FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[Sunny Side Up]

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I know there are places that will process your meat birds for you, but don't know of any in Central Fla. There may be places that process wild game that would do your domestic chickens, but I don't know. I'm in western West Palm Beach and I process my own surplus roosters for my own table. I would not process anyone else's birds for pay, but would be glad to teach a fellow BYCer how to do it.

My friend & I had a couple of guys show us the basic procedure. After 2 sessions we were convinced that not only could we do it ourselves, but we could do a better job of it, neater & more efficient. And we can! We are very gentle & kind to the birds and do them the final favor of giving them a quick & efficient end.

It's so nice now knowing I have a good plan for all the surplus roosters, so I can hatch eggs & acquire chicks without worrying about what to do with all the extra roosters, not watching with dread when little combs start to turn red after just a few weeks. Bookchick, what kind of chickens do you have? They will probably be ready for the table at around 18-22 weeks.

 

[bookchick]

Quote:
I know there are places that will process your meat birds for you, but don't know of any in Central Fla. There may be places that process wild game that would do your domestic chickens, but I don't know. I'm in western West Palm Beach and I process my own surplus roosters for my own table. I would not process anyone else's birds for pay, but would be glad to teach a fellow BYCer how to do it.

My friend & I had a couple of guys show us the basic procedure. After 2 sessions we were convinced that not only could we do it ourselves, but we could do a better job of it, neater & more efficient. And we can! We are very gentle & kind to the birds and do them the final favor of giving them a quick & efficient end.

It's so nice now knowing I have a good plan for all the surplus roosters, so I can hatch eggs & acquire chicks without worrying about what to do with all the extra roosters, not watching with dread when little combs start to turn red after just a few weeks. Bookchick, what kind of chickens do you have? They will probably be ready for the table at around 18-22 weeks.

Sunny -

thanks for the offer to teach! I've watched youtube videos about the whizbang chicken plucker though! I live on a small lot with a wooded area behind me. I'm hoping that my dogs are the reason we haven't seen any raccoons or foxes in the last few years, but if I were to butcher at home I wonder how that would affect any predator (including my own dogs) in the area. What would the scent of the blood do, how far would the scent travel?

I am working on getting decent photos of my babies so that I can ask the breed groups to help guess the sex. If they start crowing regularly though, I won't be able to wait another 10 weeks. One, because my neighbors would not appreciate the noise, and two, because any call about noise to code enforcement would be bad. (I have my neighbors' permission & good graces for now...)

 

[Lady de fowl]

I'm in melbourne fl

 

[Nava]

Just got updated; and Welcome to all the new ones hope we meet one day

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Bookchick, there are ways to process chickens without leaving a big gory mess in the yard. Especially if you're just doing a few birds at each session. There isn't much blood and it all can be contained in a bucket, the feathers & inside parts can be contained in a lined garbage can and set out on your curb. You don't need a mechanical plucker to do just a few birds, although some folks who love to build such things can easily justify the need to make one.l

But standard-breed chickens raised for meat will crow for several weeks before they're big enough to process. Some folks say "when they start to crow it's time to go" but I think they're still too scrawny at that age and like to give them more time to get meatier.

Maybe you can find another chicken keeper or BYCer in your area who would be willing to keep your cockerels until they're big enough for the table, and then you both can share the meat.

 

[El Naked Neck]

Bookchick is there a way that maybe you can make a hole in the ground? I did 14 roos about a cople of weeks ago and I made a hole and dumped in there everything, and there wasn't a lot of blood, My sister lives in Metro West and if you'll like we ( me and wife ) can come over and walk you thru.

But yea like Sunny side said when they first start to crow they might be a little too small to kill, I got some crowing right now and they are 2 1/2 months but I'm going to wait untill they are at least five months.

ETA; got ant pics of them??

 

[FloridaChickens]

Finally finished my nest boxes this weekend. Chicks, or hens I guess are 17 weeks old and all the kids are getting excited. Does anyone here know if the summer heat has any effect on when they'll start laying? All my girls seem to be handling the heat very well with no issues so far.

On a side, I found a neat egg related web site today. I searched and didn't see it on the forums anywhere yet. The second video has a really neat animation about how the eggs develop. NOTE: This site is about commercial operations, I just enjoyed the educational part. Enjoy!

http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/eggs-101

 

[Alpha Chick]

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Please let us know what you hear about the laws after the vote. I am really hoping that laws keep passing allowing chickens so we can come out of hiding!

 

[fireeyes]

Unincorporated Pinellas County was supposed to have a discussion/vote on changing the laws for keeping chickens--on July 26,2010. Anybody heard the outcome ????

 

[Alpha Chick]

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Unfortunately it was tabled for now. They are concerned how a "depleted enforcement staff will be able to enforce the ordinance." I really hope it eventually flies. They did mention the Pinellas chicken underground. Guess one of my chickens should be named Harriet Tubman!

Jeni