First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[LindaB220]

Swarming must be a cx trait lol. My layer chicks come up to me, but they will move out of the way. The cx just waddle/run over and jostle for position. I really think it takes me longer to get in the coop and to the feed containers than anything else. Quite a few have had fermented feed heads lol.

I can imagine. They do love their fermented feed. Ha.

 

[LindaB220]

-8° with windchill between -15° and -25° here. Our plan had been to butcher this weekend, but now I am just holding for any day next week over 40°.

I ordered my spring chicks yesterday (15 cx, 4 polish, 3 silkies, and one bantam frizzle cochin), and think I'll stagger my second group of cx behind them. No more late fall/winter birds for me lol.

We had our first frost day before yesterday and it was 27 last night. In La this time of the year, that's cold. I'm afraid that predictions of a bad winter are coming to pass.
Jessica, can you believe that our whole area has been down on the internet for two days. That's after having my computer in the shop last week. I feel such withdrawal.

For the first time EVER, I made bread. I used the no-knead recipe and it's easy peasy. Even I can do it. It blew my DD and Gson's minds. Soooo good. The fellow on youtube has a bunch of videos and he is so easy to follow.

Ralphie, did you miss me?

Or even notice I was gone?

Hi Neal, good to see you're on the forum. My oldest DD moved a couple of weeks ago from Austin to Vancouver Wa. I'm even gonna get on a phane to visit her.

 

[JessicaThistle]

We had our first frost day before yesterday and it was 27 last night. In La this time of the year, that's cold. I'm afraid that predictions of a bad winter are coming to pass.
Jessica, can you believe that our whole area has been down on the internet for two days. That's after having my computer in the shop last week. I feel such withdrawal.

For the first time EVER, I made bread. I used the no-knead recipe and it's easy peasy. Even I can do it. It blew my DD and Gson's minds. Soooo good. The fellow on youtube has a bunch of videos and he is so easy to follow.

Ralphie, did you miss me?

Or even notice I was gone?

Hi Neal, good to see you're on the forum. My oldest DD moved a couple of weeks ago from Austin to Vancouver Wa. I'm even gonna get on a phane to visit her.

Oh my gosh Linda. Down for two days?! You certainly live rurally like I do! I have been so busy with my business lately that I have only had time to see that people have been commenting on my thread. This is good because I am billing out more money than I ever have right now, but man do I miss my peeps! I am really missing my chickens too! Gosh, I have time to let them out and put them back in. I would love some snuggle time. GRRR. I have to pay the bills first, dang it!

My rescuees are now 8 weeks old. It is so cold here and they are in my chicken tractor preparing for a move to the main coop. Unfortunately they are not safe from drafts. I admit they still have a heat lamp. There are 7 of them and I am sure they are fine but they are still small and I just worry.

I'm pretty sure that my two silkies are the warmest since they have my 12 pound cx living with them in their tiny house.

I admit, if I had 18 diapers for my chickens they would ALL be inside right now. Yep. I'm crazy!

 

[Double Kindness]

I need to process 5 muscovy ducks and all my excess roosters *15+?* but we're in the middle of a cold snap. Wtd?

 

[Betsy57]

It is 20 degrees this morning here. I am processing 5 of the Cornish x. They weigh anywhere between 5.8 oz to 6 lbs. They are just two days why of 8 weeks old. We'll see how this goes! I still have 9 to go.

 

[duluthralphie]

It is 20 degrees this morning here. I am processing 5 of the Cornish x. They weigh anywhere between 5.8 oz to 6 lbs. They are just two days why of 8 weeks old. We'll see how this goes! I still have 9 to go.

WOW!!! That is determination.


Linda I thought you had left us for better company...

Jessica With all the money your earning, I am expecting a REALLY REALLY nice Christmas present...

I did the unmentionable on Tuesday. I took my light away from my 4 frog parents. Well, actually I ran over the extension cord with the snow plow and disconnected it. I was going to hook it back up, but I found the Babies were going outside and exploring once their light went out.


I am having a B*tch of a time with my Bobcat. It was dying on me, then if I wait 20 minutes it starts again. I changed fuel filters yesterday and the 4 meatballs sat in the shed and watched me the whole time. They were not happy when I made them go outside so I could shut the door. BTW my bobcat is still screwing up, so today I drive the 40 miles to a parts store for new lines.......

I ended up plowing the snow with the small blade on it. It is not heavy duty enough for this snow fall and I have been working everyday to try and move it. The Bobcat is so much faster. I am hating winter already. It has been so long.

On the bright side it is a balmy 5 below today! I am thinking of laying out in the sun and tanning when I get back from St.Cloud.


BTW I only got 2 eggs yesterday and one of them was frozen and had cracked..

 

[Morrigan]

Everyone needs to stay warm out there!

It's not that cold here,but my meaties had their first rough night earlier this week. The forecast was for a fast moving rain shower that would drop less than a 1/4 of an inch over a couple of hours overnight. So, I secured a tarp over their outside shelter so that the roof was rain-proof, as were 3 sides and laid down some fresh straw. Turns out it rained almost an inch over 10 hours. When I went up to check the birds in the morning, most of them were soaking wet, huddled under the tarp.

I think they had been sleeping outside the shelter (maybe not liking the new tarp?) and got caught in the rain and they didn't know where to go in the dark. A handful were dry-ish, so a few figured it out quickly, I guess. Luckily, it wasn't that cold (high 40s), but those poor birds wouldn't even leave the tarp to eat! They are all dried out and fine now. Last night I checked and saw them all sleeping under the tarp, so hopefully they've learned where to sleep now.

Linda -- don't you love no-knead bread? I discovered that recipe a couple of years ago and now make all my own bread. I've found you can cut back the recipe a little and turn it into a conventional loaf pan (35 mins at 450), so it's more like sandwich bread. You can also vary it up by adding a little wheat, rye, seeds, etc.

Jessica -- I wonder what those silkies think of their new roommate. Has the CX started laying eggs yet? Also, glad to hear your business is doing so well!

Betsy and DoubleK -- Good luck with your processing today. The birds all seem to be at nice weights.

Ralphie -- Mechanical things always act up at the worst possible time, don't they?

 

[Betsy57]

Butchering the birds. One I cut open the abdomen and clear yellow liquid came flowing out. Is that melted fat or what? I sure hate to throw it away after I cleaned it up but don't want to get sick or kill myself or someone else.

 

[duluthralphie]

Butchering the birds. One I cut open the abdomen and clear yellow liquid came flowing out. Is that melted fat or what? I sure hate to throw it away after I cleaned it up but don't want to get sick or kill myself or someone else.

That is Ascites.

It is a fluid very similar to "swollen Ankles" in people with heart problems. Meatballs do not have ankles so the water builds in the abdomen. It should be edible. I had a few of them the first batch I raised. That is the reason I drastically cut the feed on the second batch. It is also the reason I ended up butchering them around 40 days.

The ones I just finished did not have any signs of heart problems.

It is a good thing you culled it when you did, the poor guy may not have made too many more weeks.

 

[mountain mom]

-8° with windchill between -15° and -25° here. Our plan had been to butcher this weekend, but now I am just holding for any day next week over 40°.

I ordered my spring chicks yesterday (15 cx, 4 polish, 3 silkies, and one bantam frizzle cochin), and think I'll stagger my second group of cx behind them. No more late fall/winter birds for me lol.

We were supposed to butcher also... it is freezing and snowing here today, lucky birds get to live until it is warm enough to be outside for more than 5 minutes!
I will not do such a late batch again next year. Spring and very late summer I think.