First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[duluthralphie]

REJOICE!!!

IT IS ABOVE FREEZING TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2 WEEKS!!!

33 degrees and rising!!

 

[Double Kindness]

It went ok a couple days ago, we did 1 duck and 6 roosters. Leaving me 3 ducks and 7 roosters tomorrow to process. I should be doing it today, but I have a dentist appt in a couple hours to get 3 molars pulled and fitted for partials. Right before thanksgiving.

2 friends are coming by tomorrow to help. I had to skin most of those roosters. The skin tore too much on the production reds, the speckled sussex are easier to pluck I found. Things have quieted down a lot outside. But the babies in the brooder boxes need to go outside. Today. I should actually go do that now.

All my booze is gone. I need to go get another bottle today.

 

[duluthralphie]

It went ok a couple days ago, we did 1 duck and 6 roosters. Leaving me 3 ducks and 7 roosters tomorrow to process. I should be doing it today, but I have a dentist appt in a couple hours to get 3 molars pulled and fitted for partials. Right before thanksgiving.

2 friends are coming by tomorrow to help. I had to skin most of those roosters. The skin tore too much on the production reds, the speckled sussex are easier to pluck I found. Things have quieted down a lot outside. But the babies in the brooder boxes need to go outside. Today. I should actually go do that now.

All my booze is gone. I need to go get another bottle today.

Glad it went well!

I am surprised your production reds were hard to pluck, mine plucked easy, but I have a small plucker. 1 duck and 6 roosters is a good days work alone. If you are like me, my back hurts by the time I am done. When I do them alone I do 5 a day.

Be sure to get more booze. Butchering takes a lot of it.


I know you will find this hard to believe, but I am thinking of giving my turkey a reprieve for tomorrow and make him the guest of honor at Xmas.

I opened the door to the outdoors so my chickens can free range today. They really liked it. Here is my "turken" , the Delaware raised by the turkey. As you can see she is a mouser!



Click on the picture to see the poor mouse. She ran around the yard with it for at least 15 minutes. She would set it down, it would run, and she would pounce on it.

 

[holm25]

[COLOR=FF0000]REJOICE!!![/COLOR] [COLOR=FF0000]IT IS ABOVE FREEZING TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2 WEEKS!!![/COLOR] [COLOR=FF0000]

[/COLOR] [COLOR=FF0000]33 degrees and rising!![/COLOR]

Same here!! You won't believe how happy the hens are. We have got 10 pullet eggs in the past few days. I am trying to decide should I butcher our last Cornish cross hen or leave her??

I imagine we will keep her but why keep something that just eats will she even lay that many eggs??

 

[duluthralphie]

I say leave her and make her into a frog mommy!

 

[holm25]

I say leave her and make her into a frog mommy!

We don't have a roo we are into selling eggs and don't want blood clots in our eggs.

I would love to hatch eggs and that but I think we will just try hatch turkeys and ducks. We are going to try hatch more Royal Reds. Not a breed but I really like what they look like.

 

[duluthralphie]

We don't have a roo we are into selling eggs and don't want blood clots in our eggs.

I would love to hatch eggs and that but I think we will just try hatch turkeys and ducks. We are going to try hatch more Royal Reds. Not a breed but I really like what they look like.

Why do you think she would have blood clots in her eggs?

Just curious..... cross her with a normal rooster. She is way to precious to just eat....BUT I am a softy for the fat little gals.

 

[Morrigan]

It's pouring rain here. I had reinforced and expanded my meaties rain shelter this week, and was pleased to see this morning that there were all comfortably under it and dry.

I had initially planned to process right before T-giving, but they are only just now over 5 lbs, with some only over 4 lbs, so I think they are going to get a Thanksgiving pardon. I'm kind of dreading the day. Reading other people's successful experiences has been a big help.

 

[Betsy57]

We don't have a roo we are into selling eggs and don't want blood clots in our eggs.

I would love to hatch eggs and that but I think we will just try hatch turkeys and ducks. We are going to try hatch more Royal Reds. Not a breed but I really like what they look like.

Why would you have blood clots in your eggs? I have roosters and no blood clots in my eggs.

 

[Betsy57]

I processed 2 more today. They're 4.5 and 5 lbs dressed. The 5 lb one was nearly 7 lbs before. I gotta get those other ones done but not sure when I'll have time to do it and when the weather will cooperate. We have 55 today and VERY windy and supposed to get heavy rains tonight and the next several days.