Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[SilkieSensation]

I usually cook mine several hours in a crockpot. I do all of my regular roos this way

Sounds good! I will totally be doing this with my meaties this year. Speaking of meaties, what breeds does anyone recommend for meat other than Cornish X. I always feel bad that they cant walk and enjoy life as much as a normal chicken would and would like a cheap, fat chicken that can still walk at butchering age. I saw on McMurray that they recommend red rangers?

Ideal has red or black broilers. Meyer has black broilers or rainbow rangers. You can also order excess male chicks of a lot of the breeds pretty cheap & feed them higher protein (24-26%) to increase weight gain & growth rate. I'm going red sex-link males with my bbw poults & cx broilers right now. They are actually growing really well & getting big fast.

Slow cooking is key to tenderness. I also brine my birds before freezing.

Brine recipe for 2 lf birds or broilersdouble & triple for larger birds or bigger turkeys)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
Fresh or minced garlic to taste
Bay leaves to taste
(Other spices as desired)
Mix dry ingredients into enough water to completely cover meat.
Refrigerate 24-48 hours. Pack & freeze if desired. Can be cooked as is immediately after brining or additional spices & marinades added as desired.

 

[18angovem]

Ideal has red or black broilers. Meyer has black broilers or rainbow rangers. You can also order excess male chicks of a lot of the breeds pretty cheap & feed them higher protein (24-26%) to increase weight gain & growth rate. I'm going red sex-link males with my bbw poults & cx broilers right now. They are actually growing really well & getting big fast.

Slow cooking is key to tenderness. I also brine my birds before freezing.

Brine recipe for 2 lf birds or broilersdouble & triple for larger birds or bigger turkeys)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
Fresh or minced garlic to taste
Bay leaves to taste
(Other spices as desired)
Mix dry ingredients into enough water to completely cover meat.
Refrigerate 24-48 hours. Pack & freeze if desired. Can be cooked as is immediately after brining or additional spices & marinades added as desired.

I will have to try that brine with some turkeys!

 

[BullChick]

I used that recipe for my turkey hen. Haven't cooked it yet.

 

[stake]

Ideal has red or black broilers. Meyer has black broilers or rainbow rangers. You can also order excess male chicks of a lot of the breeds pretty cheap & feed them higher protein (24-26%) to increase weight gain & growth rate. I'm going red sex-link males with my bbw poults & cx broilers right now. They are actually growing really well & getting big fast.

Slow cooking is key to tenderness. I also brine my birds before freezing.

Brine recipe for 2 lf birds or broilersdouble & triple for larger birds or bigger turkeys)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
Fresh or minced garlic to taste
Bay leaves to taste
(Other spices as desired)
Mix dry ingredients into enough water to completely cover meat.
Refrigerate 24-48 hours. Pack & freeze if desired. Can be cooked as is immediately after brining or additional spices & marinades added as desired.

ok, my turkey recipe (from mom, who's been doing it for ever)....

Brine turkey 24hrs...kosher salt only.....

make stuffing and stuff bird...(stuffing in the bird is x10 better)...
put bird in roasting rack.....and celery onions in roasting pan with neck and other sweet meats,,,,and a few of cups of water....
season the bird and butter the bird.....be heavy handed with the seasoning(hint)
heat oven to 400 .....cook bird 45mins-1hrs....should be browned
reduce heat to 275 and tent the bird with foil...
baste hourly....pull sweet meats for dog...and add water as necessary
figure on 20mins/lb and untent the bird for the last hr...

my two cents.....

 

[stake]

I have been peed on. pooped on, scratched, bitten, flogged. barfed on and kicked a few times today....

I will sooth the battle scars by cleaning my plate at dinner...

nothing like having your food supply in your own back yard.

Wing:

We all want to know....who peed on you???,,,and well, the kicking might be interesting too.....

 

[tmrutter3]

We will pass this time around, not quite what we are looking for.

Ok. If anyone on this thread knows of someone who might be interested please pass this along. We also have 2-3 white silkie Roos, 1 BO roo, & 2 lav Orp Roos? I was hoping to get pics of them today but didn't because of the rain.

Since you are wanting them to go to pet homes you will have trouble finding placements. It is better to just let them go & not ask for what.

