Ok, so my vegetarian husband will eat meat from our own stock. He's been waiting around for me to have a bird to eat for awhile now. I've added ducks, since the boys don't crow, and have selected 3 chicken hens to cull to make way for ducks, we're going to throw a wall up down the center of the coop, which will skew the square footage on the chickens. So, 3 have to go. He was mad at me yesterday because everything I have is a non-setter. He was like, if the power goes out, what is going to hatch these eggs? LOL Operation Find A Broody is now underway.
What supplies do I need for culling? I've processed roosters before, but was never the one to do the deed itself.
Which is better for a newbie? Cone and blade, or block of wood and hatchet?
I saw a great pictorial and some refresher videos on processing, I feel like we're ready to go but the procrastination is still hanging in the air. One of the hens I plain don't like, she's mean, hateful, older, her eggs are getting smaller and less frequent. The other two, I like them! But their time is limited as soon as the 3 pullets start laying to keep my egg production where it is. I get between 3-5 eggs a day from 5 hens old enough to lay, the 3 pullets are squatting and going red in the face, so they should start up soon. It was easy to pick who, buuuuuut... now I need to muster the strength to actually follow through on this big plan I have and not put them on CL for $5 each. It will defeat the purpose of why we're doing this if I chicken out.
I bought Flemish rabbit doelings, will find a buck later when they're older, to raise meet bunnies. The ducks too, I will sell ducklings and pairs, but the extra boys... over rice.
But if I can't do the chickens, I won't be able to do any of them either! The critters are getting progressively cuter! The vegetarian said he would do it if I do the tedious processing. This was all his idea anyways, I'm cool with organic beef from the store and eggs from my pets, and the occasional squirrel my brother gets. LOL
He's never done it before, or even processed anything, city boy, through and through, that has lately decided he needs to know where his food is coming from and he refuses to eat meat from corporate America. That goes with fish too, won't touch it if it's from Asia since he doesn't like how they operate. So... his intentions are good, but the experience isn't there. Plus he's fond of one of the chickens slotted for freezer camp.
I guess the real question, besides what method to use, is how best to get over that first time?
What supplies do I need for culling? I've processed roosters before, but was never the one to do the deed itself.
Which is better for a newbie? Cone and blade, or block of wood and hatchet?
I saw a great pictorial and some refresher videos on processing, I feel like we're ready to go but the procrastination is still hanging in the air. One of the hens I plain don't like, she's mean, hateful, older, her eggs are getting smaller and less frequent. The other two, I like them! But their time is limited as soon as the 3 pullets start laying to keep my egg production where it is. I get between 3-5 eggs a day from 5 hens old enough to lay, the 3 pullets are squatting and going red in the face, so they should start up soon. It was easy to pick who, buuuuuut... now I need to muster the strength to actually follow through on this big plan I have and not put them on CL for $5 each. It will defeat the purpose of why we're doing this if I chicken out.
I bought Flemish rabbit doelings, will find a buck later when they're older, to raise meet bunnies. The ducks too, I will sell ducklings and pairs, but the extra boys... over rice.
But if I can't do the chickens, I won't be able to do any of them either! The critters are getting progressively cuter! The vegetarian said he would do it if I do the tedious processing. This was all his idea anyways, I'm cool with organic beef from the store and eggs from my pets, and the occasional squirrel my brother gets. LOL
He's never done it before, or even processed anything, city boy, through and through, that has lately decided he needs to know where his food is coming from and he refuses to eat meat from corporate America. That goes with fish too, won't touch it if it's from Asia since he doesn't like how they operate. So... his intentions are good, but the experience isn't there. Plus he's fond of one of the chickens slotted for freezer camp.
I guess the real question, besides what method to use, is how best to get over that first time?
