Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

I like having a little more meat on my chickens just because processing is a pain. But they do make wonderful things like chicken and noodles or something. I have also frozen a couple and cooked them both together for more meat. One thing I really like to do is to just boil them down the where even the bones are falling apart. Pick the meat off and then freeze it and the stock for future cooking. If you cook slow and keep plenty of water in it sometimes you will have enough stock for two recipes...one with meat and one with just the broth. I've also done it by using the meat then cooking the bones and skin etc to make another pot of broth. I used to think my mother was too frugal and I swore I'd never do things like that. But in time I've learned you can't beat the flavor of the leftover bones and pieces for broth for future recipes.

Trish, I don't know how long the turkey will take care of the chicks. Probably longer than they like. She did sleep outside with them rather than taking them back into the duck house which really worries me. We've had owls coming back recently. It seems like spring and fall are the worst times for them. Time to SSS.
I didn't get my turkey house started. But I did get the birds moved out to the new pen and the coop we moved for them last night. It was dark by the time we were finished. I had several smaller turkeys I should have moved, but I was afraid to let them out just yet. They seem a lot more fragile than chickens. I hung a light bulb in their house to get them to go in. I have had just a compact florescent bulb on in the brooder house so I could see to go in there at night. So I figured it would help them know where to go. All but one of them went inside.
I turned on a heat lamp in the brooder house just for light last night. I have to move some more chicks out there today so they'll need the heat for a while anyway. I had another chick hatch from the turkeys eggs last night as well. I should just take it to her. It's one more bird I wouldn't have to care for.
I kept coughing last night even after taking extra meds. I moved early this morning and then couldn't stop coughing. So I got up and slept propped up on the couch. I did sleep late that way.

I agree, processing is a pain & time consuming. I have 4 roosters out in a pen that need to either be processed or sold, they need to get out of here one way or the other. I just don't have the time right now to process them. One of them is a big beautiful white rock rooster that is really just too pretty to eat. I wish someone who needs a flock rooster or a breeder would take him. He's really a nice boy too, I just have too many roosters right now.

I"m sorry you're feeling so crappy Danz, I hope you get better soon!

 

[chicken danz]

Trish I'm sorry I forgot to answer about the white rock when you mentioned him. If it were a year later I'd take him just to make some more pure white rocks to breed more red stars with. But I have so many roosters now I just can't take another one. They all have a use other than some half grown mutts. I just have back up roos and some for future breeding when I get to that point. I do have some extras in some of the fancy birds but until they are breeding age I kind of have to hang on to them so I know which ones to use for my projects. I plan to sell a couple pairs of nice birds soon though.
I managed to get the entire framework built for the new turkey house. The pneumatic nailer needs to be taken apart cause it isn't working right. I think it has a diaphragm that is either torn or gotten stiff. That means I'll be with out a nailer to do any pen work until I can get parts. I have to cut and screw on metal to finish the turkey house so I won't need it for that any way. It's been an amazing piece of machinery. We've had it well over 10-15 years and have never had to do any maintenance to it. I'd love to be out there finishing the turkey house but I had to stop and feed and water and come in to take some more decongestant.
I took the other chick that hatched out to the turkey and it joined in rather quickly. She took it without a problem. She is going to give herself a heart attack taking care of those babies. She worries a lot more than a mamma hen does.
I lost that one peachick that the hen hatched. I am sure it was the one that couldn't stand. She still has 5 of them and they seem to be doing really well.

 

[Trish44]

Danz, well that's too bad you can't use that rooster, he is such a big pretty boy. I hate to see him eaten, but it looks like that may be where he ends up in someone's freezer. What are you breeding with the White Rocks to get Red Stars? That's too bad about your nail gun, I'll bet that's really handy to have, I wish I had something like that. I watch all of these shows on TV on HGTV & they're always using those & it looks so easy.

 

[chicken danz]

I use a New Hamp to breed to the white rocks. That is the combination K state uses for their red stars. You can't do the reverse like a white rock male over New Hamp hens cause it doesn't work. I'm not sure why. I just hope this works right!!!
I set a dozen eggs from them today. Not as many as I hoped for but it should be my first hatch of them. Too bad you couldn't collect from that white boy and freeze it for fertilization later. That would be a lot easier than feeding him until he is needed. I guess if it were cost effective to do that there wouldn't be much need for a rooster at all. I sure would put an add up for him if I were you. I'd think someone would need him. I had thought about trying to breed just the white rocks so I would have ongoing birds but I decided that means one more pen and more chicks to keep separate.
The nail gun will get fixed quickly. I can't do much without it. If I didn't have a drill to drive screws or a nail gun I'd be in a pickle for sure.
I'm kind of anxious to get back to work on the turkey house. I think it is going to turn out well assuming I can get the metal cut without injuring myself. Then I'll be chomping to get started on building their pen. I'll have to go buy lumber for that though.

