First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[Double Kindness]

I am so not looking forward to freezer camp day. My peep peeps just rush over to me peeping, begging for me to throw them treats or pick them up. My friends are asking me constantly, when am I doing the deed?

Tonight when we get back from picking up 6 muscovy ducks today, I'm going to pick up various chickens and weigh them. 6 weeks or less to go I think though?? 3 of the muscovies I get today are going to freezer camp before then at 4 weeks from now or so.

I cry when I look in my freezer at my br that my dog got, and not able to eat chicken yet still. But soon!!

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Jessica--- good luck today!! Yes, I'm thinking that's it exactly. I work so bloody hard to keep people alive, that I have a hard time accepting death. It's something that I've grappled with for years, and hopefully eventually I'll come to terms with it. I still cry every time I shoot a deer. I think all life is sacred, and when you impact it/end it, your life and the other life become connected in a way. But my need to feed my family as organically as possible strongly outweighs my angst. If DH had any inkling about my strife that I vent on here about, he'd never let me get another chicken!! So I try to farmgirl-strong it up as much as possible, and eventually it'll become a reality.
With your fibromyalgia (a truly nasty beastie of a condition) have you tried arnica gel or cream? It's herbal, and I use it at my house for sprains/aches/overuse injuries and DH uses it on his pains (old football injuries). It might help. DH swears that and hot pepper help with the inflammation, nerve pain he gets. Again, you and your DH with his surgery and your pain, you guys are troopers with so many birds to do! I hope it goes quickly for you.

Linda--- gah!! Bummer about your eggs. Tractor Supply has a sale on incubators and auto egg turners, and I think I'm going to pick it up for one of the kids' (read: mine, too!!) Christmas presents. I want to do the same thing you're talking about, with the water. We run on a well, and I am always looking for ways to save on water use. I want to put up a couple of rain barrels and collect it to use to water the garden, for the chickens, laundry, etc. Have you looked into that? You could use it for emergency, and it'd be tucked away outside and out of mind until you need it. MotherEarthNews has a good article about it: http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/how-to-make-a-rain-barrel-ze0z11zkon.aspx

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Mine are 10 weeks old. I think this is the week. Some of them would have been gone now if not for bad weather and bad luck on my part.

I so badly want to keep them longer, they all look healthy. I have no wheezing yet. However, I did excite one the other day and I worried about it as it sat and appeared out of breath, Breathing real hard.

I also have my DP's and others to send to camp this week. With luck I will have around 70 chickens less next weekend. BUT that is subject to change as I am scheduled for a colonoscopy on Friday, which could interfere with normal life on Thursday.

On Saturday, after my encounter with the overly large garden hose, I have friends and relatives coming over to help repair a roof. Which takes from the Chicken Camp time, however, we are planning to eat the largest CX on Saturday. He should be well over 10 pounds, Just right for roasting!

That's an enormous chicken!!!

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Thanks for sharing, Plaid! I am glad that it went well (even though sad) and that you didn't lose any meat! That would have been terrible!

I am handing off the killing to my brother, but I will help with everything else. I had a bad experience with trying to kill one myself too! That's definitely the worst part about keeping meaties! A couple of days ago, I had one that wouldn't eat in the morning and was acting super lethargic. I brought him inside and saw that his crop was huge (more huge than normal even) and extremely hard to the point that he could barely even breathe. I tried massaging it and tried making him throw up, but nothing was helping. It was even packed all the way up his throat and he was passing out from lack of oxygen. I didn't think it would clear and he was miserable, so I decided to just suck it up and end it for him. I have never killed one before, so it was pretty horrible. Once he was gone, I was fine doing the other steps. Even though he was little, I went ahead and processed him like normal so I could get some experience. When I looked at his crop/throat area, it was completely stuffed with mud. It has been raining for three days and everything is muddy. He obviously ate a bunch of it. I have no idea why. The only thing I can think was there may have been some food crumbles on the ground and he ate a bunch of mud trying to get to them. I was really worried about the others after that, but it's been three days and things have dried out considerably and nobody else had any problems. After it was over with and I sat back reflecting on it, I couldn't believe I even had gone through with it. I am definitely dreading "chop day" but I know this is their purpose and it has to happen. I just pray I don't have to do another one by myself!

I found one earlier that I was sure had broken her leg because it was bent weird and she was just laying on the ground not moving. When I got close to her and she noticed me, she popped up and ran over completely fine! I realized she had just been in a dust bath stupor. I felt pretty stupid but very relieved that she was ok! Oh, the things you learn when you've never had chickens before!

Sorry about your guy with the mud-crop. It's so hard to end them, and I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable with it. Glad you've got your brother to help you with the end task! I did the same thing with my chicks!! They would lay in the sun with their legs all spraddled out and zombified, and I'd run over, to see if they were in dire straights, and they'd see me coming and jump up and run off. I always felt silly but couldn't help myself lol.

