California - Northern

[Hangtown Farms]

As I mentioned a few days ago, I made it my 2012 resolution to eat one of my chickens. Being the wimp I am, I waited til 12/30 to fulfill that resolution. Nothing like a little procrastination. I decided to make Cog Au Vin, which turned out delicious. Here are a couple of pictures:

yummy

 

[Hangtown Farms]

just got done staining the coop. I need to figure out how I want to best level it as it is slightly off level. Doesnt look all that bad but still want to level it as best as I can before I staple the wire in and add sand

 

[capayvalleychick]

Laura, hope your boy settles down soon. I have a rooster that someone gave me. She mentioned that he crowed too early for her. He crows every morning at 4 am. I've gotten used to it, but I can see how that might bother people.

Deann, glad your chicken dinner came out well. Keep experimenting and you'll find all kinds of ways to cook your own birds and make them taste good. It does take time to transition to the texture and flavor if you've been eating supermarket chicken all your life.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Here are parts of that discussion on storing & hatching eggs, that I mentioned previously. I thought that I would repost it here, in case any one is interested. I thought the info might be useful to some of you. The poster was Bentley.

"I have done extensive research in egg storage, transport and incubation and I know that after 7 days, times is of the essence and any temperature change after eggs initially cool is detrimental. So FOR ME, getting eggs in the incubator as soon as possible after receipt is the way to go. I will prewarm eggs only if they are to be added to a setter that already contains eggs to reduce the temperature drop in the setter as it attempts to warm the new eggs.
...
Pre-warming hatching eggs does not need to be fast at all. As a matter of fact, the main reason you would pre-warm eggs is if they are going into an incubator that already contains other eggs. Again, you are just trying to prevent the OTHER eggs from damage or stress due to the possible cooling of the incubator when the new eggs that are cool are added. So, there really is not a benefit to the eggs being pre-warmed themselves. Think of the actual embryo, all it knows is that it's temperature is gradually increasing which increases cellular growth and development. There is an incubation time period of 21 days or 504 hours (this can vary several hours for different breeds or strains) so pre-warming counts as development. If some eggs pre-warm longer than others they may hatch at slightly different times. So, How pre-warming happens is not important as long as the pre-warming occurs for all eggs to be set uniformly....
You are correct, fertilization occurs a few minutes after ovulation then continues to develop until the egg is laid due to the body temperature of the hen. But I do want to make a point, that is a very important point. Embryo development does NOT STOP after the egg is laid nor at anytime during storage unless it dies. This is a living growing embryo and cellular development does not stop, it slows considerably. This is very important to remember when storing hatching eggs, it is STILL a living growing embryo that cooling just dramatically slows development not just an egg waiting to restart development. This is why temperature fluctuations during storage can be so damaging to embryo livability because the embryo will speed up and slow down development in accordance with changes in temperature and each speed up slow down adds stress to the 'suspended' embryo.

... I feel this is a very critical thing to understand when storing hatching eggs, it is living and still growing...

When an egg goes from cool to warm and humid condensation can happen rapidly and this can give any pathogens on the shell a medium in which to grow. However, from my experience per-warming eggs will not eliminate this.

Also, in my experience and research in storing hatching eggs 55 degrees is way too cold unless you have to store eggs for periods longer than 2 weeks and even then the best results aren't found at that cool of a temperature. For short term storage a constant 70 degrees is optimum. ... PM me if you are interested and I can give you some very specific information from research AND personal experience. There are many many scientific publications in this area that would bore most people here.

But, in that puny nut shell, dramatic changes in the temperature at which embryos are exposed is very detrimental to embryo livability and a CONSTANT (or as close as possible) temperature of 70 has been shown to achieve the objectives of egg storage without adding too much stress to the embryo which can result in embryo mortality during days 1-3 of incubation.
...
The best method to use, considering that most incubators can't adjust humidity like the big expensive machines is to check moisture loss, or weight loss of the eggs. Ideally, to get the best chick quality, an egg should lose 11-13% in weight from day of set until moved to the hatcher at day 18. Weigh the eggs before set then at transfer. If they lose too much weight then raise humidity by adding more water (surface area of the water). You an increase surface area of water to increase humidity bay adding a sponge or rag in the water. If they lose less than 11-13% then lower humidity to allow more moisture loss of the egg.

