Dixie Chicks

[1kluckychik]

I have not been able to allow culling for food yet. Bama has been trying to convince me but I get attached.
He has culled a few when it was absolutely necessary...He protested attending their funerals.

But he attended anyway. And dug and filled the grave under duress

 

[vehve]

Hey there, works been keeping me busy again so haven't had much time to log on to BYC.

My philosophy when it comes to the chickens: They're mainly meant to provide us eggs, and space is limited. So, we don't hatch new ones unless we have space for them, we try to maintain a laying flock of 3-7 girls. Sick birds usually get a day or two of time to get better, then it's off with their heads. Wounded birds we give more time, since that isn't anything contagious. So far we've managed to patch up every bird that's gotten in a fight or has said hello to Mr. Hawk. When we do hatch out more birds, we usually throw in about 6-10 eggs under a broody (or start them in the Brinsea Mini Eco, which holds about 7 eggs). Usually, about two thirds of them are cockerels (just our luck, I guess), so we let those grow out to about 16-20 weeks and then we butcher them. Some may go as early as 8 weeks depending on how they're getting along. We just had to cull 3 cockerels at around 14 weeks due to behavioral issues, we only took their fillets out of them because there was absolutely nothing on them to eat to justify spending all the time plucking them that it would have taken. Hy-line's don't make for good meat birds Three cockerels did amount to a nice Caesar salad for four though.

With the bunnies it's a lot easier, since all of the kits are meant to be eaten, there's nothing unclear about that from the start.

In gardening news, my beans are about to break ground, strawberries are growing slowly, pumpkins are looking good, and tomatoes in the greenhouse are looking amazing. The Sungolds have just started to develop their first flowers.

 

[Outpost JWB]

nice to hear from you Vehve.

My daughter (10yr old) went to see Angry Birds with her class a few weeks ago. She said she liked it.

Anyone heard from Hennible? Has she had that critter yet?

My last day at the bank is Monday and 1st day at the new job is Tuesday.

You all have a great day. I've got to get some coffee made

 

[WVduckchick]

its been 4 years now.   lost poultry and goats the same summer.... cats went as well...  lost my dog too.  All I have left is my horse.

I cannot do it again till I can commit to living at home.  Long distance husbandry doesnt work.  At the time I was going up to the house every three days....  Then the well died....  I had to open the coop so the chickens could get the water I was trucking up...  My neighbor said a pack of coyotes came and wiped em out within 48 hours.  

I have been planning though on coops and building projects designed to predator proof the yard Deliver water and power to the both the new coop and the horse.   Plus make it easy for me to tend them all if the well goes down.

In other words I talk alot.....

deb

Deb I have an automatic coop door on my run at the farm, with the birds that I dont see every day. It senses sunrise and sunset, they come out and put themselves to bed on their own. I Usually visit every other day, but if I skip a couple days, they are good. You might consider working one into your plans. There are lots of homemade, cheap and ingenious ideas for them out there now.

 

[vehve]

Jwb, I'm glad she liked it. Grownups can watch it too, though

I saw a pic of Sam on fb, she was looking really preggers still, so I think still a while until the parasite emerges.

 

[Outpost JWB]

I need to make a fb page.....just barely have time for all I've got going on now, not wishing to add to that plate. I might go see the movie with her, but she is a girl....therefore when I asked if the movie was good, she said "IT WAS AWESOME!" Then I asked if there is a moral to the story and she said "Don't steal!" She than proceeded to tell me EVERYTHING that happened in the movie, I'm pretty sure. Sometimes as parents, car rides are so long that you try to look for the safest place to jump out!

 

[perchie.girl]

nice to hear from you Vehve.

My daughter (10yr old) went to see Angry Birds with her class a few weeks ago. She said she liked it.

Anyone heard from Hennible? Has she had that critter yet?

My last day at the bank is Monday and 1st day at the new job is Tuesday.

You all have a great day. I've got to get some coffee made

Thats right she was due around my birthday....

@hennible you still cooking?

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Yep... plans in the works. The main strategy for the rebuild is to have all passive protection.... roebust fencing. to start... and a bird yard that will be netted.... about 50percent of the back yard. About 100 x 25 to start covered with aviary netting. Something that has a lifespan of at least five years in my sun. I will have at least three poultry partitions maybe four. inside the house will be enough room for them to stay a day inside.. then each door will pop open on alternating days. Or maybe divide the run so every one can go out every day...

Of course till i get it all worked out pop doors will be manual...

deb

 

[Bdaychicks15]

I went and picked up three Rhode Island Red chicks today around 6-7 weeks brought them home to realize ones a rooster we told the person we didn't want a rooster and the land lord doesn't want a crowing rooster

 

[Outpost JWB]

Still really young. You've got time to re home, sell, or butcher.

Beercan, I'm still fighting the predators here. Thought I had put a damper on them as last week we eliminated a raccoon and an opossum. Since I've been on vacation this week, I have been going to bed at 12am, setting my alarm for 3am, getting up and checking everything out, then back up at 5am for the day.

Thought all was well, Then I went out this morning, and one of the breeder pens had feathers EVERYWHERE! I totally expected a dead chicken or more. The pen had 1 CCL roo in it. His eye was messed up in a fight and he doesn't play well with others. It also had a RIR and an EE Iin it. I am so lucky they all are in one piece. The rooster has claw or bite marks on his head. Most of his long tail feathers were ripped out and the RIR was also missing a great deal of feathers. They were all visably shaken.