Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[beverly evans]

@Bee... I believe and hope for the same thing when we get to heaven. I look forward to seeing some of my old pooches and cats and other critters.

It is going to be wonderful!!!

These chicks are crazy athletic! They are in a 4 foot tall chainlink dogpen and they try so hard to fly up on it and almost do! Today one went up about 4 rungs on that ladder and tried to fly over to the top of their pen. It flew about 8 feet but came up short. LOL

I have to ask.....have you moved that ladder yet? Or will they eventually make it over the fence?

 

[cortner1195]

Bee,
Beautiful thoughts on heaven. Thanks

A very sad day in our coop. Mike got home from work and let both coops out at once. A first as the meaties are not as fast as the layers, and I worry that they will be picked on. Of our 18 meaties about five are quite active. The other stay close to the pen and feeder. Even when the feeder is empty, they stay close. They go a few feet and sit, a few feet and sit again. The few that range farther have much better personalities. They come running when we head out there. The rest wait. So Mike stayed with the chickens for a while to make sure they wouldn't be picked on. An hour after he got to the house the neighbor called. We had three dead meaties on the ground. One torn apart and partially eaten. Two have fatal bite wounds. All of our dogs were in the house with Michael. The neighbors dogs were, out, but with the neighbor, and no sign of blood etc. Plus he was with them the whole time. No other dogs near by. We have a group of five cougar. This looks more raccoon like. When the layers went to roost I found my rooster in a nest box. Not an usual behavior. All the layers look fine. At 9pm we went down to check on him. He has several broken feathers along the back of one leg. Similar to where at least one dead chicken suffered it's injuries. Perhaps one small wound that is scabbed over. I think that he fought back for some of the chickens. Hopefully he will be himself tomorrow. I like him better every day.

Mike cleaned one bird by skinning it. It was pretty badly torn up so he didn't even try to pluck it. The other one he dipped in boiling water, then plucked, and cleaned. Good learning experience. The water was too hot. He partially cooked the outer layer of the breast meat, and toughened the skin. The meat is not overly tender, but it took some time to process, and didn't bleed out as quickly as a slaughtered bird would be. I parted out the carcass and shake and baked it as it was late. Nice size parts. They are ready for butcher. 10 days to go. Still sad that they died that way. Can the way they died effect the tenderness of the meat?

Any ideas on what attacks at the back end/legs?

 

[Triple Willow]

I have to ask.....have you moved that ladder yet?   Or will they eventually make it over the fence? 

I haven't moved it yet but I might oughta to keep from having to fish them out of the deer net should they decide to jump the wrong way. I can't get over how active they are. I wish they would quit some of the flying and jumping before somebody gets a leg injured.

 

[Triple Willow]

@Cortner.. Dang, that's a real bummer. I wish I could help you figure that out. I bet five cougars can be a little nerve wracking. Sorry about your birds.

 

[Angelicisi]

because we only wanted to smoke half of it. Just us and 22lbs was too much - this Half even lasted us 4 days but he wanted smoked turkey sammichs!! Lol Soooooo out came the Sawzall heh heh heh

I can't be the only one that looks around after task for other stuff to Sawzall through right?

We used our sawsall for something similar.  We were butchering a heifer in the back yard and were not looking forward to sawing through the legs with a hacksaw like we do for deer, so one of the boys suggested the sawsall and our butchering skills went up several notches from that time forward! 

Why in the world were they sawing a turkey in half? 

 

[Triple Willow]

@Angelicisi... smoked turkey sandwiches? Now I'm hungry.

 

[Angelicisi]

I save organs we don't use up from CX processing and feed back as treats once or twice a week to the layer flock. Extra livers are their favorite, kidneys, they don't eat the gizzards and seem to snub the hearts too :/ maybe if I cooked them...

But my birds don't raid the plucker feather pile anymore since regularly feeding a meat and their feathers are so shiny I love it. They used to dig thru a feather pile and I was scared they'd get an impacted crop or somethin sharp lodged, looking up feather eating pointed to a lack in protein absorption. Quickest protein that was natural for me to obtain was the livers we have about 8lbs of them each processing we save some for the animals and some for us, our dogs coat stays matt free and soft too from excess CX meat as treats.

Rose & triple willow try meat once or twice a week for a few months & see if it helps. I still,give my girls meat throughout out the spring & summer even tho they have a lot of worms & bugs in the compost pile. Just not as often. This morning they had a pound of raw ground beef. Bowl was licked clean !!!

