Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chickachickayea]

@chickachickayea Yep, looks like a molt to me. She is the right age for one, and it is just that time of year. They can look just awful when they molt. Often their behavior changes a little as well. They may be a bit more shy. Some high protein treats can help it along, but mostly it's a waiting game.

You weren't kidding about behavior changes! Both my red girls are molting, I can see they have pins feathers coming in. But yesterday and today when I shook the scratch/treat can for them to follow me to go in for the night, the 2 molting girls were quite defiant! Usually they all scramble to follow me, so close sometimes I nearly trip over them! Yesterday and today though, both girls were not interested/fooled and the other 3 caught their drift and followed along! Trying to wrangle 5 scattering chickens alone is not fun.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Wow! Our ‘farm hand’ is a professional sax player, she also plays the clarinet, oboe and piano. She keeps threatening to teach me (torchure for both of us, i’m sure)

 

[Blarneyeggs]

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I have 6 unfortunate birds set aside to journey to the freezer later on today. 2 CX, 2 Lav Am, and 2 silkies. One silkie will be a really tough boy to cull as he's such a sweet heart. I'm going to have to do it before my daughter gets home from school though since I know she'll be upset. Anyone want a sweet silkie roo?

I still need to decide on 1 more silkie roo to process. There are 3 left and I only want to keep 2 but I'm having a hard time making the decision on who goes. I'll probably band them with different colors and ask the silkie genetics people who they think I should keep and why.

 

[fisherlady]

Never an easy decision aurora....I don't think we are going to keep anymore silkies. Our old girls have a lifelong home but no more will be added. Gracie is going blind, she is 6+ yrs and may end up as a housepet if needed...We need to downsize and they just don't provide the meat our mixes and rocks do, and the pencils brood more than enough for our uses.
We may be moving our base to clarion county in a few years, it is in the works to get 20 acres and a barn over there...at that point we can revisit the bird population but for now fewer numbers is the better option, especially with us liking to take weekends away....and working crazy hours through the colder weather to stash money for future plans.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Our old girls have a lifelong home but no more will be added. Gracie is going blind, she is 6+ yrs and may end up as a housepet if needed...We need to downsize and they just don't provide the meat our mixes and rocks do, and the pencils brood more than enough for our uses.

Awe, poor Gracie! She a special girl to have an indoor home if need be I know what you mean as far as meat goes. When we process silkies, we either make them in to soup or feed them to the dog. There's just not enough on them. We realy only need a trio of them but I don't want to be left without a roo if something would happen.

We may be moving our base to clarion county in a few years, it is in the works to get 20 acres and a barn over there...at that point we can revisit the bird population but for now fewer numbers is the better option, especially with us liking to take weekends away....and working crazy hours through the colder weather to stash money for future plans.

20 acres would be wonderful! We're hoping to get more land someday too...someday. I wish you all the luck in the world to get to your goal! I'm guessing that you'd be further away from here than you are now?

 

[fisherlady]

Yes, an hour further west, but still will be working in this area probably...and even once we get the property it will be a couple of years at least before we would move...just not ready to routinely drive 60 miles to work.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Yes, an hour further west, but still will be working in this area probably...and even once we get the property it will be a couple of years at least before we would move...just not ready to routinely drive 60 miles to work.

That would be a rather long commute :/ I'm not a fan of being stuck in the car.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I'm exhausted. I got 5 birds processed, 2 huge CX girls, 2 lavender ameraucana roos, and 1 Silkie roo. It was Blue's (my sweet silkie roo) lucky day. Not only did I not have enough gallon ziplock bags (it took 4 for those 2 meaties!) But I managed to find a pretty home for him! He goes to his new home on Thursday morning I have 1 more silkie cockerel left to process and possibly 1 more of the CX ladies but they'll have to wait till another day.

 

[fisherlady]

I'm exhausted. I got 5 birds processed, 2 huge CX girls, 2 lavender ameraucana roos, and 1 Silkie roo. It was Blue's (my sweet silkie roo) lucky day. Not only did I not have enough gallon ziplock bags (it took 4 for those 2 meaties!) But I managed to find a pretty home for him! He goes to his new home on Thursday morning I have 1 more silkie cockerel left to process and possibly 1 more of the CX ladies but they'll have to wait till another day.

Awesome on finding him a new home !

I know the feeling on being worn out after a long butcher day, though I am forever grateful that DH is as involved as I am in getting it done.
We got heat shrink bags from Cornerstone Farm Ventures for whole birds and cut pieces...love them and have been very happy with their freezer longevity. Probably not a big issue if only freezing for short times but have worked great for long term storage.