Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Gardeningmama]

So this is new. Obviously this chick needs a little help. Any ideas what went wrong?....Sally, u around? I'm sure it was the GD humidity.

Gotta say, I've never seen that before. A fluffy chick still in the egg. I'd say too high humidity (that chick looks huge).

 

[SilkieSensation]

Has anyone found a fermenting feed thread with picture tutorial? Surprised there are no good YouTube videos... Think I am going to switch over, but need more info and what feeders do you use?

There is an actual FF thread on here. I'll have to search & see if I can find it.

Wingstone, the barred broilers from Reich held over for longer times pretty well. I'm lazy though. When I'm sick of them, I don't worry about finding time to process them - I make them an appointment and they get to go for a ride in the truck...

For those of you new to raising meat birds, be aware that different breeds and ages of birds will result in the need for different cooking methods. If you're accustomed to eating tender grocery store chicken that's 6 weeks old and has never walked more than a couple feet, you might be disappointed in older heritage birds, if you are expecting the same texture. Generally, the older a bird is, and the more it has used its muscles, the more flavor it will have, but the trade off is that it will lose tenderness. These birds are better cooked at lower heat for a longer time.

If your preferred way to cook chicken is to pop it on the gas grill for a few minutes, you might be better to stick with a quicker growing bird, like a Cornish x. If you enjoy soups and stews, this is where older heritage birds shine. Barred broilers and Freedom rangers are somewhere in between these two.

I'd recommend trying a few of several types of meat birds and seeing how they fit into your usual cooking methods before committing to a lot of any one type.

That's what I'm doing. We have 3 varieties right now growing out & will compare & make a decision for what we liked best for next year.

So this is new. Obviously this chick needs a little help. Any ideas what went wrong?....Sally, u around? I'm sure it was the GD humidity.

I would just wet the membrane & chip a little shell away until it can push itself out.

looks like she just got stuck turning, sometimes they do that and rotate upsidedown and all messy in there and then cant pip! call her pipsqueak! lol

I think she wants help UN sticking it...lol

 

[Blarneyeggs]

So this is new. Obviously this chick needs a little help. Any ideas what went wrong?....Sally, u around? I'm sure it was the GD humidity.

Ppsqueak. I love it! She s doing good, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing having them hatch out already fluffed.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I know right, sure would make for cuter chicks the first few hours! LOL

 

[missydcpc]

Wait, whaaaa? What happened to $7?...Dang! BEARS?! Good Golly Miss Molly!!

COOP not FEEDER! LOL

Trying to talk my BF that we should raise a steer for meat. Our butcher cost would be about $600 for 1,000 lb steer (not sure how big they are when you butcher) but that would give us meat for a YEAR!!! We have plenty of field, i say we get rid of some of our extra rams and get a steer. The problem? He get's too attached to animals. Not that i don't, but if i get something for the SOLE purpose of eatting it. Then i know to not get emotionally involved with it, Just feed it and take care of it and that's it. I however grew up on a farm, he did not. I wonder sometimes about him.... LOL Does any one else have eperience with raising beef? I like the fact of knowing where my food comes from. Not sure i could sell him on getting a pig or too.... I have been around cows, but not pigs. Not sure what all is involved with them. Sorry to be off topic (is there a topic??) But i thought SOMEONE on here should have some insight for me. I hunt, and can kill, gut and butcher my own deer. I had thought about butchering the steer our selves, but not sure i can do something THAT big.

I tried to convince DH that we needed a mini cow for milk...but he's right..I'm not enough of a homebody to be around full time for it. Hmm...maybe a steer is the answer!

Thank you. That was one breed I am looking into. I'm doing a lot more research before I buy my next batch of meaties, I want to have a fairly self sustaining flock, and be able to spread the processing out over time. I have a freezer full of meat over 1/2 of which is chicken, so we have time as far as getting the meaties ready. Zip is 17815, I figured that was the right map.

I just don't understand people, they move out of town to a semi-rural or completely rural area then complain about roosters, the smell from the cows, horses and/pigs etc. If you don't want to deal with it don't move, your neighbors will NOT change their way of life for you. Quote: I just started my chicks on the FF twice a day (hoping it will help with the runny poop, others have said it does), toss a little dry food for them to munch and find into their area, have cleaned their room (they have control of a bathroom right now) twice since we picked them up last week. Until we can move them outside I don't know how else to keep them moving. Thank you for the additional breeds for me to look into, like I said above I want to try to have a fairly self sustaining flock and be able to spread processing out. I'm not worried about true heritage breeds, as the to production versions seem to be more disease resistant from what I've read, but again I will do more research before I decide which I'm going with. I don't think you're being an ***, I'd rather learn more and know what I'm doing over going all willy nilly about this. So thank you for the info.

Added. And yup self sustaining is my plan....at some point...right now I just enjoy adding new/different birds.

Has anyone found a fermenting feed thread with picture tutorial? Surprised there are no good YouTube videos... Think I am going to switch over, but need more info and what feeders do you use?

Isn't there one in Sally's signature? I thought everything important was in there!

Wingstone, the barred broilers from Reich held over for longer times pretty well. I'm lazy though. When I'm sick of them, I don't worry about finding time to process them - I make them an appointment and they get to go for a ride in the truck... For those of you new to raising meat birds, be aware that different breeds and ages of birds will result in the need for different cooking methods. If you're accustomed to eating tender grocery store chicken that's 6 weeks old and has never walked more than a couple feet, you might be disappointed in older heritage birds, if you are expecting the same texture. Generally, the older a bird is, and the more it has used its muscles, the more flavor it will have, but the trade off is that it will lose tenderness. These birds are better cooked at lower heat for a longer time. If your preferred way to cook chicken is to pop it on the gas grill for a few minutes, you might be better to stick with a quicker growing bird, like a Cornish x. If you enjoy soups and stews, this is where older heritage birds shine. Barred broilers and Freedom rangers are somewhere in between these two. I'd recommend trying a few of several types of meat birds and seeing how they fit into your usual cooking methods before committing to a lot of any one type.

