Operation Tasty Bird

[Mikedero]

Go on youtube there are a few really good videos from start to finish. I learned allot from the videos.

I can not wait for mine to come in

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

On a more serious note, I've butchered one chicken that was killed by a bobcat, which led me to feel confident enough to purchase 35 Freedom Ranger chicks the next spring. While I still really don't like the part where you take a live chicken and turn it into a dead chicken, I'm pretty effficient in then taking it to freezer-ready. This is a source I found very useful:

http://butcherachicken.blogspot.com/

 

[CoopDeViIIe]

Hey great resource, thanks for the link.

 

[CoopDeViIIe]

Last week I moved them out into a tractor. I installed a watering cup system attached to a 5 gallon bucket, and used a piece of plastic gutter to make a feed trough.



Here they are at 4 weeks old.

 

[CoopDeViIIe]

Week 5 Photo

 

[CoopDeViIIe]

Here is their 6 week photo with my full grown RIR hen for comparison from last week. Week 7 photo coming tonight.

 

[homeworkin]

Great coop pictures. I love the trough idea. What is the clear plasticky material on the sheltered sides of the coop?

 

[CoopDeViIIe]

that carpet runner stuff you can buy at the hardware store. Helped to block out the wind when it was still chilly out.

 

[Mingming]

I did my first batch and had the males processed a week ago. Girls go next week! It's amazing to me that I've got nearly 75 lbs of chicken in my freezer from my little suburban backyard. Who knew this was possible?

 

[hangartnerchix]

Good for you! I processed my very first one today. I did everything myself, including the killing. It actually went just fine - all of that anxiousness for nothing! I was very happy with how big the bird was, although I don't have a scale to weigh it. It seems at least as big as anything I buy at the store. I'm planning to process the rest of the chickens a few at a time over the next two weeks.