In general, I find the ideal humidity for most machines is about 82 F wet bulb or around 54-56% relative humidity."

 

[mendocinosunris]

As I mentioned a few days ago, I made it my 2012 resolution to eat one of my chickens. Being the wimp I am, I waited til 12/30 to fulfill that resolution. Nothing like a little procrastination. I decided to make Cog Au Vin, which turned out delicious. Here are a couple of pictures:

That looks really good - congratulations on fulfilling your resolution!

 

[Feathersprings]

Feathersprings, I just want to tell you that I'm in love with your avatar picture!

It looks like a beautiful, blue silkie...........but your signature says you have partridge, black and white so I wasn't sure. Do you sell partridge silkie hatching eggs? I will be interested in the future to add to my one partridge girl. For now I'm focusing on a bbs pen. (I should say trying to focus on BBS)

My last hatch of shipped eggs (different pens) only gave me 6 chicks and I currently need to re-home a gorgeous black cockerel and white cockerel. They both look SO good at 3 months but I can't keep any more little crowers. I love driving past the Fort Bragg area.

Thank you, that is Juliette... one of my new arrivals! She is a blue. I was looking to buy a nice black pullet and ended up with blue instead, too beautiful to pass by! She just laid her first egg!! I will be excited in the spring to be able to hatch some eggs from her and she will give me a nice black pullet . I should have some partridge eggs in the summer... I have all young birds right now. I have two partridge laying now and growing up 5 chicks. ( and three partridge eggs in the incubator These are the trio I am breeding from right now...

 

[chiqita]

As I mentioned a few days ago, I made it my 2012 resolution to eat one of my chickens. Being the wimp I am, I waited til 12/30 to fulfill that resolution. Nothing like a little procrastination. I decided to make Cog Au Vin, which turned out delicious. Here are a couple of pictures:

ok, as someone who had trouble ( ok read hear hysterical crying) at the thought of eating their own chickens her here some emotional and good for upset Chickie's tips.
1. Think about what happens to the other chicken's.
2. remember how HAPPY your roosters were running around.
3. Have a vague belief is some sort of higher power that pays attention to everyone.
4. have someone else do the deed. us emotional girls not up to it quite yet.
5. when you are handling the body, remember them happy. For me, its better then not remembering them at all.
6. Cook said chicken.
7. When you eat said chicken, pray. I usually thank them for what they are doing for my family and remember the best times they had in the yard. You are giving the gift of life. You gave it as free and full as you could. A gift of happiness is worth more then a sad confused time surrounded by more sad confused chickens. the end was quick and without fear or pain. If I'm to die i want that!
8. Be grateful.

For me, knowing what you gave and knowing what what was given to you makes it easier. If this doesn't help, feel free to ignore it. But for me we can give a happy life and a clean honored death. its worth it.

 

[juststruttin]

That looks really good - congratulations on fulfilling your resolution!

Thank you. It was way easier than I thought. I have to admit, I did not participate in the processing or cleaning - that will be my 2013 resolution. Baby Steps....

 

[lawatt]

Laura, hope your boy settles down soon. I have a rooster that someone gave me. She mentioned that he crowed too early for her. He crows every morning at 4 am. I've gotten used to it, but I can see how that might bother people.

Deann, glad your chicken dinner came out well. Keep experimenting and you'll find all kinds of ways to cook your own birds and make them taste good. It does take time to transition to the texture and flavor if you've been eating supermarket chicken all your life.

thanks -- i suspect that both a) he will settle down a BIT once he gets used to his new surroundings, his new girlfriends, and hearing the rooster down the hill, and b) i'll get used to hearing him and not notice it as much. the coop isn't super-close to the house (nor to any one else's house), so he's not hideously loud -- i actually found it more annoying once i was fully awake and up & about.

and congratulations on the Great Dish, Deann!!

have a lovely new years eve, everyone!

 

[tls_ranch]

Quote: x2. and add some more to think about while eating or processing your own chickens.

9. Your hens will thank you....having way too many roos in the flock is not a good situation for the flock.

10. If your Great grandma, Grandma, Grandpa etc could do it so can you. We are spoiled today with having our food come to us all wrapped up in plastic wrap from the store.

11. Be thankful that you know where and how that chicken was raised and that it had by far a much better life (and probably death) than "factory" chickens.

12. It's just chicken and will taste like chicken LOL.

Trisha