Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[TexasLisa]

I laughed, I cried, I am awed!!!! EXACTLY what I would have said!

I would have followed it with how much they love the chicken parts I give them during processing but I think he would have tuned me out by then....or ran away.

Does an OTs heart good to hear the wisdom rippling out in wider and wider circles in this ol' pond called chickens.

I have it too. I wonder if all true OTs have that look but I can make other people's dogs and children behave when they cannot and they always tell me their husbands are "intimidated" by me...and that's when I'm friendly to them. Can't imagine how much they would pee down their legs if I got testy. I could tell you stories....

We are finally getting much needed rain. I am ready for your stories!!!

Lisa

 

[Beekissed]

I made my boy's third grade teacher cry and I didn't even have to threaten him. We had a conference, he tried to lie, I called him on it and would not let him or the principal bully me into thinking their way. Just that look in the eye and pure, cold logic and a soft and steely voice. Before it was all over my Dad, who thinks he is a tough guy, was over there patting him and consoling him as this guy cried. Crybaby....

As we left the building and was walking out to the truck, Dad looked over at me and was just staring. I finally stopped to ask what was wrong and he just shook his head, had this dumbfounded look on his face like he had never really known who I was and said, "You should have been a lawyer!!!" This coming from the man who thinks women should be barefoot and pregnant and running around at his beck and call.

I have many such stories....I'm just not a woman who has much back down and because I'm nice, folks are always trying to back me down. Nice and pushover are two very different things.

 

[fowlman01]

I made my boy's third grade teacher cry and I didn't even have to threaten him. We had a conference, he tried to lie, I called him on it and would not let him or the principal bully me into thinking their way. Just that look in the eye and pure, cold logic and a soft and steely voice. Before it was all over my Dad, who thinks he is a tough guy, was over there patting him and consoling him as this guy cried. Crybaby....

As we left the building and was walking out to the truck, Dad looked over at me and was just staring. I finally stopped to ask what was wrong and he just shook his head, had this dumbfounded look on his face like he had never really known who I was and said, "You should have been a lawyer!!!" This coming from the man who thinks women should be barefoot and pregnant and running around at his beck and call.

I have many such stories....I'm just not a woman who has much back down and because I'm nice, folks are always trying to back me down. Nice and pushover are two very different things.

Your ability probably serves you well as a nurse. I never came close to making a teacher cry. At my school the teachers made you cry and if you didn't cry they would continue to beat on you until you did.

Walt

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, same here! Funny...most folks don't remember back in the day when teachers were allowed to paddle the kids right there in the classroom. I've had my share, though I was usually the teacher's pet.

Trust me, this teacher really needed to get his tail in a knot..... One of those people who would dress up a chicken and call the animal control on you if you left your dog outdoors to live.

Nowadays, though, teachers are a different breed of cat and so are the children and parents. When we got paddled at school, we got it way worse at home. Double whammy. Now the world has turned upside down and I wouldn't want to be a teacher nor to have kids still in school any longer.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, same here! Funny...most folks don't remember back in the day when teachers were allowed to paddle the kids right there in the classroom. I've had my share, though I was usually the teacher's pet.

I remember Bee although I can honestly say I never got paddled, I was too scared to disobey because I didn't want to get paddled. I did get the back of my hand slapped with a ruler once though from a teacher I did not like she was so mean.

 

[Beekissed]

I was precocious...

We weren't allowed to be brats at home and certainly were not allowed to get in trouble at school, but as you can see by what you know of me on here, trouble just seems to follow me around. It happens where I am, though I don't necessarily go to look for it.

 

[Beekissed]

Fred and Walt, remember that BA gal I posted on the other day with the weird looking pad of feathers on her back/tail? I found out why...never saw this before. I did a cut away to show how deep this stuff is and I can honestly say that I've never seen this kind of fat collection before in all my years of killing chickens.

This gal was the absolute fattest chicken I've ever killed, bar none. My hands were greasy after the gutting and she has fat where I have never seen a chicken have fat...under her wings, all around her organs, thick layers around the vent and this huge cushion of fat on her back with huge portions on her thighs...she even had fat on her neck.

She had an egg tumor inside of her and also a fatty tumor/cyst in her oviduct wall. All good reasons to not overfeed your flock or keep birds that overeat.

Needless to say, I am cutting feed rations back.



This is Ruby and her junk in the trunk and the pic below is a cut away portion to show the depth of the fat on her lower back...it's about 1/2 in. thick.



Her fat thighs and sides...



Neck...



That concludes the lesson for the day, boys and girls. Now, what have we learned? Bad bird(poor genetics/conformation/body structure) + too much of a good thing(rich feeds) = cull bird full of fat and abnormal reproductive health.

 

[galanie]

Fred and Walt, remember that BA gal I posted on the other day with the weird looking pad of feathers on her back/tail?  I found out why...never saw this before.  I did a cut away to show how deep this stuff is and I can honestly say that I've never seen this kind of fat collection before in all my years of killing chickens. 

This gal was the absolute fattest chicken I've ever killed, bar none.  My hands were greasy after the gutting and she has fat where I have never seen a chicken have fat...under her wings, all around her organs, thick layers around the vent and this huge cushion of fat on her back with huge portions on her thighs...she even had fat on her neck.

She had an egg tumor inside of her and also a fatty tumor/cyst in her oviduct wall.  All good reasons to not overfeed your flock or keep birds that overeat. 

Needless to say, I am cutting feed rations back. 



This is Ruby and her junk in the trunk and the pic below is a cut away portion to show the depth of the fat on her lower back...it's about 1/2 in. thick. 



Her fat thighs and sides...



Neck...



That concludes the lesson for the day, boys and girls.  Now, what have we learned?  Bad bird(poor genetics/conformation/body structure) + too much of a good thing(rich feeds) = cull bird full of fat and abnormal reproductive health. 

 

[Ridgerunner]

My Black Australorps seem to have more of a fat pad than any other breed I've had. I've had BA's from both Cackle and Meyer and they all had more fat than other breeds. I'll admit I've never seen one that bad. I don't know how you find them Bee.

I've heard that BA's are supposed to be pretty good winter layers and mine have been once they get over the molt. I always figured the fat pad had something to do with it.

When I process hens and pullets I keep a bucket handy for the fat. When I'm finished the survivors get a treat.

 

[Beekissed]

That wasn't my bird, she just came along on the ride to freedom from the Bad Place. At least she died happy and quasi healthy.

I've never had any BAs that had the fat pad before owning this poor thing. All of my previous BAs were normal in shape and structure and were laying fools all year round, barely molted and then got right back on the horse and ride.