Eastern Tennessee Thread

[dncarr09]

Hey guys I am looking for a home for a Turkey and baby. To make a long story short my neighbors have I believe a Royal palm female. They had the tom but they got rid of him a while back. She found and made a nest behind a bush in my landscaping. We didn't think the eggs would hatch because the tom had been gone for weeks. I wanted to take the eggs out of the nest but I could never catch her off it, and I wasn't about to try and move her. She recently hatched out 2 chicks one died but the other is doing great, it's about 2 weeks old. They never go home and for the past few days they have been in the area that I fenced in for my chickens. She flew over the fence and the baby found a way in. I guess they liked the convenient food source. My neighbor has given the Turkey to me but I already have about 30 chickens and don't really want a turkey. I would like to find a good home for her and her baby. She is a great broody and a very good mother. If anyone would like them they are free to a good home. You would have to pick them up as I don't have a cage to transport them in. I live in Lenoir city near the Knox/Loudon Co. line. If you are interested just PM me and I can text you a couple of pictures that I have taken. The mom is about 10-11 months old.

 

[xChickiex]

Sent you a pm

 

[xChickiex]

Does anyone know where I can find a RIR roo or even a young one for that matter? Mom is wanting to raise chicks from her hens but we have no roo and have been looking for over 3 months with no luck.

Also will have plenty showgirls later in the fall if anyone is interested and possibly some pied color call ducks, those are hatching very well.

 

[TNChick82]

My hen Buffy hatched out 8 chicks. I didn't think any of them were even fertile. The rooster I had was separated from them for a week before I sold him. Only then was the other one turned out with them. They sure are cute. 2 EEs in the bunch. She just hatched out the other hens eggs too.

 

[chigger bait]

chigger:

I try to get the boys at about 20 weeks also. Most breeds have enough meat on them by then and your right at the time of the big hormone release when they start getting more active and the meat becomes tougher. Anything beyond that is a slow cooker bird most of the time. I would really rather get them at 16 weeks for tender fryers but they are usually too skinny to fool with.

Do you scald the feathers off of them or just skin them out and cut them up?

 

[stanglover2001]

Do you scald the feathers off of them or just skin them out and cut them up?

I scald mine, I do meaties so got to keep skin on the meat to freeze them. If you're going to eat it soon, and don't want to fool with feathers then feel free to skin it... though I find both plucking and skinning on DP roosters to be tedious, there isn't one that's easier than the other.

 

[chigger bait]

When I was growing up, we use to scald them in an old copper cauldron, that my grandmother would use outside to make apple butter in, if there were a good number to do.

If it was just one or two for company then we would use a wash pan and a kettle of hot boiling water.

 

[tnchickenut]

Do you scald the feathers off of them or just skin them out and cut them up?

Pluck is my choice. It isn't hard... get the water at about 145-150F and they come right out. "Pluck" isn't even the right word for it... "wipe" fits better. (with exception to the primary wing feathers)

Sometimes we do it outside over a fire, and sometimes I do it in the house... which is messy. The plus side to the stove is you get the temp right faster and more consistant. Outside, the fire can wain and causes temp fluctuations. Somepeople do propane and such. It's all in what you got.

 

[tnchickenut]

I got broodies everywhere and don't want to keep any babies. Most will be mixed... one lot is 100% heritage breeds and another lot is Penedesenca/Delaware/EE mixes.

I don't know how many will hatch, but if anyone is interested in potluck chicks for a huge discount... holla

 

[bairo]

Quote: I have skinned a couple of times when I was going to feed them to the dogs....but most of the time I scald and pluck.