Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[TexasLisa]

Good morning Lisa. I've got one pullet that most of my roosters seemed to fall in love with. It was so weird, they treated her like a little queen. Do you plan on keeping both roos? Maybe it is compitition between the two of them. I would try taking one of them out and see what happens. Then maybe in a few days you can put him back in. Roosters are some strange creatures. I wish I knew how to get my two thugs to stop picking on the one Delaware roo that they have singled out..

I am winging all of this for now. I was hoping being brothers, they would battle it out between the two of them and one would become head roo and the other would be subservient. When I went
out to the coop this morning it looked like a war zone. I opened the gate and there was a big ruckus. They had tried to mount another Australorp, Angie (4 yrs) and she tore into them and won with a mouthful of feathers.

Is this a girl thing that I am pulling for the hens????

Lisa

 

[armorfirelady]

Lisa seems that Aussie is going to out those boys in their place and teach them some manners

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Kassaundra; I'd just like to point out that if you're trying slower growth, healthier CX's that you may want to caponize anyhow.

My CX's are 10 weeks today! This was my first time butchering chickens and it went pretty OK! I plucked them by hand and I think it went really well. I was very pleased. The died nice and quick although they did leave a LOT of blood all over my fence... I swear, someday someone who doesn't know me will come into my back yard and be horrified when they realize the staining on these posts is blood... We have butchered all but two of the boys (and they're next) not only because they finally tipped just over 8lbs...

But because one of them started crowing last week and they have all been fighting for the past two weeks. They squabble and make a LOT of noise when that happens. Yes, one of my roos crowed at 9.5 weeks. An awful, whiney, whistley pathetic thing. But it happened and when it happens 20 feet from your neighbor's house it's unacceptable! If I had a really good livability rate for caponizing I would strongly consider caponizing my CX's next time. Since I wanted an 8lb live weight on them and it took 9-10 weeks to get there.

 

[waltandlori]

Kassaundra; I'd just like to point out that if you're trying slower growth, healthier CX's that you may want to caponize anyhow.

My CX's are 10 weeks today! This was my first time butchering chickens and it went pretty OK! I plucked them by hand and I think it went really well. I was very pleased. The died nice and quick although they did leave a LOT of blood all over my fence... I swear, someday someone who doesn't know me will come into my back yard and be horrified when they realize the staining on these posts is blood... We have butchered all but two of the boys (and they're next) not only because they finally tipped just over 8lbs...

But because one of them started crowing last week and they have all been fighting for the past two weeks. They squabble and make a LOT of noise when that happens. Yes, one of my roos crowed at 9.5 weeks. An awful, whiney, whistley pathetic thing. But it happened and when it happens 20 feet from your neighbor's house it's unacceptable! If I had a really good livability rate for caponizing I would strongly consider caponizing my CX's next time. Since I wanted an 8lb live weight on them and it took 9-10 weeks to get there.

Why? I just can't see it, At almost 5 weeks mine are just white blobs on the hay. I'll need to weigh a couple if I can find a scale, but my guess is over 3 lbs. The birds I did last year I couldn't get a really accurate weight but if you put them next to a store bought broiler/roaster mine were MUCH bigger. Last years didn't have a real lot of fat on them. I did mine later than I wanted to and imagine any later and the problems they are known for would crop up. As it was I did not loose any. My only problem is I can't get them to free range, they won't go more than 10 feet from the cage even if I withhold food. Now these are some chickens with NO manners lol...

Walt

PS (off subject info) Bee did you give your goats tetanus shots, they were recommended (online and TSC) so I got the syringes and am trying to figure out how much to give my pygmys there so danged small. I thought the only time for tetanus was when cut by metal or something along those line, didn't figure it was a "just in case shot".???

 

[AletaG]

Anything castrated grows bigger.

To a point. If you are still going to butcher a CX at 8 or 9 weeks, my understanding is (did some reading on the subject, there are people out there who have done it successfully) that while they are happy to go back to eating and whatnot that the "no food" prior to surgery for 3 days knocks back their growth rate so that they don't really grow much bigger by the same time period. It's not the surgery itself, but needing the stomach to be out of the way so you can find the testes that's the problem.

