First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[mountain mom]

The meatballs venture outside only to eat, go back in and get warm, head back out to finish eating. You know it is cold when they will stop eating to get warm!

The big gals have refused to leave the coop since Monday afternoon. I forced a few out yesterday, and it was hilarious! They didn't like the snow on their feet so they squawked and flew as far as possible and then didn't know what to do. I had to pick everyone up and put them back in the coop. I think they would have frozen in place!

Ralphie- How are your babies? Still refusing the out of doors?

Betsy- How was the rest of processing?

DoubleKindness- Did you butcher the ducks? It has been so freaking cold here! Yesterday felt like a heat wave, a balmy 22 degrees

 

[LindaB220]

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

The problem is not going to get any easier. It just gets colder as the winter goes on. Pick a mild day, if you ever can find one. Let us know about the duck process. Tips, problems, etc.

 

[Double Kindness]

No we still have ducks and roosters to process. 5 ducks, 15+ roos. My bf hurt his hand yesterday. My meat bunny is about to start to kindle. I'm busy and freaking out. Trying to get my bf motivated to go rig me up 2 bunny water heater things b/c it's getting worse outside and Grace is pregnant.

I'm looking forward to eating duck fat braised rabbit in 2 months or so I hope. I'm looking at processing Wednesday.

 

[LindaB220]

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..

Never gonna do it. Although some of my threads that were so fast moving, like the Old Folks Home and the Cold Folks Home were over 500 posts last time I had computer trouble. Now over 1000. I'm not going back. I just don't have time to read 50 pages a day. Great people though.

Weather wise, I'm in a good place. Highs this week are in the 40's going to the 60's at the weekend.

I'm going to the dollar store and buy some bread pans. I've decided to make up batches of five loaves of Artisan bread to use as barter for garden supplies and hay and such. Maybe even hunters leftovers.

 

[Double Kindness]

We processed one duck last week. I wish we had not torn the skin so much. The flight and tail feathers were very hard for me to pluck. I am saving the down to make us pillows.

my first attempt at gluten-free sourdough starter

I might bake a loaf tonight.

 

[LindaB220]

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?

Yes I do. On youtube, Steve Gamelin has a new method of making and proofing in 2 hrs before baking. This is what I'm going to do today. Rolls

 

[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.

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.

Thank you. That's what I thought but wanted to be sure. It was my 6 lb'er! Haven't weighed them now but I am done. Took 4 hours to do 5 of 'em by myself. I'm exhausted and I still have to take care of the egg birds and ducks and clean the church and do laundry and do my bible study and and and OH MY! This is a lot of work for a 53 year old! I am not sure if I will do more next year. Whew. Or I need to get me some help! I hear stories of old grannies doing 25 or more a day just by themselves and by hand. Wow.

 

[duluthralphie]

I wish I was only 53!

My frog daddy was outside again today. He is getting huge. But he is so mellow. The young turkey toms were harassing him. I had to run them off.

They are starting to act like teenage boys. One, at least, of them has a week to live. It is going to be hard to butcher them, they are bigger pets than the CX's even. BUT I must remain steadfast or I will be turkeyless on thanksgiving day.

I am torn between doing the biggest one or a smaller one. I want to keep one young tom for breeding purposes, but not sure which one to keep. Any suggestions?


I forgot to mention the largest Tom is a splash, and a smaller one is a self blue. I am thinking the self blue will throw better babies.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Well, it is super cold. I am so worried about my chickens. I think my husband is too because he keeps asking when I am going to work on making the chicken diapers. He won't admit it entirely but he is totally as crazy as I am!

Morrigan - My silkies seem to actually really like Sunny (my CX). They all hang close together in the yard all day. The silkies may explore a bit further but Sunny always settles pretty close to where ever they are. Also, for some reason my silkies take an ungodly amount of time to lay an egg, like 3-4 hours, so Sunny keeps the other company in the yard. It's pretty sweet. I keep meaning to take a picture of them together.

The other thing funny about Sunny is she doesn't seem to want to be at the bottom of the pecking order with the 8 week chicks. Obviously she is at the bottom of the main hens and surprisingly is at the bottom of the silkies too. So she is making attempts at chasing the chicks. They are really fast and she is not. We joke that she is like the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man chasing them. She isn't laying eggs yet. She is only about 15 weeks old now. I would guess that it could happen anytime unless it's too darn cold and she goes on strike.

Ralph: I wish I could say I was making a ton of money but unfortunately, Uncle Sam is breathing down my neck for quarterlies and the bill just came for my husband's hernia surgery. Grumble!

Linda: I'm with you that this is the best thread. It seems like anywhere else that I post seems to get ignored. I posted the rescue chicks to see if someone could give me any clues as to what breed they were and all I could hear was crickets. I mean no one wants to talk about cute chicks on a chicken forum? I certainly never feel alone here!

 

[Betsy57]

Butchered 2 more today. Getting faster at this! 7 to go. They're 4 lbs finished. Just in time! It's sleeting/snowing! Oh vey!