First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[islafarm]

or from the DH

agreed!

 

[duluthralphie]

Chicken owners need to stick together in the never ending battle against the non-chicken spouse,, so agreed

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Chicken owners need to stick together in the never ending battle against the non-chicken spouse,, so agreed

I am SO glad I'm single (I can do as I please), with lots of neighbors with chickens and guinea fowl. Even my casual acquaintances think I'm a little nuts. (I've decided not to tell anyone about the meat rabbits...)

Isn't it interesting how what's "normal" is a matter of perspective? I would gladly go vegetarian/vegan if my only choice was the horrifically produced meat, milk and eggs from industrial production. (And I have, for a period of time in the past. Not for me in the long run, but made me MUCH more aware, mindful, and respectful of the food I consumed, vegetable, and animal.) Not to mention - ewww, supermarket meat all tastes so gross to me now (on the rare occasion I'm in there, I gag at the smell - how did I never smell that before?!), and as a pathologist/medical microbiologist, I know all the horrific things that can lurk in that sort of meat. I just can't relate to people who get their meat from anywhere but from the farmer anymore. I don't have anything against them... I just don't understand it. My mother and I have a sort of truce about it. Right now I pay more to buy my chicken from farmers I know and trust - I tell her they are chickens that went to college. The chickens at Whole Foods have GEDs, and the chickens at the typical supermarkets dropped out before middle school. Oddly, while funny, the analogy sort of works with her. Although she still teases me about my college educated chicken/beef/pork/lamb/whatever.

I'll say again - I am SO pleased to have found and followed this thread, because the non-slug raising methods make me so hopeful for a happy active life for these birds, not to mention knowing exactly how they lived their lives. There is something so RIGHT about that.

I don't know how all of you do your processing (not having done it myself yet), but I ordered the Rabbit Wringer, which is a metal contraption mounted to a wall/solid surface and serves as a quick and humane way to kill rabbits via cervical dislocation. The version I have has a poultry adapter (they have skinnier necks than rabbits). Well, after a couple of weeks (expected), it shipped today. (CX chicks don't arrive until September.) I'll be processing by myself this fall, most likely, though I DO have a friend from France who has some experience with this who might be willing to help. Don't worry, everyone. While I'm not sure I'd pass the thread "test", I DO have homemade pear vodka on hand in quantity (as recommended), with homemade apple cinnamon bourbon as a back up. And veggies, frozen lamb and various indian/sri lankan dals sufficient to not eat poultry for a least a week.

- Ant Farm

 

[JessicaThistle]

I am missing having CX this year! I loved, loved having them run around and worship me at my feet every time I entered the yard. My laying hens don't do it quite enough because they know that they are special and I need them for a long time. They know those eggs are like gold to me right now. They are stinkers but I love them too.

I am a very lucky woman because my husband is as chicken crazy as me. (Maybe crazier). I was saying this evening after we tended to our giant flock of 750 on pasture that we may only need to do one batch of chicks next year. He said "Oh, no. We will be doing two batches of chicks. Remember that we are ramping this up and the goal is to have 2500 laying hens out on that pasture"?

Oh yeah. Oy vey!

I really love this though and wouldn't have it any other way. I just wish that we were in a position to stop the other work we have to do. Because my work is way more flexible, majority of the chicken work, egg washing, packaging and delivery goes to me. I HAVE to give a huge amount of kudos to my hubby though because he also works and comes home to build our infrastructure, haul bags of feed, fill water barrels and whatever other heavy lifting there is. It is extremely exhausting for both of us! We make a darn good team because if we didn't, there is no way we could have pulled this off so far.

 

[duluthralphie]

Fire Ant you will do fine on processing day, Just do not try to do too many on anyone day. Plan on doing them every other day. One day of processing then a day to get over the hang over from processing day. While everyone is entitled to their choice of adult beverage on processing day, I think pear vodka and cinnamon bourbon might just make me a little queasy.


Jessica, Not trying to pry. so tell me to go to hades if you want. I am wondering what you get for a dozen eggs when you wholesale them. I have been thinking about this after visiting the grocery store the other day and looking at egg prices. They were selling for $2.79 a dozen. There is no way I could make money wholesaling with that retail price. I know they are factory eggs and the chickens are fed just so much and certain food values to produce eggs and make chicken life suck. Anyways I was wondering what you get selling good eggs from happy chickens wholesale..


I am doing my CX's a little different this year. I am feeding them once a day. I have 18% protein and am feeding them 2- 2lbs coffee cans of feed at night. I am giving them scratch (10% protein) in the morning thrown on the ground. They have to hunt the scratch out of the grass. I will send pictures of the setup later today. I think this is the best run I have had for them at this age. Next week they go into the big fence. IF the hen with the "stolen" nest in the pen goes broody and sit on the eggs. I do not want to lock the chicken out of her nest. I just found the nest last night. The eggs look fresh, but if you free range, you know how deceptive a nest full of eggs can be.

 

[duluthralphie]

My redneck tractor and brooders.


It looks ugly but works well.



















The plywood over the runs are just there to provide shade for the babies.

 

[duluthralphie]

And here is a picture of Bert's daughter. She is looking good for a Toad!

 

[JRNash]

Looks great. I think the hatcheries are taking an active part in the disinformation about the Cx

 

[JRNash]

Then again I am paranoid AND medicated. I still don't see why you can't take a parachute with your carry on luggage when flying.

 

[dpenning]

As long as it is one of your two personal items it should be OK. Might be uncomfortable sitting in the already cramped seats wearing a parachute tho.