Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[EverMystique1]

I became a chick mommy again today. 4 of the 10 known ones so far. Not sure about several other eggs. Won't be able to candle them for a couple of days.

 

[Lisa and girls]

Zombie chicken. That story is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I'll admit to trying to whack one over the head once, before putting into the cone but it just looked at me as if to say "excuse me but THAT HURT!" So I gave up and put it in the cone. Finally got a new camera. Nothing fancy but the important thing is that it's a Sony because they fit my old Konica Minolta lenses. So it's the best of the entry level Sony DSLR's, A65. I was impressed with its low light capabilities. Couldn't have taken a photo like these with my old camera in the cave that is our barn, not without a lot of graininess. I sacrifice a bit of depth of field but I'm not complaining. The camera makes it easy to keep that focus where you want it. I'm whole again. Wheaten Marans rooster Buff Brahma pullet, Poppy

Beautiful pictures!!!

 

[naglady]

You put your pet chicken in the garbage??

I bury all mine that have died.

Good Morning! Looks like a pretty day.

Will be camping in Holland. Love that area.

Oh my that does sound bad doesnt it.. well if it makes you feel better i also put them in my freezer and oven..
I do love my chickens but to me they are pets / farm animals.. and we have a understanding between us.
hope i didnt offend you.. sorry if i did..

 

[Trefoil]

Jake- You got babies?

 

[tdhenson86]

Zombie chicken. That story is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I'll admit to trying to whack one over the head once, before putting into the cone but it just looked at me as if to say "excuse me but THAT HURT!" So I gave up and put it in the cone. Finally got a new camera. Nothing fancy but the important thing is that it's a Sony because they fit my old Konica Minolta lenses. So it's the best of the entry level Sony DSLR's, A65. I was impressed with its low light capabilities. Couldn't have taken a photo like these with my old camera in the cave that is our barn, not without a lot of graininess. I sacrifice a bit of depth of field but I'm not complaining. The camera makes it easy to keep that focus where you want it. I'm whole again. Wheaten Marans rooster Buff Brahma pullet, Poppy

Wow! What great color on your birds! They're gorgeous!

 

[NovaAman]

In the middle of winter, I have also put them in the garbage for pick up. How the heck do you dig a hole in winter? You don't. I used to bury them, but now I run into the odd remains, so I contribute to the circle and bring them way out in the woods. Kinda like an offering, hoping what ever comes across will be happy and leave my live ones alone.

FYI, Sept 13 Hudsonville dental is having their first anual have a heart for smiles, or something like that. Get their early, you can get a free cleaning, fillings, extractions all day.

 

[yorkchick]

Wow, thanks, people, all the culling stories are making me feel slightly better about how badly I did with Stewie, the Rasputin of Roosters. I know we've been a little graphic with descriptions here but it's certainly been helpful to me; just the same, here's a **warning**: the following will not be to your taste if you want to avoid graphic descriptions of a chicken slaughter done without skill. I tried cervical dislocation with his head under a board while I stood on the board, I thought I gave a good yank, I thought his neck felt broken, so I put him in a trash bag (no, he did not rate burial, sorry...), sealed up the bag, started cleaning up--looked over, the bag seemed to be moving a bit, told myself it was just muscle movement after death, completely normal, it would stop soon. Looked again, the movement was definitely rhythmic, like breathing. Uh oh. Then he freaking stood up inside the trash bag. I honestly don't think I got as far as Nova--I don't think I broke his neck at all, So I took him out of the bag and tried a couple of other cervical dislocation methods using my hands. No success. No doubt due to a failure of the will. And remember, this is the only chicken I have ever owned that I have had not the tiniest shred of affection for... so I felt that if I couldn't cull him, I was pretty much a loser all around... Anyway, back in the pie-in-the-sky days when I thought I'd be able to eat him (I'd changed my mind and rushed the cull because he'd become infested with maggots for the second time as you may or may not recall from my previous post about this ,,,) I had thought I might do the deed by pithing, because "if it's done right," it's supposed to be quick, relatively humane, and make the carcass easier to pluck. And I had bought a traffic cone to use as a killing cone even.

Of course I had not thought the whole set up through yet. I put Stewie back in a cat carrier and he seemed dazed but like he was going to be okay (except for that whole maggotty butt thing

). I managed to rig up the cone to hang from a wood pallet balanced on two sawhorses. I put Stewie in it but duh, it was too narrow at the end for his head to fit through. Back in the crate with Stewie. Cut down the cone until his head fits. Now, I don't really have a good pithing tool--like an ice pick or a fish filetting knife--but I have a reasonably sharp small knife. So I open his beak and aim for the groove on the roof of his mouth. And I don't think I did it right. I mean, stuff dripped out (I said graphic, I did, I did!) but he kept opening and closing his mouth. For a long time. I know people usually also cut the jugular when they pith so I tried to do that too. Maybe I didn't go deep enough. Still opening and closing his mouth. In the end, I went and got garden lopper shears and that did it.

Horrible. I feel if I knew what I was doing it should have gone much more swiftly and painlessly. But thank you to those of you who shared your difficulties, I don't feel quite as alone. I think I might do the "chop the head off" next time as that at least would be a sure thing. Because there will be a next time, unfortunately, and I need to be able to do it myself without any help. Well, that's not really true at all. I have the virtual help of all of you.

 

[chickflick]

 

[yorkchick]

Sorry, chickflick!

I am not proud of myself! I wouldn't have done it the way I did if I knew how bad at it I was going to be!

 

[NovaAman]

I know how you feel. I felt absolutely horrid, and then even worse when I found her ALIVE the next day!