Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[Compost King]

... Especially once I started adding in garbage bags full of coffee grounds from the coffee bar!...

I actually started drinking coffee for coffee grounds when neighbors I was giving eggs to weren't coffee drinkers. I was hoping to trade eggs for coffee grounds. I turn the grounds into a giant bin of worms, when its full composted I dump my bins into the chicken runs of the chickens who like worms the best. Usually Hens that just started laying love worms the most. However some chickens never take to eating worms. I also noticed that Chickens from a broody mom are likely to try worms as compared to a brooder chicken. Males also are more likely to get excited for worms but usually they call hens when they find one rather than eat it himself.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Speaking of sneaking up on size... I had the remaining 7 Ranger cockerels processed at 13 weeks, and they averaged 7 lbs dressed! I had an almost 8 lb bird... the “featherless wonder” of all the birds, but he* (wasn’t a pullet after all!) was getting “mated” by the other cockerels and they were tearing up his back with the near complete lack of feathers... I rushed them into a different plant than the one my husband works at, and they didn’t do quite as nice a job bleeding and plucking as the first one. These birds definitely got too big for what I’m looking for!

I tried to place an order for 100 chicks, now that the weather is better for my outdoor brooding setup, but they are “sold out of all broilers” for the rest of the year! So I’m going to be looking at other hatcheries and trying to find one with some stock, as my one ranger girl is going to be hard pressed to support my entire meat program all on her own!

My birds are netting about $16 of profit each at $13.90/kg for whole birds, which are my best seller. Somehow I’m going to have to keep my number of birds at less than 150 at any one time for “insurance purposes” so I’m trying to figure out a hatching schedule that will be workable with those numbers. My remaining 4 female meat birds (3CX and the Ranger) look like bowling balls despite their restricted feed and are coming up on 15 weeks old now.

7 pounds dressed out is sure a nice table bird!!

I don't know where in Canada is the best place for ordering meat birds. Here in the States we have a lot of choices.

 

[Newyorkrita]

I am wondering if keeping female meat birds for reproduction is going to cost too much.

People spend lots of money on many different hobbies. So I figgure chicken keeping can be the same. That is a cost and not money making. But lots of fun and enjoyment. Besides if it doesn't work out for the egg laying there is always the soup pot.

 

[Newyorkrita]

People spend lots of money on many different hobbies. So I figgure chicken keeping can be the same. That is a cost and not money making. But lots of fun and enjoyment. Besides if it doesn't work out for the egg laying there is always the soup pot.

 

[LilyD]

I have noticed that the few times that I have had to wait to process my meat birds until after their scheduled D-date, 6-8 for CX and 10-12 for Rangers that my feed bill starts to go up each week so I think you may be on to something. Due to unforseen family stuff I haven't processed 11 of my CX yet they are now 12 weeks I have bought 2 feed bags and am on the second one already. Before that it was taking 2 weeks to go through one 50lb bag. They are definitely large too but I don't mind.

 

[Kris5902]

I have noticed that the few times that I have had to wait to process my meat birds until after their scheduled D-date, 6-8 for CX and 10-12 for Rangers that my feed bill starts to go up each week so I think you may be on to something. Due to unforseen family stuff I haven't processed 11 of my CX yet they are now 12 weeks I have bought 2 feed bags and am on the second one already. Before that it was taking 2 weeks to go through one 50lb bag. They are definitely large too but I don't mind.

One breast off these guys is enough for three adults to make a meal of, or two adults and three very happy cats! Here are my remaining gals, my one ranger and the 3 CX I traded dressed out Birds for...

Big Red, Goose, Gobbler, and Shanti, clockwise from top left.

 

[Compost King]

So now I have 6 month old chickens I do not need for a breeding project anymore and they eat way too much to justify keeping them around as eggers. One is also a male so he has to be processed. At 6 months am I looking at a pressure cooker or crock pot meal or can I still fry them?

all the females in the left picture and the male on the right. I might keep 2 of the females because their pattern is almost columbian and they can be used as mothers for sex links in my sex link Pen. I want to sell Barnyard Sex Link hatching egg mixes on craig's list where every egg is a mix but it's either a Black or Red Sex link.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Those girls are so pretty!! Too bad they are no longer needed.

 

[Compost King]

Those girls are so pretty!! Too bad they are no longer needed.

The pattern is known as incomplete columbian, they can be made by crossing a silver duck wing over a red that has a columbian pattern (like Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red). Although it can't be seen in the photo due to it being so dark under my deck where they love to hang out in summer, they have a lot of a really light red in their feathers. But it's so light it's not easily noticed.

 

[BlueBaby]

The pattern is known as incomplete columbian, they can be made by crossing a silver duck wing over a red that has a columbian pattern (like Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red). Although it can't be seen in the photo due to it being so dark under my deck where they love to hang out in summer, they have a lot of a really light red in their feathers. But it's so light it's not easily noticed.

I can see that reddish tint to the feather's. I still think that they are pretty.