Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[AletaG]

I killed him right away and disposed of him further out in the woods. BUD had eaten from the gut pile as well but seemed no worse for wear, so I'm thinking that contents of the other roo's crop was too long and sinewy to advance into the proventriculus~or second crop~ and then into the gizzard, causing crop stasis and the resulting bacterial growth.

The large meat/tissue fragments seemed to be the culprit. My other birds had eaten chicken parts all morning, though they were soft organs like livers, fat, testicles, etc. and none of them had actually sampled from the gut pile except BUD...and I don't know that mere botulism could kill BUD, the unchicken.

I'd say those pieces might have been too big to advance from the crop to the second crop and into the gizzard and might have caused an infection there. The only place they will have grit is in the gizzard, so I'm thinking your large pieces of fish were the problem.

I'm remembering that story now, thanks for reviewing it. I'm thinking will be needing to cut things up a bit smaller in the future. She acted fine the day before, but must not have been. Gulpy little chicken got greedy... How's THAT for a gluttony lesson. Glad I don't have a crop n gizzard, I'da checked out years ago! And, folks, that is the ONLY reason to keep an 'unchicken'... LOL

 

[Triple Willow]

Hmmm. Well, too late to go back and dig in there again... I forgot to mention that the last time they ate fish was over a week ago. Boy did it stink. The crop, I mean. I need to find that anatomy drawing I downloaded again...

I bet that smell was upchuck worthy. Yuuuck! Poor bird.

 

[Triple Willow]

So the yellow egg is not yellow,  but what about the other foto?  Is that a gray egg next top the Maran egg?  : )

Hi Beverly. No, that is actually the same egg in both pictures and it is white. The camera on my phone changes the colors somehow. The second pic is the white egg on the left which is the first egg from a Leghorn or an Ancona pullet. Don't know which one layed it but I'm thinking Leghorn. The egg on the right is probably an Australorp egg, possibly a Columbian Rock. But one of the Australorps does have some Maran in it (she is gray barred). The brown egg on the right is a large size.

Talking about freaky, check out how this pic looks. The white egg is sitting in a blue glass bowl.

 

[Triple Willow]

Yay! I'm awaiting eggs, its torture lol
Hahaha @ yellow egg! I got all excited

Oh yeah! I get more excited when one first starts laying than I do when chicks hatch out. Maybe because you have to wait so long.

 

[Triple Willow]

TW, from everything I've read on the Heritage Thread, 20wks is about right for butchering

All we've done is vaccuum seal, or zip lock, our chickens and rest them over night in the fridge, then they go in the freezer.  All birds have been either CX or 25wo cockerels.  We've never had a problem.  Except for one 14 month old cock that we forgot to label.  Grilled him up and boy was that skin tough.  The meat was OK, though by far the toughest of anything we've raised.  I felt bad because the girls(2 and 5yo) were complaining about the tough skin and I told them to buck up.  Even the dogs chewed on it like it was a strip of leather.

I've seen where many people brine the chickens to add flavor and help soften them.  I've never done it, but we're going to try one next time we butcher.

I don't know what happened. The breast meat wasn't bad but the rest was tough! Australorps are darker meat too. I remember when I was a kid we would kill chickens (roosters included) and fry them the same day and they were never tough.

 

[Triple Willow]

I think, if you are going to soak in water that adding salt to it is usually advisable, as salt follows a concentration gradient...less salt in the water, the more salt leaches out of the meat.  The more salt in the water, the more salt stays in the meat.  The salt also helps to break down tissue fibers.  We've never brined chicken, just squirrel.  I just rest mine and I don't bake or broil DP birds, but just use them in soups or marinate them for a slow BBQ. 

I did have salt in the water. One thing I am going to do next time is round them up ahead of time like you do to cut down on the adrenaline. How do you rest yours? Do you bag them?

 

[Triple Willow]

You had me fooled for amoment!! THe first yellow egg I have ever seen!!! lol   Looks pretty  even if it is a trick of the light!!

hehehe My CHICKEN layed a golden egg! LOL

 

[Beekissed]

I did have salt in the water. One thing I am going to do next time is round them up ahead of time like you do to cut down on the adrenaline. How do you rest yours? Do you bag them?

I've done both, bagged and nekked. I don't soak or brine any chicken like most folks. I rest for 24-48 hrs unless I'm going to can them, then I just bag 'em and freeze them until they can be canned in a large batch.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Bee we got 8 eggs yesterday and 7 today. A couple more of them have started laying now.

Just wanted to get on here and tell ya that. Am sick and gotta get in bed. Broke down and went to the Dr. this morning and he said it was a upper res. infection and bronchitis and had already gotten into my chest. Told somebody today at the drug store I needed me some whiskey. lol Anyway I don't know if it's these meds or what but I am sleepy again. At least I was able to sleep for a little while today. Wasn't able to breath and coughing my head off so I couldn't sleep. So if I am missing in action I'm just trying to get well here. BUT had to get on here and tell ya about all my eggs. I told hubby if they kept on I was gong to have to get me a basket to gather the eggs in.

I boiled them today for hubby to make us some deviled eggs with.

 

[Triple Willow]

I wonder how a DP bird would be on a low temp rotisseri. Anyone tried it?

About chicken sex... lol do pullets normally let a rooster have his way with her BEFORE she starts laying? Is my pullet just a little tart or what?

I noticed blood on my Leghorn roo's breast today so I was watching them and trying to see who else had blood -expecting a fight. Turns out one of my pullets is picking at the Leghorn and the Ancona's wattles! What in the world is her deal! It's pretty odd because both of those roos are bullies and they are letting her pick at their wattles until she draws blood...? But their combs and wattles are HUGE! Now, how do you say "Stop it!!!' In chicken???