Arizona Chickens

[FeatherPugs]

@BlueBaby You mean you processed your roosters? Great for you!!
@igorsMistress I haven't seen coyotes in a while either - lucky for me we have canals close by with water in them. Hopefully they aren't hungry too!!
I've been busy taking care of my teenagers and watching over the mommy raising two littles (now three weeks) - and I don't have much stamina so it doesn't take long for me to wimp out! Things around here are hit and miss. Stay cool and safe friends.

 

[BlueBaby]

I was out with dogs after hubs left for work and he called to tell me not to let the chickens out for a while. He almost hit a coyote at the corner and chased it down the street with the car. Not to run him over but to move him along to somewhere else. I can hear some neighborhood dogs barking now so he must be on the move. Haven't seen any coyotes here in a long time. I have heard that dry conditions are pushing animals into human populated areas so be vigilant even in the burbs!

With the heat and the lack of rain, I think that all of the animals are at least looking for water. Many people keep bowls of water out for their cats and dogs or have water in their tree wells, so those would be good places for animals to go. The predators will follow the food source, but won't care if they take a dog, cat, or chickens instead. It's still food to them.

 

[meetthebubus]

Integration has gone fine, they keep separate as 2 flocks still but that's ok, I imagine the buffs don't like the energy of the little ones
Clucky the smallest buff has taken it upon herself to defend the ee girls against marshmellow much to his dismay
I'm getting 1 green egg a day
What treats are you handing out right now?
Mine is grapes (77 cents per pound in frys), cucumbers, grain bread, Mealworms, watermelon, cold peach slices, shredded kale and sometimes raisins.

 

[BlueBaby]

@BlueBaby You mean you processed your roosters? Great for you!!

Yes, I paid a lady to butcher 3 of them for me and watched how she did it. She showed me 3 different methods, but I like the broom stick method the best of them. I had her skin them out instead of plucking, because it's faster. It took about 2 hours to do the 3 roosters. She has family over in Tucson, so that's where she and her husband went after they left here.

 

[MagicChicken]

Yes, I paid a lady to butcher 3 of them for me and watched how she did it. She showed me 3 different methods, but I like the broom stick method the best of them. I had her skin them out instead of plucking, because it's faster. It took about 2 hours to do the 3 roosters. She has family over in Tucson, so that's where she and her husband went after they left here.

Once you get good at plucking it goes fairly quickly. Unless they are full of pinfeathers. Then it's a pain in the butt. Scalding them before plucking makes it a lot easier.

I've never gotten the hang of skinning them. I've tried a few times. Takes me way longer than plucking. Maybe because my birds tend to have really thick skin and a lot of connective tissue. (I'm making excuses. It's more likely I'm just incompetent at skinning. )

 

[BlueBaby]

Once you get good at plucking it goes fairly quickly. Unless they are full of pinfeathers. Then it's a pain in the butt. Scalding them before plucking makes it a lot easier.

I've never gotten the hang of skinning them. I've tried a few times. Takes me way longer than plucking. Maybe because my birds tend to have really thick skin and a lot of connective tissue. (I'm making excuses. It's more likely I'm just incompetent at skinning. )

Well 2 of the 3 roosters were the Australorps, and those have a ton of feather's on them. That's why I decided to have her skin them out. Plus, I didn't have to boil up lots of water to pluck them that way. These people were good at it and they cleaned up all of the mess before they left. They even wrapped the roosters in Saran Wrap and then in Butcher's Paper, so all I had to do was put them in the freezer. I found them on the Phoenix Craigslist maybe a week or so ago. They charge $8.00 a chicken to do it, but they will also do turkeys, ducks, rabbits, and other small animals for people.

 

[cavemanrich]

Well 2 of the 3 roosters were the Australorps, and those have a ton of feather's on them. That's why I decided to have her skin them out. Plus, I didn't have to boil up lots of water to pluck them that way. These people were good at it and they cleaned up all of the mess before they left. They even wrapped the roosters in Saran Wrap and then in Butcher's Paper, so all I had to do was put them in the freezer. I found them on the Phoenix Craigslist maybe a week or so ago. They charge $8.00 a chicken to do it, but they will also do turkeys, ducks, rabbits, and other small animals for people.

Good to keep contact info like theirs on hand. Many peeps get extra roosters and do not know how to solve that situation. They are like a traveling salesperson. (did not want to use the term butch)
AC-DC melody comes to mind. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap.

 

[BlueBaby]

Good to keep contact info like theirs on hand. Many peeps get extra roosters and do not know how to solve that situation. They are like a traveling salesperson. (did not want to use the term butch)
AC-DC melody comes to mind. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap.

I did keep it on hand here, and I even have the price list that they charge for doing them, in case someone else need's it, but they only do it in the Phoenix area.

 

[cavemanrich]

Have not see @Bobby Basham here for a while, but since they were heading to Tuscon, I know he was troubled by having some roosters.
He probably would be glad to let them take roos home

 

[BlueBaby]

Have not see @Bobby Basham here for a while, but since they were heading to Tuscon, I know he was troubled by having some roosters.
He probably would be glad to let them take roos home

I haven't seen Bobby here in a while now.

These people live in Tempe and don't have any of their own. She told me that she learned how to do it to help her mother out who had too many roosters. My hubby told me afterwards that the $8.00 a rooster was a good deal, considering how messy it was, and how long it took! Yes, he stayed to watch it being done.