Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Wrightsx4]

We processed them and are in the freezer now. Too difficult to eat for the time being. It wasn't an easy day but it felt we had given them the longest life we could and we'd chosen two to keep and two to go based on their behavior and how they interacted with the hens. It helped that one of them bit both my son and my husband on their final day. Being hatchery stock there's not much demand for them as breeders, and to sell or give them away - we've fed them for too long to make that worthwhile. Just part of the whole plan. They'll taste wonderful I'm sure, but right now it's too recent for the kids. The odd thing is, once they were hanging (dead) I was okay with the plucking and cutting part of it. Just like when Jeff and I process the deer he gets each fall.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Great clip! I would love to do that. Here are a couple for you. This guy is the one that scared me last night. He was LOVING life this morning

Would not stop "crowing". First time posting video so I hope it works!
http://static.photobucket.com/playe.../jj482/Pwright617/2013-05-30_07-00-44_284.mp4

http://static.photobucket.com/playe.../jj482/Pwright617/2013-05-30_07-00-04_169.mp4

They just crack me up when they first learn to crow. Good catch!

 

[Wrightsx4]

They just crack me up when they first learn to crow. Good catch!

haha - thanks! He made it easy to catch him - he had a lot to say

 

[Bens-Hens]

Thanks Pam,

Pretty much our position too. Too good to waste when they can't be kept. I am not sure if our two boys will be processed this weekend or next. I was going to join the flocks this weekend and remove the two big boys at the same time, but now I am wondering if I should keep Lucky and Milo one week longer to keep the younger boys in line until they have been in there a while.

They are not crowing yet, but at 13 weeks they won't be far off......another week and those drumsticks will be a bit bigger!

 

[Wrightsx4]

If things are going smoothly I'd hold off as long as you can get away with it. Both my roos were big boys, the sussex was getting particularly wide across his back and looked enormous next to the hens. All dressed out - he was all feathers! It was surprising to me that there wasn't much difference at all between the two once they were bare skinned. And both were small compared to the factory grown "meat birds" we get at the store. I thought they'd be a little bulkier - must be all the grass - too many vegetables and hen chasing! Lol.

 

[NovaAman]

Yeah, hold off as long as you can,as close as you can get to 16-18 weeks. Fatten them up with meat builder 24-26% protein.

I have pics of the birds this week, only I can't figure out how-to get them from my Photobucket to here on my touchpad... I'll get them here tomorrow. There is a lot of pretty going on!

Next week Wednesday is hatch day!

Hey Pam, you going to chickenstock?

 

[NovaAman]

Oh, and sorry, you won't get that bulk on cockerels unless you wait till they are nearly a year, at which time... Not as tasty. Really need to slow cook them longer when they are older. A good DP roo should get ya 4-5 pounds dressed out if you raised them with the intent of eating them. So, you'd keep them on the meat builder, less active as well. Keeping them away from mature/maturing hens will help in that.

 

[Wrightsx4]

No Chickenstock in my future Nova - darn work gets in the way. I don't get many Saturdays off and they're all predetermined by other workers' schedules, nobody to trade with. I wish I could go though - it sounds like so much fun!
You're right about using the meat builder feed. Mine ate layer feed and scraps from our meals along with lots of free ranging. They were 8 months so not sure about texture... maybe slow cook?

 

[NovaAman]

Yup. Use a slow cooker, 4-6 hours... Like a crock pot. OR boil till done and then shred the meat for Mexican fare, soups, BBQ sandwiches... I have several fav mix boys that'll beheading that way soon. I was reading somewhere, can't remember now, that higher proteinin the summer is better because it takes less energy to break down for body use, produces less heat than the lower protein feeds. I am going to have to find it... It was an interesting read. But basically, with the lower protein feeds, there is more corn, corn produces heat in the chicken during digestion... Its already hot, so its unnecessary. The higher protein also helps keep then healthier in the summer when they are by nature eating less to stay cooler... I gotta find it...

 

[Bens-Hens]

Thanks ladies. I will follow your advise and keep the enforcers as long as we can.

I would have to separate them to go to another feed and I don't think two roo's would go so well in mt mobile coop for a few weeks. They are all on grower crumble now with a mix of premium feed.

The flocks will move in together this weekend, will put them in together for a few hours the first day, then the same next day, slipped back in after dark, to stay together unless we see any blood, then the culprit will get the naughty corner.