Arizona Chickens

[moms3cuties]

Whew, just finished butchering and plucking 5 chickens and 2 adult turkeys. That took almost 3 hours from set up to clean up, but still haven't gutted them, they are chilling in ice water right now. Does anybody have a particular brand of turkey smoker they use or know of a friend that uses that you recommend? Thinking about getting one of those to vary the way we cook turkey.

yum! Yes I'd like to hear of a person/friend also, who uses a good turkey smoker too! Good job culling! I think it took me two hours for just 3 measly roosters with help of course, lol. Your doing great desertmarcy!

 

[DesertChic]

Whew, just finished butchering and plucking 5 chickens and 2 adult turkeys. That took almost 3 hours from set up to clean up, but still haven't gutted them, they are chilling in ice water right now. Does anybody have a particular brand of turkey smoker they use or know of a friend that uses that you recommend? Thinking about getting one of those to vary the way we cook turkey.

Let me get back to you about the smoker. My friend/employee makes amazing smoked turkey ( and everything else) in his and has just raved about the contraption.

Are you going to be butchering more turkeys in the near future? If so, would you mind an audience (and maybe an assistant with no experience)? I'd love to see first-hand what's involved before I take the plunge with raising them.

 

[desertmarcy]

Let me get back to you about the smoker. My friend/employee makes amazing smoked turkey ( and everything else) in his and has just raved about the contraption.

Are you going to be butchering more turkeys in the near future? If so, would you mind an audience (and maybe an assistant with no experience)? I'd love to see first-hand what's involved before I take the plunge with raising them.

@DesertChic I have had people ask me that before and I don't want an audience. It is work enough doing it without someone hanging over my shoulder and having to explain what I'm doing. As far as what's involved, it is no different from processing chickens, just everything is bigger and the turkeys are heavy. So you need a bigger cone or some way to contain them, bigger container to dunk in hot water unless you dry pluck (which I never do), etc.

 

[DesertChic]

@DesertChic I have had people ask me that before and I don't want an audience. It is work enough doing it without someone hanging over my shoulder and having to explain what I'm doing. As far as what's involved, it is no different from processing chickens, just everything is bigger and the turkeys are heavy. So you need a bigger cone or some way to contain them, bigger container to dunk in hot water unless you dry pluck (which I never do), etc.

Okay. No problem!

 

[DesertChic]

I just killed and processed my first chicken today...a NN cockerel named Screech. In the end he weighed a solid 3.5 lbs @ 16 weeks. R.I.P. Screech, and thanks for supplying the main course for dinner.

 

[houdiniduck]

I just killed and processed my first chicken today...a NN cockerel named Screech. In the end he weighed a solid 3.5 lbs @ 16 weeks. R.I.P. Screech, and thanks for supplying the main course for dinner.

we processed our first, and second third and fourth today too. we skinned em. they were good size, I didn't weigh them.

 

[Twinklin]

The littles went out for their first adventure day. They had a blast. They have a couple more weeks until they go to the coop full time but I was out working on their run extension so I penned them up and let them explore. I was super paranoid the whole time, looking over my shoulder. I had tons of blankets and plastic mesh covering the top of their little fort but I think it's going to take a lot of little baby steps for me to feel comfortable again.

As for the run extension..... it looks like a 4 year old built it LOL. I did such a sloppy job measuring and the new end of the roof is way taller than the old one, It looks a mess but once the wire goes up and the shade cloth gets tied across hopefully it won't look as terrible. It's sturdy and once the wire goes on will be nice and secure but man it aint pretty.

I have suspicions that at least one of my newbies could be a rooster... but don't I always. Gonna keep my eye on the Olive Egger. It's legs are soooo thick.

 

[Diannastarr]

wow thats one big bad lizard, golly a Gila monster is one of only two species of venomous lizards (its cousin, the Mexican beaded lizard, is the other). It can bite quickly and hold on tenaciously. Rather than injecting venom through hollow fangs like venomous snakes do, When they bite, their powerful jaws chew the venom in , Gila monster venom is about as toxic as that of a western diamondback rattlesnake. They have been observed in the wild eating meals up to one third of their body weight. Gilas have the ability to eat large meals, combined with their large capacity to store fat, make frequent searching for food unnecessary. Therefore, they are rarely seen above ground. Gilas may consume their entire yearly energy budget in three or four large meals. Most of their above-ground activity occurs in three months in the spring. when mating occurs, & when their main source of food (vertebrate nests) is most abundant. Gila monsters have a home range of about one square mile (1.6 km2). but gosh will they also eat chickens...?

 

[lacymorgan]

The littles went out for their first adventure day. They had a blast. They have a couple more weeks until they go to the coop full time but I was out working on their run extension so I penned them up and let them explore. I was super paranoid the whole time, looking over my shoulder. I had tons of blankets and plastic mesh covering the top of their little fort but I think it's going to take a lot of little baby steps for me to feel comfortable again.

As for the run extension..... it looks like a 4 year old built it LOL. I did such a sloppy job measuring and the new end of the roof is way taller than the old one, It looks a mess but once the wire goes up and the shade cloth gets tied across hopefully it won't look as terrible. It's sturdy and once the wire goes on will be nice and secure but man it aint pretty.

I have suspicions that at least one of my newbies could be a rooster... but don't I always. Gonna keep my eye on the Olive Egger. It's legs are soooo thick.

they look like they had a great time.

 

[lacymorgan]

Well I am done buying shipped eggs. The tolbunt frizzle smooth eggs I candled them and all of them were scrambled inside. I am just going to buy chicks. I did manage to buy 9 straight run Isbars yesterday now just have to find the tolbunt chicks. I hope all of the mothers whether your children be people of peeps have a great day.