California - Northern

[member 142084]

So I hear old laying hens are tough and you have to cook them a long time. Wouldn't grinding the meat into chicken sausage tenderize it enough to eat with out having to overcook?

 

[ronott1]

So I hear old laying hens are tough and you have to cook them a long time. Wouldn't grinding the meat into chicken sausage tenderize it enough to eat with out having to overcook?

Yes, that would work too. It would be low fat, so be careful cooking it. You might also consider pressure cooking or boiling down the bones for stock. It takes an hour in a pressure cooker.

I posted a poaching method a couple of days ago. If the meat were really tough, you could save the liquid for stock and feed the meat to your dog.

 

[zooweemama]

I recently read a post on BYC about chicks around the same age of the two groups you are thinking about putting together and the older chicks killed the younger ones. I would wait until the younger chicks are a couple of weeks old before trying to mix them. They are fragile at 4 days old and need a different brooder temperature than the 2 1/2 week olds.

Good luck with them

Thanks! I may just keep them separated to start with. And then introduce them and hang out with them and watch what happens. I'll have 3 brooders in my livingroom! 2 for chickens and 1 for geese. Nice. haha!

 

[zooweemama]

I am actually not ready to get laying hens yet. Maybe in the spring. I am determined to actually be one of the rare individuals to have a completed coop before getting chicks. Have been thinking about getting some meaties since they are so short term. Restock our chest freezer since our beef supply is getting low and we actually have room now. It would be a good summer project.
R.

Sounds good!

 

[zooweemama]

X2. Yes, keep them apart until the younger ones are a week old or so. Accuweather says it's 85 currently in Redding with a low 65 today and a high of 104. We won't be that hot, but this morning none of my chicks were under their heater. Using the ecoglow has convinced me that we keep chicks too warm for too long, especially in those parts of CA where it is so hot. I bet my Garage did not go below 80 last night.

Last year a guy bought 200 chicks and split them up into a bunch of rubber maid tubs. After 50 of them died, he asked for help. He had a small batch that did not die so he thought the large scale system would work. He had the temperature too high in the brooder and the heat was killing them. That seems to happen more often than too cold.

Well after that sad news, the best thing to do is make a spot for them that is warmer than the rest of the brooder. The chicks will self regulate by moving into and out of the heat. If in doubt, set the temperature for the younger ones. Most importantly, watch them to see what they are doing. If they are huddling together under the light, they are too cold. If they are panting, staying away from each other away from the light than they are too hot.

So, size and the ability to stand up for themselves is the thing to look at.

Ok, just to show that I am not making this up

and that I have put together older and younger chicks, I am posting a picture of my GL Wyendotte with the two EEs I bought to keep her company. The GLW was Two days old when I put them together. The EEs are at least a week older, probably more. The GLW is two weeks old not, sot the EEs are 3 to 4 weeks old. I took this picture this morning:



Notice the ecoglow on the left. They were not under it this morning. I really hope the GLW is a girl

I hope everyone has a happy Fathers day. I am cooking a Red Star packing Rooster in my smoker today.

Ron

Having a bearded dragon really trained me well. I have a good digital thermometer and I actually use it to monitor temps, I also make sure so one is panting. hiding from heat or huddling under it. Temp management I can do and I let the animal tell me what is a good temp for them. My first batch of chickens were over a week old by the time I got them. So these will probably be slightly smaller and less feathered. Although honestly I was blown away with how many feathers the chicks had by a week! Crazy.

Dinner sounds yummy! Mmmm! I loved smoked meat.

 

[zooweemama]

Yes, that would work too. It would be low fat, so be careful cooking it. You might also consider pressure cooking or boiling down the bones for stock. It takes an hour in a pressure cooker.

I posted a poaching method a couple of days ago. If the meat were really tough, you could save the liquid for stock and feed the meat to your dog.

How about crockpotting it? Then using the meat in something else? Like a soup or casserole? I am not a fan of crockpotted chicken though- hate the texture. But if the meat is tender- is that an option for making it more tender? (storing this away in my head for myself in the coming year)

 

[zooweemama]

Are you all frying too? Oh my gosh! 102 in Redding right now. My ducks are hugging the shade in the pond. How are all your chickens doing in this heat? I am so terrified of when I put my chicks outside in July. Won't this heat kill them?

Does anyone know if this will fit around a very small kiddie pool?
http://www.happyhentreats.com/Products.html

 

[zooweemama]

Haalllooooo! I had to mist my chickens today it was 110 at my place. Of course I was primarily misting my ducks with the hose. The chicks like it too. The hens were watching curiously..... so I decided they'd like it too escpecially since they were panting..... it was hilarious. They all ran to the furthest corner of the run and were jumping all over eachother in a great heep of feathers. My daughter and I were cracking up.

110 ewww! It's about 102 it says at the Redding airpot...I swear it feels hotter here though.

 

[chickee]

Sounds like fun to me

I have chicks and chickens in every nook and cranny at my house

Thanks! I may just keep them separated to start with. And then introduce them and hang out with them and watch what happens. I'll have 3 brooders in my livingroom! 2 for chickens and 1 for geese. Nice. haha!

 

[ronott1]

Are you all frying too? Oh my gosh! 102 in Redding right now. My ducks are hugging the shade in the pond. How are all your chickens doing in this heat? I am so terrified of when I put my chicks outside in July. Won't this heat kill them?

Does anyone know if this will fit around a very small kiddie pool?
http://www.happyhentreats.com/Products.html

The Temp on my computer at 7:13 pm says 93. The Ext. temp on my Escape said 103. It is very hot. I hope we don't lose too many animals. It's supposed to cool down for us this week.

August is the hottest month for the Red Bluff to Redding area. Heat builds each day until a layer breaks above above you that is trapping in the heat. Then it starts over again, a bit higher each cycle. In 1977, it was 121.9 in Red Bluff for two days in a row. I lived in Corning and made the mistake of going to the store on the afternoon of the second day. It was terrible.

In the Woodland Davis area, this is the hot time. August is usually a bit cooler.

Ron

Quote: Yes, Crock pot, Smoker, or other slow cooker. A pressure cooker is magic for stuff like this. The meat can be use for salads, enchiladas, tacos or of course chicken and dumplings.

Having a bearded dragon really trained me well. I have a good digital thermometer and I actually use it to monitor temps, I also make sure so one is panting. hiding from heat or huddling under it. Temp management I can do and I let the animal tell me what is a good temp for them. My first batch of chickens were over a week old by the time I got them. So these will probably be slightly smaller and less feathered. Although honestly I was blown away with how many feathers the chicks had by a week! Crazy.

Dinner sounds yummy! Mmmm! I loved smoked meat.

The smoked Red Star Packing Rooster was amazing

. The flavor wasn't really stronger, just a lot better. It was juicy and had a nice bite to it-not tough and not tender mushy.

It was worth all the work. I might raise some kind of meat chicken next year.

Ron