NY chicken lover!!!!

[myfivegirls]

Well, any extra roosters beyond the 3 I'm growing out for guy who likes them "NY dressed", I'll keep that in mind.

I will gladly take you outcast boys. If you want to bring them here instead of auction I'm sure we can make a plan that gets us both money for feed.

Well, the # of roosters I hatch & raise per year is more than probably you'd want! I think there's been close to 100 young cockerels I took to the auction (spread out over a year), and that Doesn't count the ~24 I currently have that are "keepers", grow-outs to later select who'd be best for breeding & a few for the table. Neither does that count the ones that I grew out to fill our freezer and sold for people's flocks.
So, in a year's time, I have a lot of roosters, to say the least!
While Cornish are the most "meaty" & have a much shorter growing time, I'd love it if the "normal size" chickens became popular again for meat, so these "extra boys" would have a purpose again!

This photo relates to a hilarious story I wrote on my blog - "Are Chickens Really Dumb?"

My kids were trying to roost in the pines as well when training to the coop. Trying to find the AC kids in the dark was a challenge!

I don't know if you read the story or not, but my 2 adult Spitzhaubens played hide & go seek, plus flew up so high, there was no getting them out of the tree! I've had young pullets roost in trees before, but most could be reached & put inside the coop. But, not these girls!

 

[Chicken girl 15]

@myfivegirls if this family is as serious as they seem I could easily go through 200 a year. They want 2 every 2 weeks. That's just to start. I'm down o only a couple with large combs so might need help soon.

 

[myfivegirls]

@myfivegirls if this family is as serious as they seem I could easily go through 200 a year. They want 2 every 2 weeks. That's just to start. I'm down o only a couple with large combs so might need help soon.

Oh, I see! I don't have any extras right now, they still need to grow a little more or are too old.
I have two big roosters from early 2016 hatch, but they'd be over 8 months, more like 10-12 mo. They're brothers & I have to choose at some point which to keep & which to go. One is bigger framed, but the other has a muff & smaller wattles which is also more desirable. The 3 roosters in with the big flock for the winter will go b4 separating into breeding groups, but they're all 1.5 - 2yrs.
I'm just looking / thinking ahead to the 2017 hatching season & all the roosters that come with it! But, now I know if I do decide to downsize any of the bachelor pads, to check with you.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Oh, I see! I don't have any extras right now, they still need to grow a little more or are too old.
I have two big roosters from early 2016 hatch, but they'd be over 8 months, more like 10-12 mo. They're brothers & I have to choose at some point which to keep & which to go. One is bigger framed, but the other has a muff & smaller wattles which is also more desirable. The 3 roosters in with the big flock for the winter will go b4 separating into breeding groups, but they're all 1.5 - 2yrs.
I'm just looking / thinking ahead to the 2017 hatching season & all the roosters that come with it! But, now I know if I do decide to downsize any of the bachelor pads, to check with you.

Yes please!!! If we can get something long-term going great. If this family tells anyone else to buy from me we might be in trouble.

 

[myfivegirls]

@Chicken girl 15
Lol, that's true! But, it does give us an excuse to hatch more!
My biggest issue is space, as I'm already using the neighbors pasture during spring to fall for grow-outs, with like 5-6 moveable pens on it. Anyways, We can continue our conversation via PM, so we don't take over this thread!

 

[Devona]

We had a lovely partly sunny day today with only a light wind. About 50 degrees. DH cleaned out the chicken pen and put down straw in the run, which had become a muddy, poopy mess, and I took the girls for a few hours to my moms yard. Gramma, he feeds them in the morning when he opens up the pen, and I feed them in the afternoon . So unless he sings to them or something, I can't imagine why they should like him more. My mom would throw out leftovers and kitchen scraps to them when she has them, but probably not on a daily basis. And I've checked for hidden eggs. Not very many hiding places here. We're getting a coldish snap ( compared to the previous weeks)starting tonight, so I don't know if I'll take them back to mom's for a while. Not much wind blocks there, so they tend to huddle under a bush most of the time. I have been fostering a cat for the aspca for a couple weeks now, and I have to take him back this Saturday. Very pleasant cat. The only problem I had with him is that he sharpened his claws on my leather couch. I wasn't pleased, to say the least. Thankfully he probably realized it wasn't working out for him, so the damage isn't too great, mostly a bunch of little holes on one arm. The kids aren't pleased that we have to give him back, but I suppose they'll get over it. We were just keeping home until he saw the cardiologist, then his previous foster family would adopt him. I suppose they went on vacation for the holidays, that's why he was available for fostering. Chicken girl, that 'big head thing' comment had me chuckling. So they want to kill the animals themselves, I suppose? They probably need to drain them before they can eat them. Some of my relatives prefer the taste of 'yard fowl' to the taste of 'white chicken', though for some weird reason, the only differences I can identify between the two, is that the 'yard fowl' has tougher meat, and is bonier. I can't really taste a difference, though everyone else swears there's a huge difference in the taste. Maybe my palate is not refined enough. My husband cooked curried duck with coconut for Christmas dinner, and my sister brought her bf over for dinner. Some of yo met him at chickenstock. He's from Michigan, and never had curried duck before. He seemed to really enjoy it, bones and all, which he doesn't usually eat. My sister said he got on the phone later with his mom and grandma, and was raving about the best duck he ever ate. I suppose he's only ever had it roasted or baked or grilled. So I suppose my husband was sufficiently encouraged to try cooking it again soon. He's never put coconut in it before. I love duck, but I rarely cook it, maybe once a year, because I must have it with the skin, and that's just asking for too much cholesterol. I think I've rambled on enough. Will try to go to sleep now. Good night!

