Hatching Eggs / Paypal CHAT Thread

[Arielle]

Quote:

Thanks for posting the details. I thought these were too small to be worth the effort--not any more!!

 

[Arielle]

I'm trying to figure out the rules before I jump in and get put on the banned list immediately for infractions!!

As a newbie, how many swaps can I claim/offer in a week?

THe week runds Sunday night to sunday night?

 

[madamwlf]

I'm trying to figure out the rules before I jump in and get put on the banned list immediately for infractions!!

As a newbie, how many swaps can I claim/offer in a week?

THe week runds Sunday night to sunday night?

It runs from Sunday 12:01am to Saturday 12:00am. As a newbie you can only claim one at a time. Each claim has to be cleared first before you can claim another. Everyone gets 7 claims a week unless some nice tragedies happen like CPL going over the limit.

 

[crfarm]

received PP from overoberyl!

 

[crfarm]

I just hit 1000 posts and went from overrun with chickens to chicken obsessed! My husband thought that long ago!!!!!!!!!

 

[Overoberyl]

I just hit 1000 posts and went from overrun with chickens to chicken obsessed! My husband thought that long ago!!!!!!!!!

Haha, congrats!!

 

[reesepoultry]

I use only a sharp pair of scissors. I put a plastic grocery bag in a bucket and have a water hose nearby. I hold the bird with it's head down and left hand over it's wings and legs back or they will scratch the dickens out of you. I cut the head off with the scissors and hold it over the bucket and wait till it's heart stops. It will try to thrash if you don't have a good hold and the wings held down your gonna get bloody. When it's heart stops I cut off the legs at the hock then the wings off at the shoulder. They don't have enough meat to take the time to skin or pluck in my opinion. Then I put the scissors just under the skin at the neck and slide it just under the skin down the breast to the vent. Then I peal off the skin starting at the neck and work my way down to the tail. I pull the legs out like a pair of pants. Then just pull the skin off. Then I cut starting at the neck opening and down each side of the spine being careful not to cut any gut. Then I put my index finger inside the neck area working around the crop and heart keeping the bird with breast up. Insert finger working the insides away from the inside cavity then pull the spine out and it takes the guts with it. Then a couple of snips with the scissors around the belly skin and it's all out. I keep the liver, heart and gizzard for fish bait and the rest goes in the bucket.

I can do a bird in about 3 minutes . You can do it inside as well. I keep a stock pot with ice water to put the processed birds in to cool them down. When i'm done I go back and wash them and make sure all feathers and guts are cleaned off. Sometimes the lungs don't come out with the rest.

Sounds grusome but it's just part of the processing process. Some people don't even use scissors. They just rip their heads off and break off the legs and wings then rip the skin off and use a finger to clean out the guts. I can't stomach ripping off the head of a live animal. I don't know why I can cut it off but not pull it off. My way seems more humane. I can't kill anything else but quail by I can do the rest.
There is a video on youtube that shows how to do it this way. There are several videos but I preferred this way.

My Husband loves Quail. we only process the extra roos here that don't sell after a few months. We try to give them a chance but the ones that are left I process and make for dinner and hubby just loves them. Don't take long at all and isn't as hard or as messy as a chicken is. Except I take a BB gun and shoot it in the head so it dies instantly and then cut the head off to bleed out. I just think if they die right away it is more humane. Everyone has there way but this is my way. I also don't skin them. They don't create a bunch of juice so I pluck them. It helps keem them moist when cooking them if the skin is on. It takes me about 10 mins per quail but I would rather pluck than skin. I rarely process any of my birds but when I do I do the same method. I put them all down first then cut the heads.

 

[Overoberyl]

Omg I almost just had a heart attack...sooooo glad I covered my runs w/ wire, just put some of my young-uns in two of my unoccupied runs yesterday, and a hawk totally just landed right on top of the wire. Luckily I am sitting out here with them working on my laptop, the hawk came from around the side of the house and didn't see me until it was on top of the runs, but whoa that was scary. I do have some of my adults free ranging, they are probably bigger than that hawk was, but I don't know if that means it wouldn't take them...I wonder how big a chicken would have to be, to be safe from your average size hawk?

 

[kraftyladies]

Omg I almost just had a heart attack...sooooo glad I covered my runs w/ wire, just put some of my young-uns in two of my unoccupied runs yesterday, and a hawk totally just landed right on top of the wire.  Luckily I am sitting out here with them working on my laptop, the hawk came from around the side of the house and didn't see me until it was on top of the runs, but whoa that was scary. I do have some of my adults free ranging, they are probably bigger than that hawk was, but I don't know if that means it wouldn't take them...I wonder how big a chicken would have to be, to be safe from your average size hawk?

DH just finished my pen, and he wasn't going to close in the top between roof and top of door. He said they can't get out, can they?? I told him I wasn't worried about them getting out, it was what could get IN.

 

[Overoberyl]

DH just finished my pen, and he wasn't going to close in the top between roof and top of door. He said they can't get out, can they?? I told him I wasn't worried about them getting out, it was what could get IN.

Yes exactly. I actually did mine completely in hardware cloth. I know chicken wire would have deterred the hawks but only hardware cloth will keep the racoons out. It's been awhile since I've seen a racoon out here but when I first moved in they would come right up to the door at night. Now that I have my birds out here I actually make my Pointer mix stay outside with them at night. Even though she's not a guardian breed, and even though she is part birddog she does a great job, has never gone after one of my birds and will let them sit on her, snuggle with her, etc. She just kindof figured out that they were hers to take care of. I have even seen her herd my two free ranging roos back into the chicken yard when she felt they were wandering too far away, lol. It was the first time I had seen her do that so its possible she may have a herding breed somewhere in her lineage

I also have Night Guards on each corner of the runs. I figured it can't hurt, might help, for the night predators anyway.

I think it was a red tailed hawk. Not a large bird but still scary.