Arizona Chickens

[CheerfulHeart2]

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Wow. I am humbled by this story. For those wanting to process chickens. Somewhere . . . I think on BYC I saw a post about using wax in the water that you dip the birds in to help remove the feathers. She had a good description of how she processes birds, though I am not sure it is ever cold enough here for some pieces of her process to go well.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

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Congrat's!

My mother said something similar about the egg costing $300 plus when we got our first one.

 

[Heelers&Chickens_OhMy]

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The paraffin wax method - I've heard it's effective, but pricey when you do a lot of birds (like 25 - 50). Dipping the bird in hot water for 30 seconds, then cold seconds for 5, worked very well for me and the last bird I processed. If we wanted to collectively raise meat birds, it would be nice if we all chipped in on a quick defeather device.

 

[LarryPQ]

I wonder if we could make one? The DH is outside working on the high-tech coop. Oh, what will he do when he is done?! Over-engineer and build a big-sucker-plucker!!

http://www.farmshow.com/issues/31/04/310402.asp

 

[Tonopah Pati]

The butchering of that amount of chickens is long gone. ( 6 kids grown and gone ) I would only do 4 at the most now. I was raised on a farm with a wonderful Grandfather as a Mentor. He taught me so much. I had a wonderful life on that farm.

You can teach the kids that sometimes a pet has to be put down. if you eat it is up to you and the child. If they get into a 4H project they can learn lots about selling, showing and butchering.

WE got rain! in the desert! It really came down for a bit. I went out to feed the kids and their feeders were soaking wet. OMG! Lots of feed ruined. I didn't know what to do with it. Well I just dumped it on the ground. They all started to eat it. I did give them some dry. I have hutches with not room to hang the feeders inside. I was hoping someone out there could help with a covered feeder box that I could hang a feeder in and have a catch tray for the spilled out feed. I know what I want but haven't a clue on how to build it. HELP.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

My feed got wet too. My chicken's free range in the yard, so to keep from feeding all the wild birds in the neighborhood, I put out only about 2 cups at a time. Still, breakfast, which I put out at night, was definitely wet.

We have six chickens and use six lids from 4-5 gallon buckets as feeding trays at feeding time. It works well for us.

That said, my neighbor has something interesting. He uses a 5 gallon bucket that he drilled 2 inch diamter holes in part way up. The pullets (I haven't checked to see if it works for grown chickens) can reach their heads in and get the food.

 

[LarryPQ]

I've got mine in 5-gallon buckets, with a tray on the bottom, with holes on the bottom and hooks on top so I can hang if I want to. I keep the screw-top closed unless I am cleaning/refilling it.

Home Depot buckets are $3-$4, and the trays I had laying around.

I was thinking those abandoned newpaper depensers would work as automatic feeders too...

 

[Tonopah Pati]

I dumped the wet feed in the pen yesterday and left the feeders upside down. When I went out there this morning to feed the kids, I lifted up the feeders and it smelled like sour mash. Lots fell out and my girls started to eat it. Will it harm them? Does anyone know? Should I get it out of there? Or not be a worry wart. OMG! What to do!

:idunn

 

[Heelers&Chickens_OhMy]

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I've heard that moldy feed is bad and can cause problems. I've heard that feed with maggots in it is the worst.

Then, I've heard people feed that and don't even worry.

I would just monitor your girls. One night of fermenting can't be all that bad.

 

[cap1717]

My previous experience with birds (parrots, geese, etc.) suggests that birds, due the nature of their digestive systems, are less suseptible to illness from "bad feed" than most other animals, nevertheless, I would not feel mouldy anything to my girls. . .