So, since my favorite chicken recipe is Cacciatore...the freedom rangers or the like will be good?

We raise our own beef. May 1 ours is going to be processed. We have beef cows. We don't butcher the cows. They go to auction when it's time for them to go. Cattle are herd animals, so you might want to get a companion for him, plus they eat better when there are two. Two days before they go to the butcher I don't look at them when I feed them. It's easier that way. I had 4-H steers it was hard to sell them at the end, but the check was nice to look at while taking it to the bank.

You don't get them butchered for yourself?

[COLOR=4B0082]WOW! I went away for the weekend to have the boys party and have 500 posts to catch up on.....LOL! I am soooo far behind you guys!!![/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]Thanks for all the well wishes for baby Si, friends. He is still trying to keep going, and is still wobbly. He loves it when i lay him on my chest and let him cuddle. Poor lil guy! I don't know if he is gonna make it, but I didn't want him laying there alone.[/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]Missy, will inbox you with the directions for the cake tonight [/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]Thinking about going. Sat. is my birthday, and am trying to convince hubby that we should go spend it that way!!![/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]UGH! YOU POOR GIRL! WISH i KNEW HOW TO HELP!![/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]Blarney- we are only a week from my due date....lol!! So exciting. Saw them moving in the eggs, and showed my nephews. They can't wait! 3 eggs had nobody in there, but 4 are very active little people..........IS IT WRONG that I am talking to the eggs in baby talk????[/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]HI! HI! HI! FROM LEBANON![/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]I LOVE THIS!!!!![/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]OK, NOW WILL FINISH THE OTHER 10 OR 15 PAGES WHEN I GET BACK FROM PICKING UP THE KIDS [/COLOR]

Happy Birthday early in case I forget by then!

So this is new. Obviously this chick needs a little help. Any ideas what went wrong?....Sally, u around? I'm sure it was the GD humidity.

Prefluffed chicks! Awesome invention! Hope you can help her out.

Ppsqueak. I love it! She s doing good, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing having them hatch out already fluffed.

Pipsqueak!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I will make a new batch and show you how easy it is!
and no I didn't do an article on that, because ITS SO SIMPLE PEOPLE! LOL

its a bucket hot water feed and ACV easy TRUST ME!

 

[SilkieSensation]

I will make a new batch and show you how easy it is!
and no I didn't do an article on that, because ITS SO SIMPLE PEOPLE! LOL

its a bucket hot water feed and ACV easy TRUST ME!

I still need directions on your hot water, no straining method. I do the traditional slop bucket style.

 

[Reyvaughn]

I believe my hatch is done. Still to many to count, but I have the following in the bator: an Ameraucana, a MF bantam Cochin, a duckling, 2 Tolbunt Polish and 5 bantam Orps - one is one of my own chocolates. I will let them in there until the last Tolbunt fluffs and then I'll get a total count.

I have had pre-fluffed chicks like that. They do not appreciate it much. I run my 'bator at 68-70% humidity at lock down now. I was helping over half the hatch out at 62%. Yes, a few more may drown, but my shrink wrapping has gone down by 80%. Drowning up to 1-2%. Those darn fans fluff and dry them in the Sportsman before they can get out of the shell!

 

[motherhen71185]

I believe my hatch is done. Still to many to count, but I have the following in the bator: an Ameraucana, a MF bantam Cochin, a duckling, 2 Tolbunt Polish and 5 bantam Orps - one is one of my own chocolates. I will let them in there until the last Tolbunt fluffs and then I'll get a total count.

I have had pre-fluffed chicks like that. They do not appreciate it much. I run my 'bator at 68-70% humidity at lock down now. I was helping over half the hatch out at 62%. Yes, a few more may drown, but my shrink wrapping has gone down by 80%. Drowning up to 1-2%. Those darn fans fluff and dry them in the Sportsman before they can get out of the shell!

I have heard multiple people say they wish they can turn the fan off during the hatch part. is that possible? would it help more or hurt more?

I will make a new batch and show you how easy it is!
and no I didn't do an article on that, because ITS SO SIMPLE PEOPLE! LOL

its a bucket hot water feed and ACV easy TRUST ME!

Thanks!! My questions are :
how much do you make at a time, or how much should i assume each bird will eat?
how long does it keep? how long does it take to ferment? do you need to do 2 stagered batches so you don't run out and it has time to ferment? what feeders can/can't be used? Do you need to wash out feeders at every feed? am i making this too complicated??? lol I DO tend to over think things!!




I also was thinking of starting to make tote bags out of the feed bags. any one else do this? I have found a good pictorial about it. http://www.instructables.com/id/Feed-Bag-Tote-Bag/step2/Sewing-the-top/

I need pics to learn something new. LOL.

Guessing a heavier nylon thread is needed to do this to hold up.

 

[beaglady]

So, since my favorite chicken recipe is Cacciatore...the freedom rangers or the like will be good?

Freedom rangers should be good for that. Since Cacciatore has wine and tomato in it, and is baked for along time, even old roosters would be good.

I'm not doing 'meat' birds this year, but two of my breeds are dual purpose breeds, so we'll be eating the extra males. I'm also getting some Delaware eggs, with the idea of experimenting with my own meat bird crosses with marans.