Chicken (Poultry) Addiction Anonymous *Chat Thread*

[featherz]

Hi Nat! Your OE grandchickies are doing well, and it looks like I picked out ALL girls!

(I rehomed 8 of the chickies and kept 5 due to space issues). So far, all still are girly and they are hmm.. almost 12 weeks I think.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
awesome!!!! all girls huh?

Im going to have you sex mine before I sell them! haha I seem to keep mostly boys. Had a fabulous cochiin hatch from Acechix a few weeks back and sold 1/2 because 90% hatched out! I see ALOT of big combs popping up dang it! hahaha

 

[featherz]

Quote:
awesome!!!! all girls huh?

Im going to have you sex mine before I sell them! haha I seem to keep mostly boys. Had a fabulous cochiin hatch from Acechix a few weeks back and sold 1/2 because 90% hatched out! I see ALOT of big combs popping up dang it! hahaha

Well, a roo COULD still pop out, but no combs at 12 weeks and no pink at all. I rehomed all the rest at about 4 weeks - two of which I was sure were roos (straight red combs), the rest were tossups. I'll get pics at some point but they all pretty much look alike - two bluey ones and three black.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
awesome!!!! all girls huh?

Im going to have you sex mine before I sell them! haha I seem to keep mostly boys. Had a fabulous cochiin hatch from Acechix a few weeks back and sold 1/2 because 90% hatched out! I see ALOT of big combs popping up dang it! hahaha

Well, a roo COULD still pop out, but no combs at 12 weeks and no pink at all. I rehomed all the rest at about 4 weeks - two of which I was sure were roos (straight red combs), the rest were tossups. I'll get pics at some point but they all pretty much look alike - two bluey ones and three black.

awesome..I kept one of my straight combed black girls as she was soo pretty-pure black no gold in hackles nothing! Here she is and lays the prettiest dark brown egg!!

 

[featherz]

Quote:
One of the blacks MAY have a straight comb - it's verrrry tiny so it's hard for me to tell if it's a weird pea comb or a really tiny straight comb.

The two I was sure were roos had huge red red combs at four weeks so I was pretty confident there. I told the buyers that 'ok, those are roos.. the rest? I don't know". I wish I had their email, I'd find out what the rest were.

 

[daisychick]

Quote:
Good for you! I will be shutting down the 380 at the end of May. Once my lavs start laying again, I need to do one hatch for myself for next year's breeding program. The lavs haven't given me an egg since March! Then, I will be DONE!

I am ready to butcher my own roos now. Here is my question. Should we put the roos we know we are going to eat on a different diet? Like a grower feed??? To make them a little more meaty?

I have been seriously considering making a rooster tractor thing where they can graze etc in different spots and have their own grow out pen. I do think it would be a good idea to put them on grower feed. I mean right now mine eat layer feed so I am sure a grower type would be better for them. My neighbor is raising meaties right now, so if I planned it right I could have a batch of roos ready to go when he does his birds so he could help me with the processing part.

Then I think I could do my own.

 

[daisychick]

sonew123: What is a good age to process roos from dual purpose breeds?? How old do you let them get? Like EE's, Marans, that type of bird. ???

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
iT depends really for me. I like to try and grow them out to at least 20 weeks old if not 6 months old-but if the crowing get REALLY bad..Then I have to do it earlier...16 weeks is too scrawny for me...All go on grower until their last few weeks -then I switch to high protein feed and place in small tractor..enough room to move and pick grass but not anough room to burn alot of calories. I do clean that pen daily with fresh hay so they are not walking around nasty poopy all day-Im sure theyd be fine but I cant do that Alot of the time if I dont have help ( which is 90% of the time) I just breast out the roos to avoid feathering and major cleaning and blood. I can breast out a bird without getting blood on myself

 

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
iT depends really for me. I like to try and grow them out to at least 20 weeks old if not 6 months old-but if the crowing get REALLY bad..Then I have to do it earlier...16 weeks is too scrawny for me...All go on grower until their last few weeks -then I switch to high protein feed and place in small tractor..enough room to move and pick grass but not anough room to burn alot of calories. I do clean that pen daily with fresh hay so they are not walking around nasty poopy all day-Im sure theyd be fine but I cant do that Alot of the time if I dont have help ( which is 90% of the time) I just breast out the roos to avoid feathering and major cleaning and blood. I can breast out a bird without getting blood on myself

And by breast out you mean after killing the bird you skin it back and remove the breast meat? I don't want to assume here. (Also, sorry featherz...we'll tell you when the coast is clear!) Are the thighs worth diddly on dual purpose birds? I have a bunch of OE's, JG/BO mixes, and a few Ameraucanas to do. They are all close to the right age.

Nat...how many weeks of treats and extra protein, etc before butchering? I may just separate the boys out into those temporary runs we have left from last summer. These ideas are helping me! Thanks.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
iT depends really for me. I like to try and grow them out to at least 20 weeks old if not 6 months old-but if the crowing get REALLY bad..Then I have to do it earlier...16 weeks is too scrawny for me...All go on grower until their last few weeks -then I switch to high protein feed and place in small tractor..enough room to move and pick grass but not anough room to burn alot of calories. I do clean that pen daily with fresh hay so they are not walking around nasty poopy all day-Im sure theyd be fine but I cant do that Alot of the time if I dont have help ( which is 90% of the time) I just breast out the roos to avoid feathering and major cleaning and blood. I can breast out a bird without getting blood on myself

And by breast out you mean after killing the bird you skin it back and remove the breast meat? I don't want to assume here. (Also, sorry featherz...we'll tell you when the coast is clear!) Are the thighs worth diddly on dual purpose birds? I have a bunch of OE's, JG/BO mixes, and a few Ameraucanas to do. They are all close to the right age.

Nat...how many weeks of treats and extra protein, etc before butchering? I may just separate the boys out into those temporary runs we have left from last summer. These ideas are helping me! Thanks.

yup just removing breasts! I havea technique that it takes 5 minutes per bird with a wicked sharp very pointy knife. As far as higher protein feed-28%-30% feed. I feed this pen ALL the left overs from the house daily...scratch etc The thighs I have tried to do and I can easily cut them out but to me its not worth it. I use those breasts and cut into small pieces and freezer them before the family can see it! They wont eat it if its from my birds!
so I have to trick them!