Even when the girls were snowed in they have never feather picked. Well except Stella's head but that's because she has poor manners when they are fed & the big girls peck her. They are growing back in now that they have more space

 

[Angelicisi]

that sux. Hope your Roo is feeling better after his battle. He's a keeper if your layers are ok.

I've read that the fear during attack releases adrenalin of sort into their system, then are killed before it dissipates and can effect meat, but I personally don't think so. I do know not letting them rest makes for a tough bird and that not cutting off the oil gland above the tail makes for an, uuuummm, not so great roasted bird... but the fear in a bad death I think is in our heads. it's very sad, raising and caring for them and then losing them, especially at these ready to go sizes
Great job on salvaging what you could and getting some hands on experience.

Bee,
Beautiful thoughts on heaven.  Thanks

A very sad day in our coop.  Mike got home from work and let both coops out at once. A first as the meaties are not as fast as the layers, and I worry that they will be picked on.  Of our 18 meaties about five are quite active.  The other stay close to the pen and feeder.  Even when the feeder is empty, they stay close.  They go a few feet and sit, a few feet and sit again.  The few that range farther have much better personalities.  They come running when we head out there.  The rest wait.  So Mike stayed with the chickens for a while to make sure they wouldn't be picked on.  An hour after he got to the house the neighbor called.  We had three dead meaties on the ground.  One torn apart and partially eaten. Two have fatal bite wounds.  All of our dogs were in the house with Michael.  The neighbors dogs were, out, but with the neighbor, and no sign of blood etc.  Plus he was with them the whole time.  No other dogs near by.  We have a group of five cougar.  This looks more raccoon like.  When the layers went to roost I found my rooster in a nest box.  Not an usual behavior.  All the layers look fine.  At 9pm we went down to check on him.  He has several broken feathers along the back of one leg.  Similar to where at least one dead chicken suffered it's injuries.  Perhaps one small wound that is scabbed over.  I think that he fought back for some of the chickens.  Hopefully he will be himself tomorrow.  I like him better every day.

Mike cleaned one bird by skinning it.  It was pretty badly torn up so he didn't even try to pluck it.  The other one he dipped in boiling water, then plucked, and cleaned.  Good learning experience.  The water was too hot.  He partially cooked the outer layer of the breast meat, and toughened the skin.  The meat is not overly tender, but it took some time to process, and didn't bleed out as quickly as a slaughtered bird would be.  I parted out the carcass and shake and baked it as it was late.  Nice size parts.  They are ready for butcher.  10 days to go.  Still sad that they died that way.  Can the way they died effect the tenderness of the meat?

Any ideas on what attacks at the back end/legs?

 

[Triple Willow]

@Angelicisi... I'm going to see what kind of cheap meat I can find for mine today. Thanks.

 

[mithious]

You all are a riot. Never would've thought of a sawzall. LOL Sorry about the attack

Wow, I must say, even though I have been feeding only half and half, half wet, half fermented, until it's done, which is tonight, the vigor I am seeing is unbelievable, and already? Seeing a HUGE difference in poops too. NO, zip, zero loss of feed.

Are you all sure these little ones aren't drunk?

Just kiddin!

The Barred Rocks are the biggest change in vigor. They act like the Dominique's now. Flying/running all over the brooder and acting like spit and vinegar

The BR's are very slow to feather, BUT, I think they are even starting to feather faster, with this FF. I saw some pic's of other BR chicks, same age, same line, and mine have more feathers on most of them.

I gotta say, besides less waste, I was a bit skeptical of all the other bennies, but am seeing with my own eyes and am a believer now

Thank you all for helping me get started with the FF and being patient with me and all my questions. Am spreading the word too. Even the big girls egg shells are getting harder. This is amazing! I never would've thought!!!!

I still have a few chicks and year olds with a tad of loose stools, but no runny poos. I think that is just the change and their adjusting.

Good thing I don't have to clean the dishes with the year olds. Went to pick one bowl up and dump out shavings and Mr Roo was not in the least happy about me taking his girls feed away..or so he thought. Am having a bit of trouble with him, but working with him and it IS getting better. If it doesn't get resovled though, he's gonna taste GREAT

Next week have someone coming that can help me cut some PVC pipe for feeders, yeahhhhh!