 

[cutipatooti]

We had a lovely partly sunny day today with only a light wind. About 50 degrees. DH cleaned out the chicken pen and put down straw in the run, which had become a muddy, poopy mess, and I took the girls for a few hours to my moms yard. Gramma, he feeds them in the morning when he opens up the pen, and I feed them in the afternoon . So unless he sings to them or something, I can't imagine why they should like him more. My mom would throw out leftovers and kitchen scraps to them when she has them, but probably not on a daily basis. And I've checked for hidden eggs. Not very many hiding places here. We're getting a coldish snap ( compared to the previous weeks)starting tonight, so I don't know if I'll take them back to mom's for a while. Not much wind blocks there, so they tend to huddle under a bush most of the time. I have been fostering a cat for the aspca for a couple weeks now, and I have to take him back this Saturday. Very pleasant cat. The only problem I had with him is that he sharpened his claws on my leather couch. I wasn't pleased, to say the least. Thankfully he probably realized it wasn't working out for him, so the damage isn't too great, mostly a bunch of little holes on one arm. The kids aren't pleased that we have to give him back, but I suppose they'll get over it. We were just keeping home until he saw the cardiologist, then his previous foster family would adopt him. I suppose they went on vacation for the holidays, that's why he was available for fostering. Chicken girl, that 'big head thing' comment had me chuckling. So they want to kill the animals themselves, I suppose? They probably need to drain them before they can eat them. Some of my relatives prefer the taste of 'yard fowl' to the taste of 'white chicken', though for some weird reason, the only differences I can identify between the two, is that the 'yard fowl' has tougher meat, and is bonier. I can't really taste a difference, though everyone else swears there's a huge difference in the taste. Maybe my palate is not refined enough. My husband cooked curried duck with coconut for Christmas dinner, and my sister brought her bf over for dinner. Some of yo met him at chickenstock. He's from Michigan, and never had curried duck before. He seemed to really enjoy it, bones and all, which he doesn't usually eat. My sister said he got on the phone later with his mom and grandma, and was raving about the best duck he ever ate. I suppose he's only ever had it roasted or baked or grilled. So I suppose my husband was sufficiently encouraged to try cooking it again soon. He's never put coconut in it before. I love duck, but I rarely cook it, maybe once a year, because I must have it with the skin, and that's just asking for too much cholesterol. I think I've rambled on enough. Will try to go to sleep now. Good night!

My aunt (in law) was just telling me how they like to currie duck. They said it has to be the Muscovy breed. It taste the best to them.

 

[Devona]

Yes, the Muscovy is awesome, I think. It's mostly what we use. There's Long Island duck available here, but not so good, I don't think.

 

[myfivegirls]

Yes, the Muscovy is awesome, I think. It's mostly what we use. There's Long Island duck available here, but not so good, I don't think.

I'll have to look that up, as I have several Muscovies in the freezer.
Some friends made duck sausage last year & that was delicious!

 

[PhoredaBurds]

@myfivegirls Love your blog! I have been known to climb trees to bring my birds down and into the coop, lol. I didn't think to put netting half way up the tree. Great idea, but must have been very challenging to get around the branches. Generally my girls dislike my pulling them out of the trees enough to get the idea & w/in a day or two go into their coop at night. Spitzes are very good fliers, even with flight feathers clipped. I'm not sure how my 4' net fence keeps them in. I'm guessing they've learned where it's safe and where they're supposed to be. Chickens are definitely much smarter than people give them credit for.