Kassaundra; I'd just like to point out that if you're trying slower growth, healthier CX's that you may want to caponize anyhow.

But because one of them started crowing last week and they have all been fighting for the past two weeks. They squabble and make a LOT of noise when that happens. Yes, one of my roos crowed at 9.5 weeks. An awful, whiney, whistley pathetic thing. But it happened and when it happens 20 feet from your neighbor's house it's unacceptable! If I had a really good livability rate for caponizing I would strongly consider caponizing my CX's next time. Since I wanted an 8lb live weight on them and it took 9-10 weeks to get there.

Might be why that one guy wanted to capon his CX, but they are very hard to keep at a healthy weight already after 8 or 9 wks... If I do all my hatching in the Spring, I can keep capons around all year and butcher as I need to (I don't have space for 20 chickens in the freezers all at one time). I'm thinking that since in general (see above) after the 9 to 10 wk point you would be hitting a spot where they will develop health issues due to fast weight gain. That's what kills CX off already. This is really a great practice with a slow-grow DP fowl from all I can gather. And you have to be *really* good at it. Maybe could try one of the "slower fast grower" meat birds like Freedom Rangers. Maybe their hips aren't so much in the way.

 

[Triple Willow]

  I am winging all of this for now.  I was hoping being brothers, they would battle it out between the two of them and one would become head roo and the other would be subservient.  When I went
out to the coop this morning it looked like a war zone.  I opened the gate and there was a big ruckus.  They had tried to mount another Australorp, Angie (4 yrs) and she tore into them and won with a mouthful of feathers.     Is this a girl thing that I am pulling for the hens???? 

Lisa

I'm with you on that... Yes!!! Girl power!!! hehe I tell you, my Australorps are the boss in my pen and I bet when I put the older flock and the younger ones together it will stay that way, and I hope it does. It is so weird, I have never seen the Aussie girls fight among themselves but they sure keep the Sussex and the C Rocks at the bottom of the pecking order. And the Aussie roo always sides with the Aussie girls when a squabble breaks out. Chickens are some interesting creatures.

 

[Kassaundra]

Kassaundra; I'd just like to point out that if you're trying slower growth, healthier CX's that you may want to caponize anyhow.

My CX's are 10 weeks today! This was my first time butchering chickens and it went pretty OK! I plucked them by hand and I think it went really well. I was very pleased. The died nice and quick although they did leave a LOT of blood all over my fence... I swear, someday someone who doesn't know me will come into my back yard and be horrified when they realize the staining on these posts is blood... We have butchered all but two of the boys (and they're next) not only because they finally tipped just over 8lbs...

But because one of them started crowing last week and they have all been fighting for the past two weeks. They squabble and make a LOT of noise when that happens. Yes, one of my roos crowed at 9.5 weeks. An awful, whiney, whistley pathetic thing. But it happened and when it happens 20 feet from your neighbor's house it's unacceptable! If I had a really good livability rate for caponizing I would strongly consider caponizing my CX's next time. Since I wanted an 8lb live weight on them and it took 9-10 weeks to get there.

Guess I never consider young roos crowing that early, none of my non-caponized roos have ever crowed before 16ish weeks. Capons never have started crowing.

 

[Beekissed]

Good Morning Fellow Fermenters!!

I need some advice. I have two roos (20 weeks) and 12 girls (7 poults--20 wks, 7 hens--4 yrs). My boys have decided they are men. Out of 12 girls, they have zeroed in on one of my Australorps, Lena (4 yrs). Hellooooo, there are 11 other females in the flock, but they want her. What do I do? (I am watching her for stress, blood, etc.)


Lisa

With no more hens than you have, one rooster is sufficient and two young, randy roos will over work your flock. They like the chickens who are most fertile at any given time, so if she is your steady layer right now she is getting "tried on" quite a bit compared to hens who are not. It can result in loss of feathers, increased stress, etc. It's just largely not necessary to have two roos with that many hens. Maybe you should order a kit for caponizing?

