Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

I love rabbit meat aswell, I have never raised them and don't really see myself in the near future raising them. But when I do catch one with my .17 its goes straight to the crock pot.

I am certain that the rabbits and hares in the wild have a much different flavor than the tender bunnies I have. LOL DH wants me to make rabbit runs for them so they can be on the ground. Little does he realize, that also opens them up for more problems like parasites to have to deal with and treat. I have never had worms even in the rabbits being cage raised. It feels like they should be out on the ground sometimes, but they are domestics that would never survive outside on their own. Some are pets and some are livestock, but they are all well cared for. The meaties don't get handled much though.
I use a .22 to put them down when I process them. I cannot bring myself to do the broom behind the neck method, I would probably puke trying that.

 

[KlopKlop]

You may end up with some all white birds, depending on what those colorful boys really carry. I would expect some that are white with red leakage at different degrees, kind of like Ralphie got with his Rainbow and Bert crosses. But seeing that the white is the hen, it may come out differently. Maybe I will look that up. Hmmm, probably in January sometime

It would be Conrad, my rainbow, and Buck, my buckeye as far as 'colorful boys'. I haven't been brave enough to put more than one roo in a pen even though there are 25-30 hens in each pen. maybe next year I will keep back a cockerel or two from the breeding program.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I even use my 17 for shooting squirrels, there is not as much damage as you would think. I try to head shot them but I shake too bad to get the head every time. ( you add another 30 years on and see if you are a steady as you are now)....

However. I only eat the hind quarters of the squirrels, there is just not enough meat on the rest of them to make it worth while. (IMHO)







Sorry I over slept this morning and did not get here for the early morning round of coffee, I will buy the next round. I have an excuse though. The last two nights I have had terrible knee pain and took my pain pills. They tend to knock me out. My DW thinks I should tell the Dr it is time for the knee replacement, I want to hold off about 5 years before I do that.

You stubborn men!!! Go get the knees done and stop torturing yourself!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Back to chickens,

To those of you who dont/wont butcher your chickens what do you do when they get to that age where they stop laying consistently? Do you let them pass due to old age? Is there a chicken retirement home place you can send them too?

The reason I ask is this, the chickens I have now I consider my egg laying "pets" so when the time comes in a few years where they start losing their keep Im not sure what I will be able to do. They are dual purpose breeds and would fill the freezer nicely, but when I decided to get chickens it was for eggs and a hobby, not for meat. I feel like I owe it to these birds to go through their cycle but I also dont want to be around finding my birds dead of old age either.
I have no problems butchering animals and I plan on buying some CX next spring for that purpose.

You'e be feeding those freeloaders a while if you just let the die of natural causes. I don't butcher mine, I sell them to people who want to do that with them. They usually go with a batch of roosters when I sell the extras off.
The other option is to have the butchered then can them. That way you have tender, very chickeny tasting meat ready to go in soups and casseroles without the hassle of thawing and cutting and cooking. You put it in the jars with a pinch of salt, pressure can for 20 minutes and put it on the shelf. Doing it bone-in adds to the flavor. I like it and use it that way with some, but my kids are grossed out by how it looks, so I have to wash the jars quick before they see I used the canned stuff. LOL

 

[Minniechickmama]

Hey Foxy! How about some pictures of your little kiddo?? I am sure you have been busy with mommy duty, but I know I would love to see your bounding bundle!

 

[scandiafowl]

@duluthralphie

Is my Crested Cream Legbar rooster the same as the Creamettes you write about?

 

[scandiafowl]

You'e be feeding those freeloaders a while if you just let the die of natural causes.  I don't butcher mine, I sell them to people who want to do that with them.  They usually go with a batch of roosters when I sell the extras off.  
The other option is to have the butchered then can them.  That way you have tender, very chickeny tasting meat ready to go in soups and casseroles without the hassle of thawing and cutting and cooking.  You put it in the jars with a pinch of salt, pressure can for 20 minutes and put it on the shelf.  Doing it bone-in adds to the flavor.  I like it and use it that way with some, but my kids are grossed out by how it looks, so I have to wash the jars quick before they see I used the canned stuff.  LOL

Just wish I could find someone to do it for me.

 

[KlopKlop]

@duluthralphie

Is my Crested Cream Legbar rooster the same as the Creamettes you write about?

Be careful how loud you type those words! You could draw the Cream Legbar fanatics into our hallowed thread!

 

[duluthralphie]

@duluthralphie

Is my Crested Cream Legbar rooster the same as the Creamettes you write about?

I hate to say "yes" to this question,,,, simply replying in the positive could bring the wrath of the Snobby Cream Bar Society down my neck,

I am on a one person mission to change the name of them to "creamettes". It is so much cooler sounding and less pretentious. I am not a pretentious type person, in case you hadn't known.

Does yours look like mine in the picture I titled " A box of Creamettes"?

 

[FoxyChicken]

Hey Foxy! How about some pictures of your little kiddo?? I am sure you have been busy with mommy duty, but I know I would love to see your bounding bundle!

Who? me? My only bounding bundles have feathers and they came from you!

I'll post some 20-week pics of them tomorrow