 

[ashncarson]

When I lived in Wichita and couldn't have roosters, the deciding factor was when they started to crow. I had to process one precocious young bird at only 9 weeks of age when he let out his first scratchy (but full voiced) crow. They are small at that age but meat is meat, right? Most of the time they were around 16-17 weeks when they crowed for the first time, and they were a decent size at that age. It depends on the breed but 3 months isn't too young. I've even processed bantams and while you don't get a ton of meat, any is better than none. I just turn them into a casserole and with the other things in the casserole, even a bantam can be a meal for four.

my little guys just started crowing yesterday at only 7 weeks! My chicks seem tiny, I dont know if there is a "Average" weight but they seem little. I wonder if I feed them enough since they are not free feed yet (until they are outside full time) but their broody mom was bantham, so she might be a mom as well of some of them

 

[Trish44]

I use a New Hamp to breed to the white rocks. That is the combination K state uses for their red stars. You can't do the reverse like a white rock male over New Hamp hens cause it doesn't work. I'm not sure why. I just hope this works right!!!
I set a dozen eggs from them today. Not as many as I hoped for but it should be my first hatch of them. Too bad you couldn't collect from that white boy and freeze it for fertilization later. That would be a lot easier than feeding him until he is needed. I guess if it were cost effective to do that there wouldn't be much need for a rooster at all. I sure would put an add up for him if I were you. I'd think someone would need him. I had thought about trying to breed just the white rocks so I would have ongoing birds but I decided that means one more pen and more chicks to keep separate.
The nail gun will get fixed quickly. I can't do much without it. If I didn't have a drill to drive screws or a nail gun I'd be in a pickle for sure.
I'm kind of anxious to get back to work on the turkey house. I think it is going to turn out well assuming I can get the metal cut without injuring myself. Then I'll be chomping to get started on building their pen. I'll have to go buy lumber for that though.

I just saw that they make cinnamon queens by using silver laced wyandotte hens with a new hamp rooster. I have two silver laced pullets, maybe I should get a new hamp roo & make those. That could be interesting. I think the cinnamon queens are as good a layer as the red stars, they're both red sex links. It looks like for any of the sex linked "breeds" that you need a red rooster either a RIR or a New Hamp. Personally I don't like RIR roosters, all the ones I have had have been mean & I had to re-home them. I would rather have a New Hamp boy to use for breeding.

 

[chicken danz]

You can also used barred rocks for the girls which I thought about doing but I was afraid the boys wouldn't turn out white and then I would be confused about what were what. I may put these two extra barred rock girls that aren't Reece birds in with the white rocks after I confirm this New Hamp can keep up with the 11 hens he already has. I had a second roo but he is the one that broke his neck in the rain storm.
He was one of Deerfield's German Hamps. I got this roo from Frank Reece. I had another pair I bought from him, but sold that pair to some kids for 4H and they did wonderfully.
Anyway this New Hamp is the easiest going rooster around here. He got picked on all the time because he was too mellow. He is a gorgeous bird too. I had thought about raising the New Hamps but they were part of my downsizing. I really like that breed. And the heritage birds are gorgeous and huge.
Ashncarson I would guess you probably have a couple of bantam mixes there if they are a lot smaller.
I see it is supposed to be miserable hot now through the weekend. Ugh! Figures. I have so much to get done. If I can get DH to cut the metal for me then I plan to get my turkey house finished. Wish I had the wood so I could build the fencing as well. Patience sure isn't one of my virtues.
I got some more chicks moved out to the brooder last night so it's not as crowded in here now. I hope they did okay. I always worry about the babies for awhile. Once they get at least a week old they seem to do so much better out there. These I moved are probably about that age. I need to set some more eggs but didn't want them hatching at the same time the red star eggs would be. I don't want to get confused on what is what.

 

[HEChicken]

Anyway this New Hamp is the easiest going rooster around here. He got picked on all the time because he was too mellow. He is a gorgeous bird too.

I agree! My NH rooster is so quiet and mellow and just gorgeous. He is the one people always admire when they come to visit, telling me what a beautiful bird he is. He gets picked on by my BR rooster and the turkeys. For now I am keeping the two roosters apart from one another and when the turkeys chase him, he just runs until they forget about it. The rest of the time they get along fine. The best part for me, after having one rooster who went after me repeatedly, is that neither of my current cock birds has ever looked at me twice.

Trish, I think you will be really happy with the decision to go for a NH for your Cinnamon Queens. I've heard that a true heritage RIR is also a great choice and completely unlike the hatchery stock. Unfortunately, what the hatcheries produce and call RIR are not really that similar to a true RIR in both looks and personality. The hatchery ones are typically poor-tempered.

 

[chicken danz]

I could probably use a second New Hamp roo but I'll wait and see if this guy can keep the girls fertilized first. He had such a rough beginning here....months in a cage and then a few more months being chased by the other roosters before he got his own harem. He seems pretty darned happy to rule over his little kingdom of girls now. I should have kept that other pair I had but I had to make choices about what to keep. As it was, a little girl got some major wins at the fair with them so that was worth it. I have no room to raise another breed anyway. Have you gotten pure bred Hamp chicks yet Heather?
I'd love to go back to Frank's again but I know I'd never be able to resist bringing a load of birds home with me.

 

[Trish44]

I have only had hatchery RIR roosters & they have just been nasty. The last one I had to re-home because he had attacked me & then attacked my granddaughter, that was the last straw. He went to a farm where he was the only rooster with a bunch of hens, so hopefully he behaved himself there. He was a huge rooster & he was just as mean as he could be, you didn't dare turn your back on him at all or he would come after you. I just don't keep roosters here that are people aggressive, I don't tolerate it. I would welcome a nice calm New Hamp boy to raise some Cinnamon Queens with & maybe some black sex links too later on. Heather, if you can use the cockerel chicks for your snakes maybe I can bring you those because I won't have a use for them since you can't breed with them & most people just want pullets. I come up that way pretty often anyway, so maybe you will have snake food next year. I just don't like processing that much & don't have room to keep a bunch of cockerels to grow out anyway. I'm always scrambling for pens as it is.