Kosher Advise Needed

[moodlymoo]

My mother in law wants me to set up and get her started raising chickens but they must be Kosher. I told her I would get her everything she needed and want to surprise her while she is on vacation. All I know 100% is they can not have oyster shells. What else do I need to know?

What can they eat and not eat?
Is there a special place for the coop and run ie facing east?
Any specific birds?

Ive done a google search and all its pulling up is about eating kosher

 

[deChickyHen]

I started a topic on here about a week or 2 ago, called cant eat oyster shells, got some pretty good info from alot of people , may something in there can help u out

 

[moodlymoo]

I was PMing you when you posted lol

 

[chickmashnoon]

I'm not jewish but I did date a couple of jewish guys and from what I understood is that it mainly resolves around the way that they are slaughtered. They should have their throats cut and completely drained of blood. Usually beef is salted in order to draw out the blood from the muscle, you may ask a rabbi or kosher cook about what to do with poultry. Also, you may not want to give them leftover meat scraps. Depending on how one interprets the Kosher laws, there are those that hold animals that eat other animals are off limits, expecially ones that eat dead animals. So, no dragging home that roadkill as free chicken food, altho there are many nonjewish that find that visual a bit disturbing. Also birds that you eat must be in good condition. no sick animals are to be consumed. Some of it depends on how strict you want to be kosher. You can raise and slaughter in a proper way but it is not really considered kosher unless a (rabbi? if i remember there is a particular position a person holds who goes around to inspect the butchering of livestock) However, that technicality may be able to be overlooked depending on how strict someone is with the dietary laws.

I don't think breed really matters but there is a meat breed called Kosher Kings

Did your mother in law give you any guidelines? Is she jewish or just wanting to practice Kosher for health reasons? If you cannot find a rabbi, you can ask an iman or mullah, halal dietary laws are similar enough that many muslims and jews will buy from each others communities in a pinch.

Good luck!
Salaam/Shalom

 

[SteveBaz]

I know that nothing bottom fish and oyster is a bottom feeder. It need to be blessed I believe by a Rabbi. You may want to call any local Temple and ask for their administration office just explain what your trying to do for you Mom and they will give you the information or to someone who can. Good luck to you, shalom

 

[OldGuy43]

First, I am not one of The Chosen People, so I am not an authority on the subject. Your best source of information would be a local Rabbi. I have always found them to be quite willing to answer any questions you might have. After all, most Rabbis are teachers.

Having said that I have gleaned some information that I believe to be accurate. Raising kosher is not that difficult. Basically, it means that you treat your animals well and ethically. I got this from an advertisement for a kosher farm:

They are never treated with antibiotics or hormones. They roam around the pasture freely. The farmers are committed to the highest standards of care for both the animals and the workers. The chicken is also certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union. This chicken meets the uppermost ethical and environmental standards as well as being traditionally Kosher,

The real problem comes at slaughter:

For poultry to be considered kosher, they must be in good health when slaughtered. The shochet (A person officially certified as competent to kill cattle and poultry in the manner prescribed by Jewish law.) must use a sharp knife and no stunning or electric shock is permissible before “shechita” (slaughter). Kosher poultry may not be heated, and blood must drip freely from the bird after slaughter. The knife must be sharp, the killing respectful, and the resulting blood symbolically “buried” under a floor covering – in this case a layer of sawdust, coal and ashes. The processing method is cold and no heat is ever applied.

Thank you chickmashnoon, I'd forgotten that Muslims also keep kosher.

Hope this helps.​

 

[Zanna]

We have friends who only eat Kosher foods. They can not eat our eggs because they are fertile. So, no roos with the flock. Other than that, I know nothing on the subject, hope it helps!

 

[chickmashnoon]

I have never heard of fertile eggs not being able to be eaten. In cooking, however, you must break eggs in a seperate bowl and toss out eggs with bloodspots, and then use a clean bowl to review the rest of them. The blood makes them not parve. Blood is held very sacred, represenative of life and is not to be consumed- at least that was how it was explained to me. Fertility has nothing to do with it, however, some people interpret blood spots as signs of fertility, so this may be the cause of the confusion.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Eggs with blood spots are not to be eaten. You should break them into a bowl before using them, to check for blood spots.