I need your 'secrets' :) for 4-H meaties

[one66stang]

The keeper pen are the heavy birds. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Just everything I have read is to "cull aggressively"

We start ours on day one on 30% protein Game Bird Feed/Turkey Starter. In pie pans.

The wheat germ oil is just the stuff you get at the grocery store.


We actually washed and dried our birds last year. I doubt we do it this year. Everything you read says not to. It could end up causing bruising or breaking a wing.

 

[Pathfinders]

We have ALWAYS washed our meat birds, have washed every bird we ever showed for almost ten years now. Never had a problem of any sort.

Here's my secret for washing white birds to make their color just gleam: wash them in Tide with Bleach Alternative. I kid you not, it really works! I have a friend (who is a licensed poultry judge) who works for Proctor and Gamble (they make Tide), and he told me about this. Try it, really. See this article I wrote about it:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5451169_white-chickens-really-clean.html

And I have a bunch of other chicken related articles on my website here:

http://www.pathfindersfarm.com/Articles.html

 

[WingingIt]

Thanks for the info.

Here our pens are split between hens and roos. So we have a section for broiler hens and broiler roos are separate and only go up against each other. Same with the roasters, they do each sex separately. We'll be showing one of each this year.

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Quote:
Well, if they don't need a bath, DON'T DO IT!!! You won't be happy, you'll have soap suds in your mouth along with chicken filth, and the chicken won't be happy either.

If you need to, which we do at least twice during fair week, (we also charge other 4Hers an icecream for doing it for them!) take two tubs: fill one up with clean water, the other with suds. Dip them in the suds, scrub them with a bristle brush, focusing on the butt area. Rinse them, and dry with a towel. We have a 4 person team; one dips, one scrubs, one drys, and one cleans the cages and gets the birds between cages.

 

[al6517]

I just wanted to address the whole secrecy thing, you live in Texas.... I in Oklahoma. Close enough neighbors, I too have found this since day one in this part of the country 25 yrs ago. When it comes to AG stuff they are very tight lipped unless they are making fun of you for not doing it their way. What the heck do you think all those old crumugenes are talking about all day at the Cafe, how to keep a secret away from you and still make a buck doing it LOL. In this part of the country it is just the way the good ole boy network works, it sucks but it is a way of life and they will never change that. To bad I can't take him and his tobacco spit stained shirt to the city and then turn the tide on his old country behind and then well see who has the last laugh.

WTS I hope you can find somebody who isn't 70 yrs old and has higher than a third grade education to give you some helpful tips to win and win big, then you can have your own secret. Good luck to you at the show !!!!!!!!.


AL

 

[chellebyerly]

LOL Thanks Al

belive me, if somehow I make it to the show table, everyone that snickered, will be feeding theirs a steady diet of oats rolled in honey, or ricebran with baby food on top. - I am the most helpful person in the world, but I can be vindictive witch too... LOL and I have a great sense of humor... And your right, the secrecy crap is ... astonishing.. sadly, its the dang folks MY age that are doing it. The old timers just keep tellin me "heck, we just picked out the best from our personal consumption pen and took them up there. if they won, great, if not, they were going to the pot anyway- and we just fed them kitchen scraps." LOL but, once I get into the bigger stuff I'm sure I'll run into it on EVERY level with EVERY agegroup.


whiteconfections, ACK! I seriously hope I dont do many chicken baths... LOL not what I wana do on a cold march day! LOL

great info pathfinders!! Thanks so much for sharing all that!

wingingit, PLEASE Hijack all you want! I'm sure since your elbow deep in it already you have better questions than I do, so PLEASE enlighten me!

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Well, if they don't need a bath, DON'T DO IT!!! You won't be happy, you'll have soap suds in your mouth along with chicken filth, and the chicken won't be happy either.

If you need to, which we do at least twice during fair week, (we also charge other 4Hers an icecream for doing it for them!) take two tubs: fill one up with clean water, the other with suds. Dip them in the suds, scrub them with a bristle brush, focusing on the butt area. Rinse them, and dry with a towel. We have a 4 person team; one dips, one scrubs, one drys, and one cleans the cages and gets the birds between cages.

Haha, that sounds like a horrible job!

 

[chellebyerly]

okay- this is a very basic question. but a very important one.

what the heck do I transport them to the show in? LOL

seriously??

I have seen the cage I'm supposed to use for rabbits, but honestly, dont know where to get one. its kinda like a small wire cage with solid dividers. which I reckon would be bestest for the chickens too.

But I dont know... LOL

 

[one66stang]

We use med size dog crates with shavings in the bottom.

 

[chellebyerly]

ahhhh- and stupid as this sounds (I'm tellin y'all, I get no help) what do you do then? (I've been told, just show up with your birds, you'll fiqure it out, its not rocket science - yeah, I know its not, but if their supposed to have them out and standing on their head doing tricks instead of sittin in a dog crate then They will look like flippin fools)


And you do put them in seperate dog crates right? so they dont bump and bruise each other?

I just love how they always say "someone will show you on show day" HOW? everyone is gonna be runnin around like a chicken with their head cut off, everyone is gonna be worried about their own crap, they are not gonna have time for some idiot who has no clue as to whats going on.

My biggest help, is a friend of mine, she doesnt do chickens, she does goats, rabbits, pigs etc. but she is ... busy. I bother her all the time with questions, but the answers are usually given more like she is reminding me and not teaching me. and with her having 2 kids I'm not gonna be able to chase her down and ask her which leg Brett should hold the bird by when he does his circle dance and sacrifices it... ya know....