INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
I took 2 cockerels there for the first time ever last November. It was the only time. I was able to see the ladies working, but did not see the "kill" area. I asked them if I could do a "tour" and watch their process sometime and they told me to just call and let them know and that would be fine. They start work very early - it was either 5am or 4am...I don't remember which. If I wanted to see the "kill" , I needed to be there early.

I do want to go back for the tour as it is important to me to see how they do the "kill" and to observe the stress level on the birds. That may change my opinion of taking birds there.

I did like the atmosphere in the area I did see. But I'd also like to know if they are using a "bleach wash" as I prefer not to have my birds bleached. If I do meat birds any time soon, I may just need to do it myself so that I know how they're treated, that their last hours aren't filled with stress, and that the processing is done in a way that will provide the healthiest meat in the end. The jury is out until I visit and then consider how much time I want to put into it myself.

I think that having a "processing buddy" or 2 would make it more "enjoyable for processing a bunch of meat birds. Would make the time go quicker and make for some good company.



I know of a couple families that knew that they would have to process their older hens at some point and so they made a "deal". They decided that, since they had few hens and "know" them all that it would be hard to process them on the emotional side. They decided that when the time came, they'd trade hens and each do the other's so that it wasn't like processing a "friend". I don't know if they ever did it, but it seems like that would make things easier on old hens. I think with the meat birds it wouldn't be such an attachment.

So far I've never processed one of my hens. The birds we learned on were "strangers" to me so there was no attachment.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@SallyinIndiana
When I was here at Martins, it was apx $3/adult chicken. If you wanted the "giblets" it was another .50 I think. They also processed turkeys and it was reasonable. If I remember correctly right around $5.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

@SallyinIndiana
When I was here at Martins, it was apx $3/adult chicken. If you wanted the "giblets" it was another .50 I think. They also processed turkeys and it was reasonable. If I remember correctly right around $5.

See I would do that. I found a person on FB that was setting up this traveling unit to come to homesteads and farms. It all sounded great. But then when he posted his prices, his prices for roosters that were dual purpose were just higher than what I wanted to pay.

 

[ChickCrazed]

See I would do that. I found a person on FB that was setting up this traveling unit to come to homesteads and farms. It all sounded great. But then when he posted his prices, his prices for roosters that were dual purpose were just higher than what I wanted to pay.

I'd really like to find someone also but won't pay $8 a bird. The traveling processor needs to have a trip fee if a certain number of birds aren't met, rather than jacking up his prices. That seems like it would be a smarter business model to me.

 

[Bawk]

Doesn't greenwood have a butcher? @sallyinindiana

 

[Bawk]

So...today is the long- awaited day! I get to pick up my chickens, just 7 total but @raicinchkins had the highest hatch rate. 4 Cream Legbars, 2 TP, 1 Gold Bravanter total... Will be getting more hatching eggs.

Two of the Cream Legbars are Reesline Roos I will not be keeping. So just 5 chickens this round. I do think the postal service scrambled the eggs from the one farm!! Not giving up yet though. Hoping the gold Bravanter is a pullet and at least one polish is also. Hoping the two TP are not both grizzled also!

Anyway, it is a start. The Legbars, 4 out of 6 great! The one from other hatchery really must have had rough treatment in mail, 2 from raisinchickins and just one from our other friend hatched!

Excited about 2 CCL pullets, 2 TP and one GB though!

I will try to post pictures later if I can drag myself away from the chicken house!

 

[Indyshent]

Well, I really wanted to post pictures but still haven't found my phone.

My teenie weenie mille fleur D'Uccle roo has taken well to the bigger silkie from @chickrookie and the seven muscovy ducklings from @jchny2000 , but neither of them seem to like the four bitty silkies, so I'm having to keep both of the bigger birds sequestered from the babies. Nobody was hurt, but I just didn't like them nipping at the babies. On the upside, the silkies are thoroughly enjoying scratching through my compost pile. The bigger silkie has hit it off pretty well with the whole flock and everyone's leaving her alone, except the other bantams who get along swimmingly with her. She's been helping me weed and de-pest the garden, too

I went around the neighborhood today, picking dandelions, ornamental strawberries and apples for the birds, and the whole 5-gallon bucket was a big hit in the yard! Had to slice the super-hard apples into smaller pieces, but so far, everyone's enjoying them.

 

[ellymayRans]

@pbirdhaven if you're out there you are now a grams! My IB pair have added their first additions to our family! I know both parents are split and must be BS (black shoulder) because I believe this babe pictured here is a Black shoulder. No way my white yearling is a daddy yet!

The other babe is a IB but haven't gotten a good enough look to see if there's any white on it.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Doesn't greenwood have a butcher? @sallyinindiana

Archers the one in greenwood does not do chickens. They recommend this old farm farm. That is over an hour away and while I will consider it, it would take a lot of planning for how to get enough roosters up there economically and in good time to make it work.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

"What!?! You came without treats & dare ask me about eggs!"



This little gal looks so offended. LOL

Nah, that's just Elda's look of, 'Put down the camera and give me my cuddles already!' A look I'm quite familiar with from her.

Quite familiar...

Seriously, she's always done it.