I understand & appreciate what you're saying. I'm very sensitive when it comes to animals & at this point I just can't bring myself to do that. I have a great amount of respect for everyone who raises their own animals to provide meat for their families. I wish that I could do it myself but I just can't. Please keep me in mind if you know of anyone looking for a good rooster to protect their flock. I so enjoy reading about everyone's flocks & journeys into homesteading on this thread. Everyone is so kind & share lots of great ideas.

 

[Just Ducky10]

My poor girl is a mess, not sure if she'll make it or not. She's clean, Blu Koted (so are me and my hubs), resting in the garage. Gonna make her some scrambled eggs and hope for the best.

Has anyone ever seen lacerations so deep that it peels the skin and flesh?

You should check out this thread -> https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...at-got-her-and-is-there-any-hope-for-recovery
She was pretty bad off, but it's healing really nicely!

 

[chiques chicks]

Wing:

We all want to know....who peed on you???,,,and well, the kicking might be interesting too.....

She had pmed me it was butchering day for rabbits. Knowing how often I've been scratched and bitten, I would guess they are the answer.
I've been amazed at how sharp their toenails are, how quick they move and how hard they bite. I have gotten to the point of wearing leather gloves most of the time when handling them for making purposes.
I know that can be nice prey's and taught to live attention like chickens, but all of my animals, except my dog, are treated more as livestock.

I understand any animal as a pet and respect that, and have had many weird things as pets, but just not how I handle my current setup.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Wing:

We all want to know....who peed on you???,,,and well, the kicking might be interesting too.....

She had pmed me it was butchering day for rabbits. Knowing how often I've been scratched and bitten, I would guess they are the answer.
I've been amazed at how sharp their toenails are, how quick they move and how hard they bite. I have gotten to the point of wearing leather gloves most of the time when handling them for making purposes.
I know that can be nice prey's and taught to live attention like chickens, but all of my animals, except my dog, are treated more as livestock.

I understand any animal as a pet and respect that, and have had many weird things as pets, but just not how I handle my current setup.

Wing mentioned fur & enjoying her farm raised dinner in that same post, so pretty sure that was all from the rabbits.

I also have some pretty strange pets. I have a turtle who is older than 2 of my children & just as much part of the family. We got her as a tiny hatchling years ago. We have bunnies I would never eat, but my oldest son wouldn't hesitate. As for raising our own meat, we have done chicken, turkey & duck & will be doing goose soon. We have some birds raised solely as meat, some are pets & will never be on the menu (all hens), some are spoiled breeders & will live a long life, others (any rooster or tom) can stay a long time or be eaten any day I decide they are no longer needed for the flock. Any boy who gets nasty is automatically diner. Any not up to my standards for breeding will be eaten. So really, the only birds safe from my table are the spoiled laying hens & even more spoiled turkey hens...unless they get aggressive toward people & aren't broody.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I recognize the little Welsummer at the bottom!
I have a bunch of pics on our website (click on the breeds, listed near the bottom of the page): www. eureka-farm.com

Thank so! I had seen that before but forgotten!

I have been peed on. pooped on, scratched, bitten, flogged. barfed on and kicked a few times today....

I will sooth the battle scars by cleaning my plate at dinner...

nothing like having your food supply in your own back yard.

The second part sounds great, the first part, not so much. :/

My poor girl is a mess, not sure if she'll make it or not. She's clean, Blu Koted (so are me and my hubs), resting in the garage. Gonna make her some scrambled eggs and hope for the best.

Has anyone ever seen lacerations so deep that it peels the skin and flesh?

Too many males in the coop, got to get rid of 2 or 3 asap or they are heading to freezer camp. Just under a year old, slate blue turkeys, $30.

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Hubby asked me to edit this to say we would consider trades of any of the following that we are planning on adding to our flock:

chickens: wyandottes, ameraucanas, minorcas, or cubalayas
ducks: Cayuga blacks or indian runners

Don't give up! I found my hen in October one morning with a fox chewing on her back. She had several puncture sounds and some skin that peeled back. I treated her with hydrogen peroxide and tea tree. We also put her in a dog crate in the house for a few days. She has made a full recovery and is even laying again.