Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Lacy Blues]

I feel like I have farming in my blood, though I've lived in the city my whole life. I've always wanted to move to the country, but circumstances were never on my side. I can slaughter an animal, I've done so before, but as stated below, I'm a backyarder who has touchy neighbors. I'm trying to come up with a solution so that I could slaughter somewhere. Getting someone to let me, is another thing

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I don't see why you couldn't do it in your back yard. As long as you clean it up, how would the neighbor know? Unless there are no fences? I'm pretty much on my own when it comes to slaughter time so my slaughters are spread out pretty far. If I feel up to it, I'll take out one bird and then bring him inside to process. I've gotten my time down to about 45 minutes from the time I start wetting the feathers for plucking. Then depending on how tired I am, I'll go get another one or just wait til the next night.

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

to me the extra time required to pluck is not worth it... i can skin and spatchcock and have ready for the fridge in about 9 min per bird... u have to cook it different when there is no skin as it dries out allot more but i normally use the crock-pot or oven bags...

I don't see why you couldn't do it in your back yard. As long as you clean it up, how would the neighbor know? Unless there are no fences? I'm pretty much on my own when it comes to slaughter time so my slaughters are spread out pretty far. If I feel up to it, I'll take out one bird and then bring him inside to process. I've gotten my time down to about 45 minutes from the time I start wetting the feathers for plucking. Then depending on how tired I am, I'll go get another one or just wait til the next night.

 

[ocap]

to me the extra time required to pluck is not worth it... i can skin and spatchcock and have ready for the fridge in about 9 min per bird... u have to cook it different when there is no skin as it dries out allot more but i normally use the crock-pot or oven bags...

please give us your crock-pot recipe and do you cover the skinless bird with water?

 

[Fentress]

Tony does not sell hatching eggs, or at least did not the last time I asked. I believe he is done hatching for the year although you should check with him in case he has any chicks left. I am growing out chicks from his 4/1 and one week earlier hatch. I will have extra cockerels, may not have any extra pullets. Have had 4 fail to thrive and selling the two smallest left to a local who wants a layer flock. The rest of the pullets will stay unless/until they exhibit DQ characteristics. In another couple of months I will begin culling out cockerels, one is already on the list because he has a tipped serration in his comb. I will wait some time before I decide which 2-3 (or 4 ... trying to develop Reds as well as going forward with Speckled) I am keeping, and have offered the next 1-2 to a fellow lister who has some nice pullets to go forward with. Should leave ~6 cockerels of a very nice line. If you are interested in them, let me know. I am going to get photos of them in the next few weeks and will post here after I have sent them to Tony for his opinion.

Do your Speckled Sussex go broody? Of the 6 hens (1 year old) I have, two went broody and seem to be doing a respectable job. None of the NH or BR showed any broody behavior at all. My flock comes from a commercial hatchery. Unfortuantely, the SS roosters have been people aggressive.

Thanks,

mark

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Hmmm....plucking should go faster than that.

1. The scald water should be at 140 degrees
2. Dunk the bird like a toilet plunger, after 30 seconds or so, lift the bird and with our pointy finger and thumb pinch a large, primary flight feather and wiggle. If it doesn't slide out, the bird needs more time in the water. Repeat until the wing feather more or lest falls from the bird with minimal pulling.
3. Remove the wing and tail feathers immediately. Put the bird down on a stainless steel table or one that you've covered with clean plastic. Do not "pluck" the birds, using your thumb from tip to wrist, rub the bird down against the grain of the feather groth (from tail towards the head). You're rubbing; one doesn't "pluck" a scalded bird; it just makes a mess and goes way to slow. Rub those feathers off like sanding a floor, but this is why the scald is paramount--the most important part.
4. Don't move all over the bird, cover one area, finish it, move to the next. Don't let the bird cool. Work quickly and with focus.
5. You should be done in a matter of minutes. With practice the difference in time between skinning and feather removal should be negligible such that the added culinary potential for a skin covered bird wins out.

 

[bnjrob]

I don't see why you couldn't do it in your back yard. As long as you clean it up, how would the neighbor know? Unless there are no fences?

