Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[bigmrg74]

So yesterday I took a class called Chicken Butchering 101. I've started getting my feed again at a farm in Superior Township that Raz originally mentioned--they run a sort of buying cooperative and you can sign up to get organic chicken feed, for less than organic runs at the local feed mill ("Belle Ami Farm: Our Handmade Life"). They also teach various homesteading classes, some through Washtenaw Community College, and some on their own. They have classes in soap making and bee keeping and backyard chicken keeping--and chicken butchering. As a few of you may unfortunately remember, I had to cull a rooster last year and it did not go well, due to my lack of experience. So I signed up for the class to get some actual hands-on instruction.

It's a very thorough class and as hand-on as you want it to be (one participant was a little too woozy to do anything to watch, everyone else processed one or more chickens from live chicken to bagged for the refrigerator). Very complete explanations. The instructor has both extensive backyard farming and chef experience, and also interest in seeing that the experience minimizes stress to the birds. He also has a lot of good suggestions about making processing more efficient.

All that said, it's not an inexpensive class to take. If you wanted to learn this stuff and knew someone who was butchering their own birds, signing up as free labor would be a good way to go. But if you didn't have that but wanted to butcher your own meat birds, this would definitely give you a good start--better than reading about it or even watching videos.

I myself at this point have no desire to raise birds for meat. But at some point I am going to have to cull another bird for health reasons, or because I have too many roosters. I still don't feel great about it. But I feel a little better than I did yesterday.

Sounds like a good class to take. Make sure you're doing it correctly. Any idea of when they're having some more of those classes in the future??

 

[Opa]

From the lack of posts it seems everyone took advantage of the weekend weather.

 

[SillyChicken]

Yep, Friday I went to a dedication ceremony at Siena Heights for my college professor who passed away last yr. He was a good friend too. They put up a sculpture garden in his memory. I was hoping to put something in it as well, but time and money always get in the way. We got the sliding doors finished on the run in shed and got it cleaned it out, added fresh bedding. It makes chores much quicker and easier with those doors, now I don't have to walk out and around the building or half way across the pasture to the gate. Cleaned all the coops. Got a couple rides both bike and challenger.........was a busy weekend for sure.

 

[chickflick]

We took 6 of my grnad girls (11 and under) camping in Port Huron. Had a fun weekend trick or treating! Great weekend for it!!

 

[tntchix]

Spent the weekend w/my parents. They have not been to my house since before Dad got sick 5 yrs ago. As usual, she recleaned everything I painstakingly scrubbed and cleaned myself the week before. Tells me she isn't a clean freak anymore.

Yeah right.
All in all, good visit though.

 

[RaZ]

Spent the weekend w/my parents. They have not been to my house since before Dad got sick 5 yrs ago. As usual, she recleaned everything I painstakingly scrubbed and cleaned myself the week before. Tells me she isn't a clean freak anymore.

Yeah right.
All in all, good visit though.

Send her my way. My dust bunnies have become sentient.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

There's a lot of people missing in the MI thread

I will hopefully be getting a oegb and sebright banty roosters from a friend before they are culled. I have 5 bantys and the other 9 are med-large fowl. Would I only be able to take one if the roosters if I and up taking them?

 

[tntchix]

Send her my way. My dust bunnies have become sentient.

Oh RaZ, that made my day. She's on her way.

 

[snowflake]

We took 6 of my grnad girls (11 and under) camping in Port Huron. Had a fun weekend trick or treating! Great weekend for it!!

That is early, but sounds like fun we were going to Clarkston, but daughter doesn't want to drive that far

 

[zoey87]

Hello,I was just wondering if I could join the thread? I live in Ohio but we are very close to the Michigan/Ohio line. I grew up in a very small town called Sand Creek which is near Adrian MI. We have a very small flock of 4 hens but are looking to expand. Raising egglayers is all very new and exciting we are definetly loving it!