Michigan

[kimmie6067]

LOVE airstreams! Any place with a lot of them must be good!



That is what I was trying to say and our allergies are HORRIBLE here.


I was referring to the use of lights for extended hours and life in a cage as not being the natural life chickens are designed for. The fact of the matter is that it's not ignorance, and I am not whipping farmers and if the government had not created a dependance on fewer farmers by taking away many of our rights and changing our living dynamic we would not have to only rely on those few farmers for food, we would be able to provide it for ourselves like we should be in the first place. I have every respect for farmers, it's big business and their dirty practices that I don't have respect for. I never degraded or was rude to anyone, so I don't really think it is fair to be rude and degrading to me. There is plenty that I've posted that holds true...head down to some of the Tyson chicken farms and then tell me I'm wrong. Nuff said. I never admitted that I knew nothing of which I was speaking...I merely said that I was new, implying that maybe since I didn't know the now obvious pecking order of the group that you could cut me some slack, I am far from ignorant on any of the topics I spoke on. It is not propaganda, and I am plenty educated...I won't speak out against a topic if I don't feel I am. I do however find that typically people get more defensive, and hurtful when the things that are being said ring true, because it stings. If there was no truth to what I was saying, there would be no reason to degrade me to try to make your point.

I'm assuming the running joke is much more than that, and now I know, you are the one who puts people in their place and runs the show. Got it....noted, I am a peon who has not earned the right to speak out about things yet. However, I NEVER debate on topics when I feel like i will lose, so I will NOT dole out answers on subjects I know nothing about. You're right, it's not hard.

Sorry to have caused members to get so heated. I didn't realize my opinions would set others off so much. I will probably just lurk for awhile since I'm not feeling the warm welcome fuzzies anymore.

That's what I was going to say too.

You know this really all comes down to money. The farmer has to do what he/she has to do to get the most out of what he is growing or raising. Lets face it our food has lots of stuff in it we don't even know about or just now finding out about. My husband works for a fertilizer company so I do know what is being put on or used to grow our food. I have learned a lot of stuff I didn't really want to know. Anything to get a higher yield, even if it means not knowing for sure if it hurts us in a long run.

Kimmie

 

[Mom 2em All]

Sorry to here you were feeling a little lost today. While I don't know what it is like to lose a sibling, I do know how it feels to want to call/talk someone and you can't... you just can't because they aren't here anymore.

I like RaZ's saying "each one, teach one" too!

thank you. My brother didnt pass away, he just one day declared we were monsters and fell off the planet. He isnt missing, he has a wife and kids, but we havent heard a word in almost two years.

 

[kimmie6067]

One of the unfortunate realities of raising chickens is that there will always be more roosters than you can have or use. I have on occasion taken them to slaughter weight but with many breeds that isn't terribly cost effective. So now I cull them as newly hatched chicks. It's a sad task that I wish I didn't have to do but it is a reality of poultry raising.

Unless you are willing to do the same the only two options left to you are selling them or giving them away. Since there is a very limited demand for cockerels or roosters I don't think you can or should be too picky about what they want them for, just be glad that they are relieving you of the responsibility.

Opa I am so sad I have two roo's that I have to get "rid" of, two partridge rocks they are so pretty raised them from day old chicks I don't want to. They just started crowing today, it's so funny the sound like geese. More of a honk. I am keeping a blue orpington and a icelandic which I was sad to find out I have two.

Kimmie

 

[kimmie6067]

I chose to butcher mine when they are eating age. They are good for soups and stock, shredding for salads and tacos. I guess if some one wanted them for anything other than eating, I'd give them or sell em, but I figure, why give away a perfectly good meal that spent money and time on? 5-10 bucks from a perspective buyer... Well that does not cover my cost. But the cockerel sure will fill my kids bellies.

Nova, I am new to this chicken thing and can not kill it or have it killed then eat it. Maybe later when I get used to it. I wish I could though.

Kimmie

 

[uchytil]

Hi everyone! My laptop got fried during the last electrical storm so the iphone is it and seeing the sceen is for younger eyes than mine. Jumped on DW's desktop but her office is a tad small for my legs so my visits to BYC will be few and far between. I did get to read back a little. Someone asked why you need wood for maple syrup - I boil the sap on a wood fire outside. I also saw someone lost a relative overseas - my prayers go out to you and your family. I spent a year in Iraq and made it home. My service just celebrated their 222nd birthday - the USCG. All 5 branches of the Armed Services, and the National Guard, have sent our sons and daughters to these places so that we may enjoy our freedoms. After seeing most of the world first hand I still believe we have it the best!

Well off to do something useful. See ya'll again sometime.

John

 

[NovaAman]

[COLOR=0000CD]Nova, I am new to this chicken thing and can not kill it or have it killed then eat it. Maybe later when I get used to it. I wish I could though.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]Kimmie[/COLOR]

the first time, I took my neighbor with me so I would not cry. I cried like a baby over the first time I had to cull on my own. I love raising these guy. But I am also practical about it now.

