Australorps breed Thread

[draye]

Which is you're favorite, Cackle or Murray McMurray?

Sorry I didn't make that clear. Cackle is my favorite.

On aside though I have used Murray McMurray and have gotten some good ones from them.

 

[ronott1]

Which is you're favorite, Cackle or Murray McMurray?

cackle will sell an Urban Farmer pack of six pullets. It is a great way to get a small amount of just pullets.

 

[chickisoup]

Hi Ron!
I got my girls from Cackle last spring, as you know, and my deal was either 3 or 5. I got the 5. Haven't checked yet what they are doing this year. (BTW-my 5 pullets actually turned out to be 4 and cockerel which was kind of funny because "he" turned out to be the one I shared with my neighbor, hehehe). She still has him and my Max, the aussie roo I gave her last summer.
Below is a pic or 2 taken yesterday of my Cackle girls that are now 7 1/2 mos. old.


I apologize that the pics aren't great. I took them thru my kitchen window. I'll get better ones when my leg has healed up a little more and the last stitches are out.

I am very happy with my birds. Not going to win any beauty contests, I know, but they are healthy, laying, and already bigger than my my 3 20 month old sex-links and my older leghorn mutt.

They have great, gentle personalities. My only problem is I have one that can launch herself streight into the air, get into and out of just about anything and if there is mischief to get into, she'll find it. She's such a smarty I started calling her Einstein when she was still a small chick!

 

[ronott1]

Hi Ron!
I got my girls from Cackle last spring, as you know, and my deal was either 3 or 5. I got the 5. Haven't checked yet what they are doing this year. (BTW-my 5 pullets actually turned out to be 4 and cockerel which was kind of funny because "he" turned out to be the one I shared with my neighbor, hehehe). She still has him and my Max, the aussie roo I gave her last summer.
Below is a pic or 2 taken yesterday of my Cackle girls that are now 7 1/2 mos. old.


I apologize that the pics aren't great. I took them thru my kitchen window. I'll get better ones when my leg has healed up a little more and the last stitches are out.

I am very happy with my birds. Not going to win any beauty contests, I know, but they are healthy, laying, and already bigger than my my 3 20 month old sex-links and my older leghorn mutt.

They have great, gentle personalities. My only problem is I have one that can launch herself streight into the air, get into and out of just about anything and if there is mischief to get into, she'll find it. She's such a smarty I started calling her Einstein when she was still a small chick!

They are very nice looking in the snow too.

 

[hellbender]

Nice loking birds. I hope you called and got your money for the mistaken gender?? If not, it's still not too late.

After a bit more time, they won't be able to get so far off the ground.

Continued good luck with them.

 

[chickisoup]

Nice loking birds. I hope you called and got your money for the mistaken gender?? If not, it's still not too late.

After a bit more time, they won't be able to get so far off the ground.

Continued good luck with them.

Thanks for good wishes. The one with the "fan" tail is my trouble maker. We had to add another 2 ft on top of the fence to keep her corralled. I did send Cackle an email when I knew I had a roo but never got a response. I am sure it was their busy time and since 90% of my cost was in the shipping/packing for 5 birds in the spring (which they did a fantastic job on BTW-there was a heating pad, gro gel and even a bit of chick feed in the double box they were in) and not the actual birds, I wasn't too worried about it. I understand sexing isn't totally foolproof. I would have kicked up a fuss I guess if it had been more than one.

 

[hellbender]

Thanks for good wishes. The one with the "fan" tail is my trouble maker. We had to add another 2 ft on top of the fence to keep her corralled. I did send Cackle an email when I knew I had a roo but never got a response. I am sure it was their busy time and since 90% of my cost was in the shipping/packing for 5 birds in the spring (which they did a fantastic job on BTW-there was a heating pad, gro gel and even a bit of chick feed in the double box they were in) and not the actual birds, I wasn't too worried about it. I understand sexing isn't totally foolproof. I would have kicked up a fuss I guess if it had been more than one.

I always use the phone and if I were you I'd still go ahead and call. If you had ordered 25 and got one cockerel, that would have been understandable but with an order of 5, they owe you. Even if you opt to not get cash right now, you can have it put down as a credit...could come in handy down the road.

 

[getaclue]

They, of course wouldn't be my first choice as a table bird but there is no reason that they couldn't be raised and FINISHED in a way that would make them more than satisfactory.

Please educate me on how to finish them. I recently processed a 21 week old cockerel, and put him in the soup pot. He had enough meat on him, was not overly fatty, got very tender, the flesh didn't get mushy, however, there was a lot of dark meat, and it was really dark, and had a very strong flavor to it. I didn't do anything special to finish him, just his grower feed.

 

[hellbender]

Please educate me on how to finish them. I recently processed a 21 week old cockerel, and put him in the soup pot. He had enough meat on him, was not overly fatty, got very tender, the flesh didn't get mushy, however, there was a lot of dark meat, and it was really dark, and had a very strong flavor to it. I didn't do anything special to finish him, just his grower feed.

All birds we plan to slaughter are confined for about a month and fed nothing but coarse ground cornmeal and buttermilk...nothing else, other than plenty of clean water. I mean closely confined.

Discontinue all food 24 hours before slaughter but of course, keep the fresh water there at all times.

 

[getaclue]

Thank you hellbender! I will try this next time I go to process.