Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

Today was a gruesome day. We processed the Cornish cross. If was one of the hardest things I have ever witnessed. I'm not cut out for meat birds. These better be the best chickens I have tasted

I hear you. I thought about getting a small flock of birds with an eye to butchering them, but I couldn't face that part of the process. I think if I could find someone to kill and process the birds, I could eat them. I was thinking Freedom Rangers rather than the Cornish x's or maybe a dual purpose bird of some kind. In any case, it is a moot issue since there is no one around here that processes birds for anyone.

 

[Trish44]

Danz I love that little coop, you're so talented with building. I really like the dog eared wood & I actually like the stain. I love that sliding window too, good job!

Michelleml, I'm sorry to hear about your DH, I hope they can get the seizures under control.

okjenyp, I know what you mean about the cornish. I raised some last year for us & they were the nastiest, stinkiest birds I have ever seen & butchering them wasn't fun. I had to till up the ground inside the hoop coop they were in just to be able to use it again after that. I don't plan to ever raise those again. sharol, I know other people have done the Freedom Rangers & they take longer to grow out but weren't so nasty like the cornish. I agree with you, the processing isn't a pleasant process, but at least if you skin them like HEChicken does it's so much faster & easier than the plucking & a lot less mess.

HEChicken, I'm glad you stopped back in, I know you've been busy. I'll bet you'll have a great garden this year if the weather will just straighten up. This has been a strange spring with the cold weather & not much rain. It sure doesn't look good for summer does it?

I still have chicks hatching that were due yesterday. I had one that had started zipping yesterday but got tired or something & I had to help it out this morning, it was stuck in there. I wish the rest would hurry up & hatch. I hate it when the hatch drags on.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Danz, your new coop looks amazing! We spent lots of time on our duck house, and it doesn't look that nice!

So, I have another egg-related question... I was rounding the birds up to put them in their pen last night, and discovered this. Is this normal? It is from one of my Embden geese. Also, I had been getting one goose egg every day (I have two female geese). I did not get any today. Does that have anything to do with me finding this egg?

 

[michelleml]

Danz I wish I could make that. I could only imagine what it would look like

 

[cherwill]

My Dh is in the hospital again I had to take him into ER last night I thought he had a stroke. Slurred speech, left side face droopy, drooling, couldn't move left arm. But neurologist said it was a seizure. Going to keep him one more day to increase seizure meds. Sense Feb he has been admitted 3 times

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I'm so sorry your DH continues to have such problems. I hope they can get the seizures under control quickly.

Let's see….I feel like for as busy as I've been I don't actually have that much to report.

I know exactly what you mean. Good luck with the garden. Sounds like you're well on your way. Those plants will catch up once they're in the ground, especially if you can get a good rain. We can water and water and water, and the plants will do fine, but one good rain works wonders.

Today was a gruesome day. We processed the Cornish cross. If was one of the hardest things I have ever witnessed. I'm not cut out for meat birds. These better be the best chickens I have tasted

I'm with you on that. I think I could raise a flock for butchering. I wouldn't interact with it the way I do my layers and maybe it wouldn't be so hard to have them butchered. But I know I can't butcher them myself and I don't know of anyone who will do it for me!

 

[okjenyp]

Well I have always been an animal lover and hate to see any animal die. My husband was kind enough to kill them. But my cousin and I had to do the cleaning. I fired up my turkey fryer with water in it and we dipped them in the hot water before defeathering.... That wasn't the bad part. The bad part was the look in their eyes before the knife touched. I cried. And I had to pick out the chickens for him. They trust me cuz I am the one who cares for them. And it was like putting my dog on the butcher block

 

[okjenyp]

My chicks are 5 weeks old and this one still hasn't feathered out yet. The rest of the flock have all their feathers and this one is still fuzzy. Any clue what breed it is??? It is yellowish with a smokey grey on its back. And light greyish yellow legs. . Only 4 toes on each foot.

and this is a pic when it was a couple days old

 

[ashncarson]

Here are our new babies....we are keeping them with mom for about a week or so and then rehoming them..I sture hope she does OK with being seperated from them at that point! They are sweet!

I now also have 3 other hens being broody with another one starting..our of only 7 hens :/

 

[chicken danz]

Danz, your new coop looks amazing! We spent lots of time on our duck house, and it doesn't look that nice!
Thanks. I like building stuff. Especially by myself. I try to do it when my DH isn't around cause I like doing things my way and he thinks different than I do.

He has already given me grief. I said I wanted to make it as light weight as possible. So when I couldn't move it he said, "I thought that was going to be lightweight!" I told him it was until I added the nest box which was an after thought, and the roost etc etc. I have another egg-related question... I was rounding the birds up to put them in their pen last night, and discovered this. Is this normal? It is from one of my Embden geese. Also, I had been getting one goose egg every day (I have two female geese). I did not get any today. Does that have anything to do with me finding this egg?

That's not unusual Lizzy. It often happens in young birds and then again in older birds. Some times the factories just malfuncton and they forget to add the hard shell.

My chicks are 5 weeks old and this one still hasn't feathered out yet. The rest of the flock have all their feathers and this one is still fuzzy. Any clue what breed it is??? It is yellowish with a smokey grey on its back. And light greyish yellow legs. . Only 4 toes on each foot.


and this is a pic when it was a couple days old

It looks kind of Easter egger to me. Sometimes birds will have a slow feathering gene. I have had several of my orpingtons that have that. It is actually more common in roosters than hens but either can have it. The nice part is that those that feather slower actually end up with the nicest feathering in the end.
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Here are our new babies....we are keeping them with mom for about a week or so and then rehoming them..I sture hope she does OK with being seperated from them at that point! They are sweet!

I now also have 3 other hens being broody with another one starting..our of only 7 hens :/

Every one seems to want to be broody around here right now. I just keep stealing eggs. I do have three turkeys nesting in one box and they will literally growl and peck if I even go in their building. Most of the hens I try to reach in behind them if I can so they can't peck me.

 

[tweetybaby2005]

Danz I hope your okay

My Dh is in the hospital again I had to take him into ER last night I thought he had a stroke. Slurred speech, left side face droopy, drooling, couldn't move left arm. But neurologist said it was a seizure. Going to keep him one more day to increase seizure meds. Sense Feb he has been admitted 3 times

.

Does anyone have Cochin for sale I would like to get 2 or 3 pullets but I know that will be hard to find. My poor buddy needs some friends

Michelle, I meant to reply to your post yesterday but promptly forgot.:/ I hope your DH is getting better. I'm sure it is taking a toll on your family. Will be keeping you and family in my thoughts.