 

[gladahmae]

Well, I'm not sure about my little splash marans chick. It has stopped sneezing, but seems......off. DH says that it's acting "weird." Everytime I go down to check on them, it's sitting off by itself, whereas before it was trying to snuggle under the older black copper marans chick. It did a lot of fluffing up/preening while I was down there this morning, but I don't know if that's a sign of it just feeling un-well or if that's just because of growing it's big-chick feathers. And now I'm nervous about putting it out in the divided run with the other chickens. I just don't know what to do with that little fluff ball!

My thermometer/hygrometer will be here tomorrow, and I'm going to see if I can get my incubator dialed in so I can hatch some babies and get them outside before November. Should I do a test-hatch first, with just a few eggs, or should I just go for it and put in all the kinds I want ? I feel like I've got a handle on what I'm *supposed* to do to get good results, but I also don't want to waste money on eggs and have a horrible hatch rate because I didn't anticipate something.

 

[jrsckn]

We did two cockerels our first time. It made it easier because we didn't know which one was which when we were eating them. There is a great satisfaction from raising and eating your own meat; you appreciate it more even if it is a little sad. With that said,I have 19 CX to process today, better get busy.

 

[RBahmer]

Well, I'm not sure about my little splash marans chick. It has stopped sneezing, but seems......off. DH says that it's acting "weird." Everytime I go down to check on them, it's sitting off by itself, whereas before it was trying to snuggle under the older black copper marans chick. It did a lot of fluffing up/preening while I was down there this morning, but I don't know if that's a sign of it just feeling un-well or if that's just because of growing it's big-chick feathers. And now I'm nervous about putting it out in the divided run with the other chickens. I just don't know what to do with that little fluff ball!

My thermometer/hygrometer will be here tomorrow, and I'm going to see if I can get my incubator dialed in so I can hatch some babies and get them outside before November. Should I do a test-hatch first, with just a few eggs, or should I just go for it and put in all the kinds I want ? I feel like I've got a handle on what I'm *supposed* to do to get good results, but I also don't want to waste money on eggs and have a horrible hatch rate because I didn't anticipate something.

In my own personal opinion if you are buying the eggs I would do a test hatch first. I didn't the first time and I bought eggs and out of 15 I only had one hatch. I would do a test hatch and make sure everything is set properly first. But, that's just my opinion.

 

[swampducks]

I started with CX so in the beginning it wasn't hard to send them to the butcher because they become so nasty looking as they get older, at least mine did, no feathers underneath, and icky butts When I got my first 6 straight run barred rocks, one died almost immediately and of the other 5 they turned out to be one pullet so I had 3 roos to get rid of. That time my FIL still had birds and took one, the others had to go. But DH dealt with it so I didn't really have to think about it. The next year I ordered my first 25 hatchery chicks also straight run, lots of cockerels. They all went to the butcher, I only kept the hens to go with Mr and Mrs Chicken. (Those first 2 BRs were the only chickens I've EVER named, if you consider that a name). within a couple of years Mrs Chicken went to the butcher as she stopped laying, as did a bunch of the newer hens because I just had too many. Even Mr Chicken went because he decided he wanted to beat up on the Buckeye roo I really liked (he went to a fox last year!!!

along with a few of my hens.)

Late last summer I got rid of all the chickens because I got so frustrated with them not laying. They just up and stopped. Couldn't figure out why. So off they went. I must say it was such an easy winter having to take care of only 5 guineas and 2 ducks! And SO much cheaper feed-wise!

I guess my point is don't name your birds, certainly not the ones you're going to eat, don't treat them like pets bringing them goodies, etc. I don't know if it helped me that I have hunted in the past, deer and squirrel and have gutted them myself. I do like knowing how to feed myself if I had to. I have yet to kill my own chicken, the Amish have a nice little business doing that here so I don't have to, but I figure I could if I needed to, especially if it isn't named. However, my DH, fortunately has no problem butchering them himself he he needs to, then he gives them to me for cleaning.

It has taken me two years, but I am taking in my first 3 roosters to be butchered on Wednesday! I however know I can't do the butchering and DH says they are mine so it's up to me.

I've only been part of this the Michigan group for a year. I have always appreciated the honesty and different opinions. I've seen some people get blasted but usually on subjects that have been gone over repeatedly and they are new and have no clue, I was there myself before. That said some people need a reality check and to realize raising chickens or animals in general isn't just fuzzy sweet. A harsh answer is nothing compared to being prepared to bury feet and wings, clean up the carnage after a neighbors dog, care for sick animals who came from a breeder and worse things like thinking of what Chicken Grandma and Farmerboy had to do. I guess for me I'd rather deal with a harsh answer than blunder ignorantly into doing something to hurt my flock. Chickens aren't for the faint of heart.