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

[NikkiMiChickie]

Yes on the FF, I've been using it on my layers and I really like the results I've seen, if only in the decline of the feed bill. Killing cones sound great! I don't have any dedicated butchering tables, but there are a few picnic tables outside that could easily be covered for work areas, so you don't have to run all over WV/VA with tables in the back. When the time gets closer, I'll be asking for a list of supplies I'll need! Thanks for the March/June timeline. I'd been trying to count the number of weeks out on a calendar, and with never raising eat birds before, still couldn't figure out when to get them. Sounds fun! I'm excited to have someone to guide me... YouTube doesn't answer back when I ask it questions :/

 

[Beekissed]

It rarely does.

I have small, folding tables(white) that are easy to tote, setup, clean and knock down. It just makes life easier all around. No problem at all.

Did you see theprocessing videos that I posted up on the Road thread? Not my videos but they sure were good ones...just old country folk showing us how it's done.

 

[Mountain Momma]

It rarely does.

I have small, folding tables(white) that are easy to tote, setup, clean and knock down. It just makes life easier all around. No problem at all.

Did you see theprocessing videos that I posted up on the Road thread? Not my videos but they sure were good ones...just old country folk showing us how it's done.

Okay. I'm having Beekissed envy big time. I'm only about 1300 miles away. You might see a mountain lion and you will definitely see a bear. My DH makes a mean omlette and we can target practice off the deck! You cannot beat a colorado mountain sunset and everywhere smells like evergreens. I'll set up a chicken conference with all the mountain chickeners in my neighborhood!
Heck I'll get a 50# bag of peanuts and lure the Martin to the back porch and you might even see a Martin which some say is extinct!
-L

 

[Beekissed]

Okay. I'm having Beekissed envy big time. I'm only about 1300 miles away. You might see a mountain lion and you will definitely see a bear. My DH makes a mean omlette and we can target practice off the deck! You cannot beat a colorado mountain sunset and everywhere smells like evergreens. I'll set up a chicken conference with all the mountain chickeners in my neighborhood!
Heck I'll get a 50# bag of peanuts and lure the Martin to the back porch and you might even see a Martin which some say is extinct!
-L

If I had the where with all to come out, I'd be there in a flash.

Always wanted to go west and see Colorado. Was trying to get my middle boy to go to Colorado State to be a vet once but he changed his mind.

Loved John Denver when I was little...

still love his music.

If I could get paid to go around the country and do chickens it would be the coolest gig ever but that wasn't mentioned on career day at school, was it?

 

[maggiemo]

Hijack....Where are you Lisa?

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

OT's I have a question. I apologize if it has been asked before, i got lost about halfway through this thread and have not caught up yet.

Nails--do you trim them? If so, how frequently? I am seeing some pretty long nails on my girls that are 18 mos and up. I had never thought about this, but it seems logical that they would need a trim every so often. I trim my dog's nails, do I just go about it the same way on chickens?

 

[Beekissed]

I had to do this for the first time this year on some old birds but I think it was only because someone had kept them in a coop for over a year and didn't get to get out and scratch at anything. Normally they are free ranged and this problem never occurs.

I just used dog nail nippers and was careful at how much I cut off. If you don't cut them when they are long they start to distort and can make walking difficult for the birds.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Thanks for the response Bee

 

[Gypsi]

Ok, I am NOT going to be able to read this thread much longer, have actual paid work to do, hahaha. Maybe a bit tomorrow.

I gather that I am not the only one that had trouble with Barred Rocks in the heat - Buff Orpingtons and Australorps (I have black now) do better.

And that Production reds are just that, not much for meat, which might be why my 18 month to 2 year old Production reds were only fit for chicken jerky for my dogs. I crockpotted, and the breast was only sort of tender. The rest, well I just popped the cooked meat in my dehydrator overnight, and refrigerated in a baggy afterward.

And Bee on harvesting meat birds. My question - are you skinning for canning, or defeathering for roasting / frying?

(so far I've only skinned, my time is so scarce I don't see me ever pulling off a major meat bird harvest, and I'm always working alone... My grown kids think this is horrible and gross.... Tolerated but no one will eat chicken at my house.)

 

[flocknfoal]

Quote:
.. Okay, I'm newer than a newbie. I don't even have any chickens yet, just beginning to plan and doing lots of reading while recuping from surgery. Although I spent time on my aunt and uncle's farm, mostly I'm a city girl with no experience so I really appreciate this thread. I've been looking at cute little yuppy still coops with attached runs until I started reading more here. Scrap that. Okay, so I need a real coop that's bigger than a breadbox. Maybe a shed.

We have 7 acres of mostly alfalfa and being not too brite I was also planning to put my little yuppy style coop with tiny attached run in the middle of the field where we already know the hawks hunt daily. So, scrap that idea too. I'm guessing I should put the coop on the other side of the property down by the stream where there are lots of trees for shade and places for chickens to hide? Do I need to worry about the chickens drowning in the stream? This brings me to the above quote. In terms of hawk shelter - the brush is very thick all along the stream so it seems it would be great for hiding, but do I need to worry that the chickens would get lost or stuck in the thick brush? Or am I still just applying wimpy city girl logic? Thanks!