love the ducks too! Thanks for posting them!

MB

 

[Melabella]

So I just want to say... I love Vivian's porcelian blue eggs, the pictures do them no justice!

 

[kacklinkelly]

In a word "GORGEOUS"

 

[nakstk]

Kelly our 50 meaties will be ready for processing June 4th. I have never actually done the killing or the gutting. but I have done the feather plucking and the catching and placing in the cone. We usually have me, my hubby our friend that owns the property and 2 of his friends up there for the processing. I am the only woman that goes. At first it bugged me to hear the meaties squawks I swear they are yelling "Help" it was sad. but after seeing how bad off they get if they are not processed at the right time, I was okay with it. It's best not to let them suffer but getting soft and not killing them on time. Our friends had one that was 1 year old he could barely walk he had to live with the ducks because the other chickens peck him so badly. He thought he was a duck he would get in the pool and float with the ducks. He was the size of a turkey and you could literally feel the thumping of the ground when he walked.

 

[kacklinkelly]

OMG that is a funny story about the living "tur/duck/hen"

The interesting thing about today is that she remained quiet the whole time.
I picked her up, I held her upside down, I spoke to her, etc. She flapped
her wings a lot. I hung her upside down by her legs.
I held her as she passed which was important to me to do.
I am about to cry now thinking about the sacrifice she made simply by
being hatched a cornish cross and the decision I made to learn how to
put meat on my family's table so as to be connected again to our food source.

It wasn't terrible throughout the process. I handled it very objectively.
I just never thought it would be this emotional/spiritual. Night all.

 

[Ariekannairb]

We did our ducks 2 days ago. I am working towards being a full on homesteader and wanted to learn the process, however when the day actually came I found myself way more emotional than I expected. In a way, it wasn't as difficult as I thought, but in another way it was so much harder than I imagined. I did it, but at the end of the day I just collapsed from being emotionally exhausted. I am glad I know how to do it, but I am not sure I will do it again.