That's what I was thinking too.

We use a killing cone and it is a quiet process. Unlike when we did the axe method and had them squawking like crazy. We put a bucket with a trashbag in it underneath the cone that is hung on a screw coming out of a post, slit the throat and let the chicken bleed into the bucket for easy cleanup. We have a gas grill with a side burner and put a pot of soapy water on the grill burner to scald and plucking doesn't take much time at all after that.

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: ========
I am sorry, White Mountain,
I completely missed the fact you were looking for hatching eggs. The top breeders usually don't sell hatching eggs in Speckled Sussex. This is because they want to put quality representatives of their flocks in others hands. The Speckled Sussex is a tricolor breed. As such, it is best culled for quality twice before the birds are shipped. It needs to be culled at a later age because of the three colors. Plus, you have the breeder culling his own strain for quality for you. Always a good thing.
You should be looking for 12 to 16 week old birds. This is a good time of year to look because the folk with top birds, or birds from top lines, are getting ready to cull their flocks. Yes, it does cost a bit more for started birds. But probably not more than if you had raised them yourself up to this age. Shipping is easy if you can't find a local breeder. Find an NPIP flock. Just get a http://www.boxesforbirds.com shipping box. Buy a packet of Grogel Plus. Put some newspaper in the shipping box. Pick a cool day and Express Mail by USPS. Easy-peasy.
All this said, Walt Reichert in KY is tearing up the show ring with his large fowl Speckled Sussex. Last I heard he was on of the few who would sell hatching eggs. Sussex hatched in March make the best winter layers. Another reason to get started birds at this time of year..
Best,
Karen

 

[fowlman01]

========
I am sorry, White Mountain,
I completely missed the fact you were looking for hatching eggs. The top breeders usually don't sell hatching eggs in Speckled Sussex. This is because they want to put quality representatives of their flocks in others hands. The Speckled Sussex is a tricolor breed. As such, it is best culled for quality twice before the birds are shipped. It needs to be culled at a later age because of the three colors. Plus, you have the breeder culling his own strain for quality for you. Always a good thing.
You should be looking for 12 to 16 week old birds. This is a good time of year to look because the folk with top birds, or birds from top lines, are getting ready to cull their flocks. Yes, it does cost a bit more for started birds. But probably not more than if you had raised them yourself up to this age. Shipping is easy if you can't find a local breeder. Find an NPIP flock. Just get a http://www.boxesforbirds.com shipping box. Buy a packet of Grogel Plus. Put some newspaper in the shipping box. Pick a cool day and Express Mail by USPS. Easy-peasy.
All this said, Walt Reichert in KY is tearing up the show ring with his large fowl Speckled Sussex. Last I heard he was on of the few who would sell hatching eggs. Sussex hatched in March make the best winter layers. Another reason to get started birds at this time of year..
Best,
Karen

If you care about the quality of the birds, getting grown or partially grown birds is cheaper than eggs. The reason is you can hatch a ton of eggs without getting anything the represents the breed properly. (The price of the eggs, the feed to grow them out and your time etc will exceed the price of good stock at some point.) The Speckled Sussex are not an easy breed to get the color right, let alone the body type. I watched a neighbor go the egg route and she has a bunch of culls now. Some of the other heritage breeds might be OK to get eggs...like the New Hamps, but only because they have been refined to a good quality and the color is not nearly as demanding.

Walt

 

[Robert Blosl]

If you contact a good breeder and ask for hatching eggs he knows what kind of chicken person you are. Backyard want eggs kind a persosn. He gets turned off. Go with Started birds one male two females you will be set. Its a investment in time. Sorry about the egg thing but its a fact.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

If you contact a good breeder and ask for hatching eggs he knows what kind of chicken person you are. Backyard want eggs kind a persosn. He gets turned off. Go with Started birds one male two females you will be set. Its a investment in time. Sorry about the egg thing but its a fact.

I won't ship eggs--at all. There's no control over what's leaving, too few guarantees, to much en route potential for disaster. I did one year, and vowed never to do it again.