Arizona Chickens

[Tracydr]

Had irrigation last night. I decided to move the five, 10 week old Cornish crosses into the coop so they wouldn't get flooded out. They normally hang out under the trees and I guess this was too stressful. One of them started to die before my eyes. I ended up having to butcher a chicken last night at 8:30. Emergency chicken processing!
not exactly my idea of a relaxing Friday night with my husband. I was kind of thinking more along the lines of bbq'ing a steak and watching a movie. Oh well, one more down and only four left. At least it forced me to get another processed. I've been putting it off because of the heat and they are getting rather large.

 

[Tracydr]

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Wow! I have three little Roos and we hardly ever hear them. One Egyptian and two Banties. Course, their only six weeks and ten weeks but they do know how to crow, I've heard all three. The BB Red crows the most but it's the most pathetic, laryngitic crow you ever heard, I can barely hear it on the other side of the fence!

 

[LarryPQ]

Tracy- Pastrymama got Dar's old Wheaton Maran roo.

It spent the day in my kitchen, crowing everytime my DH put up a sheet of drywall. In a large room--he sounded like a big dog barking. He was NOT messing around.

Meanwhile, my d'uccleswould respond "beep-bo-beeeeep!"

 

[Mikey D]

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Friday is our "date night" too. Unequivocal, non-negotiable date night on Fridays.

If you need help, my son Walter is interested in learning to butcher chickens (and that skill would be very convenient to have around here). I'm not sure I'd have the stomach for it (I'm a pre-processed kinda guy

) but I'd be willing to sit in a corner with my head in my hands while he learned/ helped...

 

[Mahonri]

Well, I'm sure he'd be delicious and he certainly has a lot of meat, HE IS HUGE. In my pen he never crowed because the FBCM roo was top dog there and so he kept quiet. I guess he found his crow now that he has no competition.

I'd hate to see his wonderful genes wasted as the two hens are also gorgeous and they would make some beautiful dark egg laying chickens.

I have a friend who each evening would put her roo into a cardboard box and he didn't get out until 10AM.. then she would put him back in just after sunset. She hatched out multiple groups of chicks with broodies.

 

[LarryPQ]

Pastrymama will put him in the garage at night. He wont be wasted.

PM's DH might be annoyed, but the fireman is a softie.

 

[pastrymama]

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My last roo spent every night in a dog crate in the garage(before he ended up in laree's tummy! he was a mean ole black australorp and BIG). the firemen would squabble about the roo...he's too loud, let me take him hunting, can i make him some stew..... i guess THEY needed to be top dog in the cul-de-sac neighborhood!

New Mr. Roo is going to make me some glorious chickies! I just got off the phone with the fireman....he said no worries, just put him in the garage. He knew how much I wanted these Marans. He saw me crying after I sent Mahonri a crazy email(one of many!)

Laree, once they get to laying in their new digs, test hatch?

 

[LarryPQ]

No.

I am on chickie vacay until NYD hatch. I must be strong.

 

[pastrymama]

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my laptop is freaking out.

 

[Tracydr]

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Friday is our "date night" too. Unequivocal, non-negotiable date night on Fridays.

If you need help, my son Walter is interested in learning to butcher chickens (and that skill would be very convenient to have around here). I'm not sure I'd have the stomach for it (I'm a pre-processed kinda guy

) but I'd be willing to sit in a corner with my head in my hands while he learned/ helped...

Wow, would he really like to help me butcher four more chickens? I don't have any fancy accessories, but I do keep things very clean and sanitary. I'm waiting for a "coolish" day in the next week or so. Hopefully, a day when my husband isn't around, since he doesn't do chicken butchery well, either. I was just going to do two this week and two next week. Two seems to be my limit in the heat. Takes me about an hour apiece but with two of us, we could certainly go faster!
I slipped up last night and happened to let him see me dunking the feet. He of course had to ask me why I was dunking chicken feet. I should have fibbed a little and told him I was preparing them for the dogs. Without thinking, I told him I was prepping them for stock. I think he nearly lost it. I hope he doesn't realize what foods I put stock in! That stock is just so good and I got 11 pints of stock off the last chicken, plus four meals! At $3.00 a quart for the low sodium, organic stock that I buy from Sprouts, that's a pretty good deal on these chickens! This stock is concentrated, so I will use one pint like I would use the quart from Sprouts!
Mike, are you getting ready for an order soon? I was wondering if you'd like to split a hatchery order? I'd like to get about 12-15 meat chickens near October, when it's cooler and I'm looking for somebody to help fill the box, so that the hatchery doesn't pack it with a bunch of packing peanut roosters.