Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Huston's Happy Hens]

Unwanted rooster/cockerels... Being realistic, unless you find someone who NEEDS a roo for their flock, because the last one passed... or what ever, you are more than likely NOT going to find someone who wants a roo for anything but dinner.

I know here in Holland, if I post a roo for free, there will be very quick takers, and I know exactly what will happen to them. They'll be dinner for some one else who doesn't mind processing. They'll even come and take them for processing for dog food on the older roos. So, instead, I just take mine to a processor, pay the $2 a bird, bag em myself at pick up and have a meal. Yes, it was hard the first time, and I freely admit that I went with the neighbor so I wouldn't cry. Now I am an old pro at taking them. I have decided that, yes, I love hearing them crow it out all day, I love their beautiful colors. Most of them are mutts too, so I only try and find homes for the pures, and only if their coloring looks right. I do not have room for every chick that hatches here and grows up. I keep the girls for replacement, and I eat the boys. The boys at least I know have had lots of sun, grass, bugs, lived a good life. and that good life is going to make a healthy dinner for my family.

I am not adverse to eating them, and to be honest, when I got my marans roo, Strutter, and I picked him up for the first time and got my grubby paw around his thigh, my first thought was, wow, he's going to make me some nice boys for Sunday meals. He's a 14 pound roo. One of his ladies, she's 8 pounds easy, and so I am figuring their offspring are going to be nice and hefty.

Thanks for the input....I have to agree with you....we have been at this for 5 years, and we are now looking for our FIRST time to have some of the roos we have processed for us! We have purchased other birds from people who raise them for meat, so I really don't see a difference, now that we have rationalized the issue....Actually, I'd rather eat a chicken that I've had the pleasure of caring for than one from the store or from someone else's hand....question: what is the usual age that you will have your roos processed and where do you have this done? Thanks -

 

[RaZ]

Yea calf. She is a purdy little thang!

I don't mind seeing birds of prey even though I have lost a couple of hens over the past couple of years. I'm happy to see a hawk here in the 'burbs. Since my chickens were re-homed, I have started to see mice roaming around under the bird feeder and I had chipmunks for the first time ever.

I spent most of the weekend splitting and stacking that big white ash tree. There is a lot of good firewood there. I still have the maple tree to work on. You've heard of corn mazes but I'm going to build a wood rack maze.

 

[mg15]

Just had my first hawk attack today.. one of my young 5 month olds.. I was able to salvage the breast and legs meat..
chickens are locked up now till we know for sure they are safe or we can be out there with them.. they have a big area in the back yard that is fenced in with access to two coops for protection.
how long before i can let them back out..
probably when we know for sure the hawk is gone.
.

this is something that I dread. I have chased off the hawk twice. This is in the city. It's a sharp shinned hawk. He is a sneaky one. Does a fly over. I would be sick if he took one of my girls. Once he saw the girls he comes back about once a week. Today was his day.

 

[dwalters]

I have seen some rather large hawks this year also. I lost one, my neighbors lost seven red sex links and some down the road had a smaller one flying in the barn and grabbing their bantams right off the roost. It seems like they have been more of a nuisance this year. Also like there's more. I have seen them hunting in twos and threes around here.

 

[NovaAman]

Juvenile hawks will hunt together after leaving the nest, so will nesting pairs.

I call the processer about 3 weeks prior to when they need to be done. I usually wait till they are 18-20 weeks, but this last time I did them at 16, and the meat had a much nicer flavor. I haven't done an old bird yet, though Florus, who's a bit over a year, sometimes makes me consider it, and then he does something nice, like running off a pestering youngster from a mama and her babies. LOL. I understand that brining and pressure cooking an older bird make for a tastier stock and softer meat.

 

[kitty928]

Anyone in the Lansing area build or know of someone who builds chicken runs?

 

[tsetse9]

Anyone in the Lansing area build or know of someone who builds chicken runs?

I Dont, but we are working on getting a shed converted and i posted an ad on craigslist. You post it in the "gigs" section short term jobs. I posted for a handyman preferably with knowledge of coops and got lots of responses. Worth a shot!

 

[Opa]

The last several days we have eaten meals prepared with things either grown, caught, or hunted by our efforts. Besides being less expensive the improvement in taste over commercially processed foods is quite apparent. What I'm enjoying the most right now is the fresh sweet corn. Corn that is cooked scant hours after harvesting tastes so much better than corn that is many hours or even days from harvest in amazing.

I remember my grandmother would only fix corn that she picked just as soon as there was enough light for her to see. She claim any later it wouldn't be fit to eat. I had always assumed that it was just an old wives tale directing her efforts. Many years later I found out that there was fact in her effort. Corn sugars start breaking down immediately and the warmer it gets and the longer it is kept after picking does affect the taste. Ideally one should pick it before the sun has had a chance to warm the kernels and it should then be refrigerated until time to cook it. This delays the breakdown of the plant sugars thereby giving you a much sweeter tasting product.

Tomorrow afternoon I have a doctor's appointment to have the bursa or "popeye's elbow" treated by needle aspiration. While I am anxious to have the procedure done I am still not looking forward to having a large needle stuck in me. Olecranon bursitis can be caused by a single injury to the elbow or by repetitive action such as resting your elbows on a table. It can also be caused by rheumatoid arthritis so I am curious as to which the doctor thinks caused mine. I vaguely remember bumping my elbow a few weeks ago but I also have been experiencing a lot of pain and discomfort in my left thumb and wrist that has resulted in a pronounced loss of strength in that hand. I'm wondering if the two aren't related.

No matter the outcome I still will not allow it to change my belief that each day is wonderful and that the flowers petals smell better than the roots. Each day is a gift to cherish and we should share the joy of life with family, friends, and everyone we meet.

 

[uchytil]

Yep, Potato salad w/ our pontiacs freshly dug, eggs from the coop of course. Corn just picked for the meal (I have way too much again and still have a load from last year).

One of my goats seems lethargic. Usually she is jumping all around. No outward signs. Eyes are clear. Tail seems a little low. Maybe a gut issue? Anyone got any general ideas based on nothing more than general lack of interest in being queen of the castle? Usually she'd be on top of her house but not for a week.

 

[taprock]

It has been a nice week here. I have seen the sunrise every morning and we have had deer in the back every day - all day long. I am wondering if the hawk were late with their babies this year or if they are migrating early because we have had them all over the place also. Last year we had a hawk pick off 6 chickens in a two week time frame. We then penned everyone for 3 weeks before we let them out again. They will just keep coming back to the chicken buffet and the little ones go first but they can certainly take out a standard. After last year our chickens know how to hide really well.

We took 17 chickens to the fair yesterday. There was a rather disappointing show of chickens, however my son looks at it that he has less competition. The day ended with a migraine and my lap dog therapy.


So off we go to Petoskey today to care for the birds. At least it feels like summer this week. I hope to enjoy it with my week off.