Anyone have luck catching a feral chicken?? UPDATE: Rooster caught, no hen

[Parront]

The lady told my mom to run the walnuts over w/ your car to break the husk open then let them sit for a bit til the turn black and the husks will come off.

When we were kids in Oregon, we would get the wild nuts and spread them out on the cement driveway, with an old bed sheet under them, then put a piece of plywood on top. Then run over with the car. After a couple of times, pour nuts from the sheet into a bucket or trash can, depending on how many there are. Kids pick them out, and the fingers are brown! Black walnut ice cream is the motivation!

 

[Molpet]

my closest nut buyer is about 200 miles away... in Indiana

 

[getaclue]

A friend of my parents had black walnut trees, and would give several paper grocery bag fulls of them to my parents. My grandfather would spend a couple hours a day putting the walnut in the worn spot, on the concrete block, then smashing it with a hammer, putting the nuts in a bag, discarding the shells. He was soooooooo patient. Steady, got the job done. By the end of each week, he had a good bunch of them. I have to admit, the walnuts were really good, and we used them in a lot of things.

 

[apryl29]

$15 / 100 lb AFTER hulling. Hmmm I wonder how much a truck load would weigh after hulling.

 

[rjohns39]

You've got me thinking I need to go find out where my trees are... Only reason I know I have some, is the squirrels go up and over the hill empty handed and come back with one. they're running back and forth all day.

 

[apryl29]

If you go to the site posted above there's an handy tool for picking them up, though it says that you have to bring them in 2-3 days after harvesting. I guess that's how they're sure they don't get a load of rotten ones. AND you don't have to husk them.

 

[apryl29]

I just found this thread... I might actually cook something this weekend.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/any-home-bakers-here.921333/

 

[Molpet]

$15 / 100 lb AFTER hulling. Hmmm I wonder how much a truck load would weigh after hulling.

according to one forum from 2004 : https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/harvesting-black-walnuts.54884/
'pickup truck load is about 800 lbs of hulled walnut'

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

my closest nut buyer is about 200 miles away... in Indiana

You win. Maybe if we meet at one place we can split the $15 for 100 lbs.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

My aunt said my grandpa used to squeeze them in a vice to hull them. Then let them dry a little and go round two to crack the nut shell.
Seems like a lot of work to me!