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

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks! That gives me some encouragement. I have been kind of stalled on it, wondering about the need for it(is it there?) and the direction of it(it's not all about chickens at this point) and that I may do a small handbook on just chickens at a later point...sort of a field manual, so to speak.

I'll get back on it...I've been somewhat distracted lately by gardening, spring projects(building a rocket mass heater stove for my mother's house) and the CX that I'm growing out but I'll have to dust off this keyboard and get back to the book sooner or later.

Please do!

 

[outpostwest]

Carrying your chickens upside down WILL kill them! Just last week, I loaded my Freedom Rangers in a trailer to take to the processor and I got them.... 100 of them by the feet to load into the trailer, and then to crate them at the processor. Gosh, it would have taken FOREVER to carry them out one at a time right side up! Anyhow, maybe it only kills them the 2nd time cause now they're all dead and the last thing I did was carry them upside down.....

Maybe I should put this in the chicken management thread....

I've carried chickens (not Freedom Rangers) upside down many times in the past (over a period of 50+ years and never once had a problem. I had a hen Black Australorp that was once trapped (upside down) for 3 or 4 days and she didn't suffer any debilitating consequences, just lacked for water and feed. I believe some of the extremely fast growing heavy breeds are subject to meet their demise due to undue stress, stress for no apparent reason, and heart attacks. Lots of 4-H'ers and FFA boys locally lose many of the fast growing heavies each year for unknown reasons. Some just literally "drop dead". Just my experience, however, I've not been inclined to raise any of the fast growing heavies in the past.

 

[Lollipop]

Carrying your chickens upside down WILL kill them! Just last week, I loaded my Freedom Rangers in a trailer to take to the processor and I got them.... 100 of them by the feet to load into the trailer, and then to crate them at the processor. Gosh, it would have taken FOREVER to carry them out one at a time right side up! Anyhow, maybe it only kills them the 2nd time cause now they're all dead and the last thing I did was carry them upside down.....

Maybe I should put this in the chicken management thread....

Had me goin there, LW. Good one........Pop

 

[loanwizard]

I've carried chickens (not Freedom Rangers) upside down many times in the past (over a period of 50+ years and never once had a problem. I had a hen Black Australorp that was once trapped (upside down) for 3 or 4 days and she didn't suffer any debilitating consequences, just lacked for water and feed. I believe some of the extremely fast growing heavy breeds are subject to meet their demise due to undue stress, stress for no apparent reason, and heart attacks. Lots of 4-H'ers and FFA boys locally lose many of the fast growing heavies each year for unknown reasons. Some just literally "drop dead". Just my experience, however, I've not been inclined to raise any of the fast growing heavies in the past.

My post was ENTIRELY tongue in cheek. I carried them upside down... twice in fact... to the processor/butcher....

When you have 2, 3 or 5 chickens, you might have the luxury of carrying them like a chihuahua. When you have 100's, you get it done as fast as humanly possible. I can do about 4 in each hand carrying by the feet. Upright, max 3.

 

[wsmith]

 

[Zany Chick]

I sure am gonna buy it

me too!

 

[Zany Chick]

Carrying your chickens upside down WILL kill them! Just last week, I loaded my Freedom Rangers in a trailer to take to the processor and I got them.... 100 of them by the feet to load into the trailer, and then to crate them at the processor. Gosh, it would have taken FOREVER to carry them out one at a time right side up! Anyhow, maybe it only kills them the 2nd time cause now they're all dead and the last thing I did was carry them upside down.....

Maybe I should put this in the chicken management thread....

Having only had chickens for about 5 weeks, I tried the "hanging upside down by the feet" hold for the first time today and wow it worked terrific on the cockerel! Much easier than trying to hold it right side up AND took a little of the escapee's dignity! Last I checked, he was still alive

 

[Beekissed]

He lives!!!! It's that age old practicality that needs to be passed down and on to folks if they are going to do this chicken thing. Some things passed down probably should never have been passed on but, for the most part, the old tried and true keep on being the tried and true, no matter who applies it.

 

[Zany Chick]

I thought some of you old timers

might enjoy my latest excitement...(I'm the one that has 5+ week old chicks in a barn.., er spare bedroom. Came home today after working on the coop and checked in on the little buggars. Was greeted by a RIR

standing happily ON the baby gate that is across the top of the box. Again I say, thank goodness I have hardwood floors. Looking like I will have the coop by Monday night (I have to wait for my oldest sons to get back from Reserve training to help move it.) Yes, it is small enough to be moved

, I hope so anyway since my Mom certainly doesn't want my chickens in her garage, she told me so. Yes it will be on "stilts"

because my hubby won't pour concrete and it will hopefully prevent predators from burrowing under and then chewing through the floor. I do have a 12 x 30 shed which I think would be perfect for LOTS of chickens, but he vetoed that also. It is painted inside

, but it isn't periwinkle

, inside or out, or purple which is my favorite color. It is "Barn and Fence" red.

 

[galanie]

Still in the works....would anyone be interested, do you think? 

(re: Beekissed book) Are you kidding?? YES!!!