Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Chad Cool]

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[Beekissed]

The processed wts of the birds were as follows: Silkie 1.5 lbs, DP roosters 3.5 lbs and 3.0 lbs., DP hens 3.0 (Big Bertha), 2.5 lbs, and 2.0 lbs. for a total of 12.5 lbs of meat. I'm sorry, but the vids didn't come out good and one accidentally got deleted. Maybe next time on those.

Silkie carcass and carcass comparison with a DP rooster twice his size:








And the reason I think White Plymouth Rocks are a true DP breed...a hen that has a finish wt the same as a DP mixed breed rooster..both at 3 lbs processed wts. This pic below shows just half of Bertha lying next to the whole carcass of the DP rooster:

 

[Beekissed]

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That and free range all day, so they rustle most of their grub out on the meadow and forest floor...then they get some FF each evening.

 

[TexasLisa]

Bee you are one special lady!

Lisa

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Whelp, it's time to process some of these birds I have... One of them just crowed at me today. A weak little whistle-y thing but still unacceptable when it's just a few feet to my neighbor's property line. And another bird has reached 8.5lbs today and that one is one that's for me because I gave it some "just in case" meds at one point (thought it may've had gapeworm, it spent all day doing the gapeworm thing next day it was fine) and I really don't need my birds any bigger. I was going to process all but one of the males (each of which are 8lbs) on Sunday, now I am doing these two on Friday and four on Sunday I think. The remaining male will grow out a little more with all the girls on my last bag of feed before I process them. At least I will only be doing a few birds at a time!

Emptying their innards today, tomorrow it's time to fill the freezer!

 

[Triple Willow]

Whelp, it's time to process some of these birds I have... One of them just crowed at me today. A weak little whistle-y thing but still unacceptable when it's just a few feet to my neighbor's property line. And another bird has reached 8.5lbs today and that one is one that's for me because I gave it some "just in case" meds at one point (thought it may've had gapeworm, it spent all day doing the gapeworm thing next day it was fine) and I really don't need my birds any bigger. I was going to process all but one of the males (each of which are 8lbs) on Sunday, now I am doing these two on Friday and four on Sunday I think. The remaining male will grow out a little more with all the girls on my last bag of feed before I process them. At least I will only be doing a few birds at a time!

Emptying their innards today, tomorrow it's time to fill the freezer!

If I had any close neighbors they might not be happy. My older roo seem to have the habit of crowing for a while around midnight. Then few days ago I heard him and one of the youngsters having a crow-off about 3am. It was pretty funny, back and forth, back and forth. lol One of the youngsters sounds like a lamb and one sounds like a little girl. lol I can just barely hear them from in the house.

 

[Beekissed]

It got real quiet here today as Toby finally shut his mouth and isn't having a crow off with the visiting rooster. Toby got the last word, though, as he downed the interloper's testicles and shared them with his ladies. The randy, testy ol' fellow crowed right up to the last...here he is waiting his turn in the cone.

 

[RoseMarie1]

@ Bee congrats, nice days work all in all...

Now, as I said I put a little FF in the little chick trough and put it in with the meatys, not a big hit, but to be fair they had dry food available. If it ferments (I'm sure it will), they won't have an option. FF in sun outside, temps headed for mid 80's figure maybe sun shining on it might give it a kick in the .. well get it going. The hens had no such problem with it they gobbled it, I had them all outside while I clean their pen. I wonder if it's ok to give the hens gamebird feed fermented, that's what I got for the meatys it's 22% protien. Has calcium of some sort in it and I give oyster shell free choice, which they seldom eat.

Bee I used shears last time and didn't care for them, didn't work for me. Heavy SHARP knife worked best. I have a problem with instruments of distruction like sharp (or new) knives...I just gotta cut myself. Don't know why just do. One time at work I had just bought a dandy kershaw pocket knife, I was squatting down cutting off a tire plug and it jerked when it cut and before I could stop it, it stuck 1/2 or 3/4 inch into my thigh, didn't even hurt... til later lol. either tape yours up tight and go about it or go to the clinic/er and sew it up. I don't worry too much I got so many scars that 1 more wouldn't matter, 'cides bad bugs can't even live in some of the stuff my hands get into....

Walt

Walt my starter was 22% and she told me to cut it with scratch grains which the chickens dearly LOVED! Now that they are on layer though I can't do that because it makes it much less in protein since it's only 16% now. Wondering IF there is some other kind of game bird something I could feed them and use the grains and not use layer but then I guess they wouldn't lay? I have no clue. Anyway she said cut it 1/2 and 1/2 with the grains to cut down on that mega high protein level.

 

[RoseMarie1]

It got real quiet here today as Toby finally shut his mouth and isn't having a crow off with the visiting rooster. Toby got the last word, though, as he downed the interloper's testicles and shared them with his ladies. The randy, testy ol' fellow crowed right up to the last...here he is waiting his turn in the cone.

This is not Toby is it?

 

[tcmstalcup]

So, I am not the only one. I always cut myself when processing!! I have always believed the sharper the knives the safer. I would hate to find out what I would do to myself with a dull knife!