I don't know if it will help your pain but Beekissed suggested Castor Oil a couple of times a day rubbed into my knees. It actually works for me. Still some pain but not that burning ache when I come back in from the outside

Ooh. I've never heard of that before. I'll try that for DH when his back gets bad. I love learning about natural/non-synthetic remedies.

 

[LindaB220]

Jessica--- good luck today!! Yes, I'm thinking that's it exactly. I work so bloody hard to keep people alive, that I have a hard time accepting death. It's something that I've grappled with for years, and hopefully eventually I'll come to terms with it. I still cry every time I shoot a deer. I think all life is sacred, and when you impact it/end it, your life and the other life become connected in a way. But my need to feed my family as organically as possible strongly outweighs my angst. If DH had any inkling about my strife that I vent on here about, he'd never let me get another chicken!! So I try to farmgirl-strong it up as much as possible, and eventually it'll become a reality.
With your fibromyalgia (a truly nasty beastie of a condition) have you tried arnica gel or cream? It's herbal, and I use it at my house for sprains/aches/overuse injuries and DH uses it on his pains (old football injuries). It might help. DH swears that and hot pepper help with the inflammation, nerve pain he gets. Again, you and your DH with his surgery and your pain, you guys are troopers with so many birds to do! I hope it goes quickly for you.

Linda--- gah!! Bummer about your eggs. Tractor Supply has a sale on incubators and auto egg turners, and I think I'm going to pick it up for one of the kids' (read: mine, too!!) Christmas presents. I want to do the same thing you're talking about, with the water. We run on a well, and I am always looking for ways to save on water use. I want to put up a couple of rain barrels and collect it to use to water the garden, for the chickens, laundry, etc. Have you looked into that? You could use it for emergency, and it'd be tucked away outside and out of mind until you need it. MotherEarthNews has a good article about it: http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/how-to-make-a-rain-barrel-ze0z11zkon.aspx

Yeah, definitely a bummer. Wasted 3 weeks. But I wasted 3 weeks with him before with one Coronation Sussex to show for combined $50. I wasted 3 weeks twice on another person for $25 that he replaced without shipping and got 2 Barred instead of White Rocks. Know and trust who you are dealing with. Both are still advertising on the threads.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Yay! Successful camp day! 24 chickens tucked away in coolers to rest. I don't know how my DH and I pulled it off. We are both exhausted and sore but we did it. I don't know if we will eat or not. For now we will enjoy our vodka and juice to ease the sore and tired muscles. Tomorrow we will have buffalo steaks for dinner.

It took us 4 hours to set up, process 24 chickens and clean up. I think we were pretty quick for the two of us!

I am going to take a picture of my new evisceration table. It made things so much easier than just using a hose or clearing the kitchen counter!! You all must have one!

So, now what? With the meat chickens gone what will I do with myself until spring? My layers almost take care of themselves. I will be so lonely. Lol!

 

[duluthralphie]

That's an enormous chicken!!!

Wait until I weigh it before you take it as gospel.... I like to fish, and I am a man and we have troubles judging the size of critters and catches.

 

[offgridhermit]

Yay! Successful camp day! 24 chickens tucked away in coolers to rest. I don't know how my DH and I pulled it off. We are both exhausted and sore but we did it. I don't know if we will eat or not. For now we will enjoy our vodka and juice to ease the sore and tired muscles. Tomorrow we will have buffalo steaks for dinner.

It took us 4 hours to set up, process 24 chickens and clean up. I think we were pretty quick for the two of us!

I am going to take a picture of my new evisceration table. It made things so much easier than just using a hose or clearing the kitchen counter!! You all must have one!

So, now what? With the meat chickens gone what will I do with myself until spring? My layers almost take care of themselves. I will be so lonely. Lol!

Wonderful!! Yes, I think you were pretty quick. Congrats on a job well done.
Looking forward to seeing a photo of your table and set up.
I'll be butchering around Thanksgiving time.

 

[Double Kindness]

That is very quick for the 2 of you to process so many chickens Plaid! Congratulations!

I'm planning on renting a plucker or seeing if my uber handy bf can make us one, as we picked up 6 muscovy ducks today in which 3 are destined for freezer camp in time for my thanksgiving table.


Thank you for sharing your experience with us, it certainly gave me the guts to raise my own meat!

 

[KCMOLisa]

Good job, Jessica! That was fast! Did you skin or pluck? I need to see a pic of that table too! I am trying to plan my setup and get everything ready over the next couple of weeks.

When are you planning on getting chicks in the spring? I'm thinking I might go crazy and get 50 and sell a few or try to barter for other meat. I'm not sure when to get them though because I want to make sure they're done before it gets crazy hot but I don't want it to be freezing cold when they're little. I think fall is really perfect weather for meatballs!