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

[normanack]

Why I keep chickens:



Happy chickens doing chickeny things.

 

[smyers32]

I'm sure the answer to this is yes, but I was wondering if it's normal for chicks hatched on the same date to have drastically different growth rates. I have one BCM chick that is just not growing. It eats and runs around just like all the others, but it hasn't made any noticeable growth in the 2 weeks I've had it. (they will be 3 weeks old tomorrow)
I'm guessing it's just a difference in genetics? Any other thoughts as to why a chick wouldn't thrive while all it's siblings do? (9 chicks total)

 

[delisha]

You should see the chicks I have..all hatched out with in a few days of each other. Some look stunted. I think it is the weather, not sure. They usually are not so different as this time.

 

[delisha]

Why I keep chickens:



Happy chickens doing chickeny things.

Lovely bunch of chickens!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Lovely bunch of chickens!

X2!

 

[chickachee]

Canning: I mentioned at work this summer that I was interested in learning to can my excess tomatoes and within a week had TWO free pressure cookers, a hot water bath, and boxes of jars delivered from 3 different people. I didn't need to buy a thing. They even have me their canning books. Ask around! You may be able to find one cheap or even free. I agree x10 about the risk of botulism being increased by the hot water bath. Yes, pressure canners can produce botulism too especially if jars are not properly sanitized to begin with or not properly sealed. Read up on it

Make sure if you are canning, you are using a pressure CANNER. A pressure cooker is not the same thing and cannot be used safely for things requiring a pressure canner.

 

[galanie]

Canning: I mentioned at work this summer that I was interested in learning to can my excess tomatoes and within a week had TWO free pressure cookers, a hot water bath, and boxes of jars delivered from 3 different people. I didn't need to buy a thing. They even have me their canning books. Ask around! You may be able to find one cheap or even free. I agree x10 about the risk of botulism being increased by the hot water bath. Yes, pressure canners can produce botulism too especially if jars are not properly sanitized to begin with or not properly sealed. Read up on it

Make sure if you are canning, you are using a pressure CANNER.  A pressure cooker is not the same thing and cannot be used safely for things requiring a pressure canner.

This confuses me. Is it because today's pressure cookers are different or what? Because 10 lbs pressure for 30 min is 10 lbs for 30 min no matter what's in there. Could you explain this?


ETA: Mine are all pre-1990, in one case 1950, weighted gauge cookers/canners. All identical except the sizes.

 

[NanaKat]

I'm bumping up my question...it got pre-empted by the discussion on canning and rooster selection...need to know if I treated the roo correctly and what should I look for.....

Question, oh wise ones...
Have you had chickens with heavy ear wax? I have a roo that was really shaking his head frequently. I picked him up to check him over and noticed wax inside the ear sticking the ear feathers to the opening.
First I gently pulled it loose with my finger nail, then used a little Oticleanse (used for my dogs )on a cotton ball to remove as much as possible. Then I rubbed a drop of VetRX around the ears, thinking the camphor would be helpful. I'll keep an eye on him.
What would trigger the accumulation of ear wax?

 

[Gargoyle]

Haven't started on the fermented feed yet, I want to do it shortly. One question- it's dropping below freezing at night here, and pretty soon it will get that way in the daytime. Is the FF damp? Will it freeze out in the run?

 

[NanaKat]

As for canning...have done both waterbath and pressure canning. Use the pressure canner more in the summer because the cooking time is shorter (90 minutes for quarts as opposed to three hours in the waterbath). The waterbath is helpful in sealing the pickle and kraut quarts since they only take 5 - 15 minutes depending on the recipe. Put up 36 quarts of pickled beets, 11 gallons of assorted pickles, 116 quarts of kraut, 60 quarts of tomato soup starter, pickled okra, and Bread and butter jalepenos.....now I'm working on the pumpkin.

Rooster selection, same qualities as mentioned. I keep a rooster pen and observe the roosters that call up the others for treats and sound the alarm for the boy pen. A rooster that is a bully goes in the stew pot. When introduced to the hens/pullets, a roo that is overly aggressive is placed with my three matrons for initation. If he doesn't settle down then he is stewed also.
I have Wyandotte and Cochin large fowl and it's a surprise to find one that gets culled, but it can happen.