Why? I just can't see it, At almost 5 weeks mine are just white blobs on the hay. I'll need to weigh a couple if I can find a scale, but my guess is over 3 lbs. The birds I did last year I couldn't get a really accurate weight but if you put them next to a store bought broiler/roaster mine were MUCH bigger. Last years didn't have a real lot of fat on them. I did mine later than I wanted to and imagine any later and the problems they are known for would crop up. As it was I did not loose any. My only problem is I can't get them to free range, they won't go more than 10 feet from the cage even if I withhold food. Now these are some chickens with NO manners lol...

Walt

PS (off subject info) Bee did you give your goats tetanus shots, they were recommended (online and TSC) so I got the syringes and am trying to figure out how much to give my pygmys there so danged small. I thought the only time for tetanus was when cut by metal or something along those line, didn't figure it was a "just in case shot".???

Walt, you needed to get them out on range much, much earlier...try 2-3 wks, if you are going to train them to work for food on free range. You've trained them to the feeder and that is where they are going to hang, even if you withhold food. There is nothing in their wheelhouse that tells them that food can be found out of doors. Next batch, start on free range early after they have had no feed all night and then turn them loose on good forage....you won't have to worry about IF they forage, you'll only have to worry about if they can find their way back to the coop before dark. Then you'll have to train them to come to the feeder when you go out to feed each evening.

As for the goats, they were my sisters' goats and I paid little attention to their methods on the goats...I had to milk them but not much else and since they were kind of repulsive to me, I took no interest in their lives or living. For my sheep, no vaccines of any kind...I was going for a natural husbandry that didn't involve vaccines or meds of any kind and survival of the fittest, culling for natural hardiness, etc., just like a do with my chickens.

Tetanus, yes, is for a just in case moment when they get snagged on old fencing, nails, tin, etc and you don't get to see the wound until it is too late. Goats are more prone to such things as they are constantly trying to get out of fencing, so it might not be a bad idea.

 

[Kassaundra]

To a point. If you are still going to butcher a CX at 8 or 9 weeks, my understanding is (did some reading on the subject, there are people out there who have done it successfully) that while they are happy to go back to eating and whatnot that the "no food" prior to surgery for 3 days knocks back their growth rate so that they don't really grow much bigger by the same time period. It's not the surgery itself, but needing the stomach to be out of the way so you can find the testes that's the problem.
Might be why that one guy wanted to capon his CX, but they are very hard to keep at a healthy weight already after 8 or 9 wks... If I do all my hatching in the Spring, I can keep capons around all year and butcher as I need to (I don't have space for 20 chickens in the freezers all at one time). I'm thinking that since in general (see above) after the 9 to 10 wk point you would be hitting a spot where they will develop health issues due to fast weight gain. That's what kills CX off already. This is really a great practice with a slow-grow DP fowl from all I can gather. And you have to be *really* good at it. Maybe could try one of the "slower fast grower" meat birds like Freedom Rangers. Maybe their hips aren't so much in the way.

I have read that too, but in my experience this is untrue. I never fast for 3 days anyway fasting for 1.5 days w/ withholding water for the last 12 hrs seems to work just fine. It hasn't slowed them down or made them smaller, or anything of the sort. They are running, jumping, flying just moments after the procedure and eating like little pigs.

My "issue" w/ doing cx is the benefits of caponizing are only reached AFTER sexual maturity, so it is only worth it if you are keeping the roos past the onset of sexual maturity.

 

[AletaG]

I have read that too, but in my experience this is untrue. I never fast for 3 days anyway fasting for 1.5 days w/ withholding water for the last 12 hrs seems to work just fine. It hasn't slowed them down or made them smaller, or anything of the sort. They are running, jumping, flying just moments after the procedure and eating like little pigs.

My "issue" w/ doing cx is the benefits of caponizing are only reached AFTER sexual maturity, so it is only worth it if you are keeping the roos past the onset of sexual maturity.

It was specific to the CX. They gain so much weight per day, that leaving them off feed for 3 days (which is what the studies I read did, I know practice differs) made a big dent. I agree. I think it only makes sense if you intend to keep the CX around longer. But then, seems like you'd be causing more issues, is all - they already have fast wt gain problems, then you caponize them? Any road, one of the reasons I like the capon idea is that I do NOT want CX. Don't want to buy them, don't want to butcher all in a bunch. Will try to stop now. Way off topic, sorry all.