Maine

[NewEnglandChick]

My flock size is slowly getting down to the numbers I want to see. 7 pullets sold, about 7 more to go. Hoping to be able to cull the roos next week. Any one need a good flock master? I have some beautiful boys to choose from. All sons of my avatar. They may or may not pass on the blue egg gene.

No rooster needed, but would be interested in what you've got for pullets!!!

 

[buckabucka]

Thanks for the reply SCG. This hen is only a couple years old, but like yours, she seems pretty happy despite her shuffling gait. She looks like she is squatting for the rooster, or to lay an egg, but is frozen in that position and one leg turns in. I guess I'll just leave it alone for now.
I need to go look at my garlic! We sometimes wait too long. Do the leaves turn yellowish when it is ready to harvest?
I got a little garlic from you last year, but I ate it!

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes! I just lost a girl to a coon last weekend, so I'm on a rooster hunt. I'm in Bridgton, but for a good rooster I can travel some. Where are you? Would you have a hen or two to send with him so he has a flock that he knows while he's getting to know my girls?

PM sent.

Hello Mainers. I'm in Scarborough, squeezed in the middle of gorham, saco and buxton. I'm new to the BYC community. Started our venture into the chicken world last month with 6 hens and a roo. They were all 16 weeks when we got them. They've been great and we are getting eggs from 3 hens so far. Wanted to say hello and connect with some other chicken farmers in the area. Hope you're all enjoying the nice weather finally!

Welcome to the Maine thread! We're a small bunch. Pretty quiet here, unless there are predator issues!

Garden is doing fairly well. I have my first cucumber blossom. the Sugar Snaps are 7.5' tall! Planting of corn and beans in BTE orchard look wonderful: very dark green. Any one got Japanese beetles yet? I have yet to see any here ... YET. Don't miss them!

 

[buckabucka]

I've seen a few Japanese beetles, but not many so far...

 

[combatfuzzball]

Hey everyone! Sorry haven't posted lately. wife used up 20 GB of data binge watching SVU on her days off. LOL so no internet other than phone. I've locked my hens into the coop starting today since my sister has chickens younger than mine and has been getting eggs. Needless to say my 8 roosters were not very happy with being taken away from their ladies.
I'll probably be trying to build an add on with nesting boxes to the coop this weekend along with getting the fencing put up. Using hog wire for lower part and chicken wire for the upper (roofing) part of the run. I will be most likely thinning my roosters down in a few weeks. I have 2 that are complete and total A-holes to the other chickens. 1 actually attacks ALL the chickens not just the roosters.
Looking for any suggestions on how to humanely butcher as well. Looking up nesting box plans now.

 

[combatfuzzball]

Okay! well I didn't let my hens out today and my smallest hen Honor just laid an egg within the last half hour. She was standing over it and picking up pieces of litter and placing it on her back.
Why would a hen do this? It was completely planned and I watched her do it several times until I picked the egg up.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I need to go look at my garlic! We sometimes wait too long. Do the leaves turn yellowish when it is ready to harvest?
I got a little garlic from you last year, but I ate it!

About 3 weeks after you cut scapes when the lowest 2 leaves start to turn brown but the top leaves are all green...

I have 2 that are complete and total A-holes to the other chickens. 1 actually attacks ALL the chickens not just the roosters.
Looking for any suggestions on how to humanely butcher as well. Looking up nesting box plans now.

Are you looking to eat them later or just kill?

Couple ways to cull:
1. Axe meets head
2. Break neck manually
3. Cut carotid

I prefer #1.

I put 2 screws into a stump or a butchering table about an inch apart and kinda in a V shape. I take about a 2 foot rope and make a noose around each end that I can loosen and tighten when needed. These go around the ankles.

Head in the V screws. Hold feet (not rope). Kinda pull but not hard so the head doesnt move in the screws.

Axe. As high up as you can.

Immediately take bird and hang it by the rope on a screw you put somewhere else to hang them (I put it on the wooden edge of our firewood pile holder like so / and then just hang the bird for 2 minutes or so). It'll flap but with no head it isn't feeling pain. It'll bleed out.

I then grab waterproof grilling gloves and shove the bird into a 145F water bath (with some liquid soap put in it which will help break the oil on the feathers down). Dunk and swirl to get into all the feather bases. I dunk about 10 times, then test the wings and butt feathers (the real hard thick feathers). If they pull out easy, I then dunk the bird into a 5 gallon bucket of cold water to stop the process. If they don't pull easy, back in the hot water swirling for 5 more dunks or so. Repeat until the hard feathers pull easy, then the cold water dunk, then I swing the bird to "dry" it. Too long and you'll start to scald the skin off. It's still fine just not pretty.

Pluck.

Remove rope from the feet. Start butchering.

If you want to butcher, for a meal I have a step by step instruction. PM me with your email address.

I do not save the feet or the intestines/digestive tract or head. Pretty much everything else gets used. I even have a fly tier that takes my feathers.

Hope this helps.

If you need pictures I can probably dig some up.

 

[buckabucka]

I have a new problem with my rooster. He was on the roost this morning (very unusual) and stayed up there when I put down feed and released everyone outside. He looked fine, but just sat there. I went about a few chores and he finally crowed and jumped down.

Late afternoon I went out to feed the flock and there he was on the roost again, looking lethargic and drooping his head once. I brought a cage out there, and he came back to life somewhat when I stuck him in there, but he can't open one of his eyes. It seems like if it were just an injury to the eye, he wouldn't be acting lethargic, unless he has an infection or something. His crop wasn't stuffed, but it wasn't totally empty either. Anyone know of a disease that causes lethargy and a stuck eye? I have no idea what to do, other than keep an eye on him (no pun intended )

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Anyone near Bangor or Shapleigh that wouldn't mind going into a quilt shop and grabbing me a (free) row by row pattern?

 

[NewEnglandChick]

I need some help Mainers...

Thought I was doing a good thing for a lady who needed all her chickens gone due to association rules. She said she had Brahma hens, but after seeing photos (of them while roosting) I knew they were BR but was fine with that and went to pick them up...

...and as it turns out, it looks like all 4 are cockerals.

Hubby isn't up for keeping to eat and I don't want that many roosters. Is anyone in the midcoast area that wants them for either keeping or eating?! Or know of anyone who would take them? Just need to come pick them up!