Arkansas folks speak up.........

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I tell myself from the time that I get them that they are for one purpose, and one purpose only. I found that if you constantly remind yourself of that as they grow, it makes it easier to process/eat them. Or you could have what we had here this morning. One of my roosters I had planned on keeping got hold of my big, nice, favorite rooster and busted him up good. After patching up my good rooster, I went to work on the offending rooster. Didn't plan on it yesterday, but we are having rooster stew tomorrow night. The longer you have chickens, the easier things will become for you. Some things just take a little experience. Something else that also helps me is that I allow myself to become a little attached to some of the hens. If I can keep some as 'pets' it makes it easier on me to let the others go

 

[Ridgerunner]

My main goal in raising chickens is meat, not eggs. If I did not eat them, they would not live at all. They would never hatch.

While I have them, they live as chickens. They get to live in a flock, find their own food, scratch, chase bugs, and just have a good life. I don’t fill them with antibiotics or keep them cooped up in tiny places. When I process them for the table, they don’t suffer. The end comes very quickly.

I don’t name them or treat them as pets. I don’t mistreat them but I don’t pet them or anything like that. I know why I am raising them and just don’t get too attached.

I grew up processing chickens for the table. I grew up hunting and fishing and eating what I killed or caught. I don’t have a problem with eating them.

 

[AmpersatChick]

We've been wondering the same thing in our household. We have three young boys that will be in on the whole process with us. We're telling them now that there is a good chance they'll end up on our table when they aren't laying anymore. When my 6 year old pouted (he's my little animal lover) I told him it was a lot nicer than letting them grow old and sickly and still end up having to put them down. We'll see how I feel when the time comes. I sure don't want a bunch of useless hens running around but I've only ever raised pets so we'll see how it goes!

 

[draye]

What kind of roosters do u have?

They are 1/2 Easter Egger and 1/2 Naked Neck. They really do not look like either breed though. They have peacombs, 2 are barred and one is what I call red barred.
They are really nice sized roosters for their age.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Draye, do your regular Naked Necks have a pea comb? The Australian standard for them is pea comb but the standard here in the USA is single.

If those mixed roosters have a pea comb and the naked neck parent is single combed, there is a real good chance that they have one copy of the blue egg gene. No guarantees but a real good chance. That means about half of their daughters should lay a green egg no matter what the hen he is mated to lays. That might make them more attractive to some people.

The gene that makes their neck naked is dominant, so if they do not show a naked neck, they don’t have that gene. They will never have naked necked offspring unless you cross them back to a naked neck chicken. That naked neck might put some people off, but if they don’t show it, they don’t have that gene.

I’ve had some “barnyard mix” chickens that turned out red barred. I thought that was really attractive but was not the look I was shooting for. It might make an interesting project though.

 

[TheJadeChicken]

The naked neck I got from draye has a pea comb, if has a barred pattern on the feathers on top of her head. Plus a dark/light grey body with a few red markings. My favorite Naked Neck. The black one has a straight comb. I love my naked necks. Hoping to get some more.

 

[draye]

Draye, do your regular Naked Necks have a pea comb? The Australian standard for them is pea comb but the standard here in the USA is single.

If those mixed roosters have a pea comb and the naked neck parent is single combed, there is a real good chance that they have one copy of the blue egg gene. No guarantees but a real good chance. That means about half of their daughters should lay a green egg no matter what the hen he is mated to lays. That might make them more attractive to some people.

The gene that makes their neck naked is dominant, so if they do not show a naked neck, they don’t have that gene. They will never have naked necked offspring unless you cross them back to a naked neck chicken. That naked neck might put some people off, but if they don’t show it, they don’t have that gene.

I’ve had some “barnyard mix” chickens that turned out red barred. I thought that was really attractive but was not the look I was shooting for. It might make an interesting project though.

The regular NN did not have peacombs.
The 3 roosters that I still have inherited the peacomb though. That was my intent tough when I crossed the NN with EE was to get green/blue eggs from the NN looking birds. I have since moved on from that project though. I still have 3 NN hens that I am going to use to improve my EE's though.

I also thought about the REd Barred project but decided that I'm not going there either.

 

[birdsss]

Saw this today. Mark your calendars

 

[CESpeed]

Well I did inventorytoday. I have 12 hens of laying age ( not all are lying, just syaing they are of age to lay.), 4 grown roosters, 64 growing chicks, and three 18 week old roosters.
These three roosters (18 weeks old) are going to the sale barn the second Saturday in February unless someone speaks for them first.

Where is this and what time is it?

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Saw this today. Mark your calendars

Wow. I have 3 so far marked on the calendar. xD

One on February 9th at Tractor Supply Co. It starts at 8am.
Another is at Bernice Gardens April 13th.