Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[chicksooner]

I have some health things that cause me to have the high BP. I have been monitoring for the past 6 months. Sad part is I am 35 and fit and healthy but my genetics suck. I blame my mom.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I have some health things that cause me to have the high BP. I have been monitoring for the past 6 months. Sad part is I am 35 and fit and healthy but my genetics suck. I blame my mom.

My mom had HBP from a pretty early age, and my sister had problems beginning at age 18, even though she was fit and trim. I had absolutely no problems, until 35. I told my husband that it seemed the day I turned 35 that I developed HBP, and I have been on meds ever since(18 years). I take a beta blocker and a diuretic.

What is it they say?? "You can't choose your parents"

 

[BCMaraniac]

I saw wingstone from PA thread got/getting Bresse ?? spl? anyone raise these for meaties? I think that's what they are good for right?

I am planning to get White Bresse and possibly Black Bresse two weeks from now to begin a small flock. My goal is to be able to breed, hatch, and raise my own meaties, and not have to buy birds. I am hoping to raise Black/Blue Copper Marans and Bresse, and use them for layers as well, since both lay good quality eggs. Some folks breed Marans for egg color....I am interested in getting a good sized DP bird. I started with 8 pullets last year, and if you count the 6 CX and the 41 RR/WR/WO/WG plus 1 rare chick assortment that arrived today, I have 77chickens PLUS a broody hen setting 12 eggs.....and that doesn't count the Bresse......horrible chicken math.....

 

[Elke Beck]

I have some health things that cause me to have the high BP. I have been monitoring for the past 6 months. Sad part is I am 35 and fit and healthy but my genetics suck. I blame my mom.

Chicksooner, I am afraid I am Jungian rather than Freudian, so there will be no blaming mother!

 

[kacklinkelly]

Ah - most moms are used to being blamed for just about everything.
We can handle it.

Wierdest thing happened this morning. Went out to check on and feed the
meaties. I heard a crazy sound and thought someone got hurt. Then I heard it
again and looked closer. The third time I realized that it was the rooster finding
his voice. Is that even possible at 7 weeks? It wasn't a proper rooster sound.
More like an out of tune duck squawking. I just had to laugh when I wasn't telling
him to be quiet.

One of my hens was singing her egg song, it was 5:30am and a quail was sending
out some kind of call at the same time. I just wanted to shut them all up before
my neighbors heard the racket. I can have a few hens but only as pets and
certainly not roosters. Thank goodness this weekend is processing time.
These critters continue to keep me on my toes.

 

[foxflower]

Some breeds seem to crow early. Campines are a good example. They reliably start crowing at 7 weeks or so. I have some bantams that I got in May and one of them is crowing (not sure which one).

 

[fisherlady]

Ah - most moms are used to being blamed for just about everything.
We can handle it.

Wierdest thing happened this morning. Went out to check on and feed the
meaties. I heard a crazy sound and thought someone got hurt. Then I heard it
again and looked closer. The third time I realized that it was the rooster finding
his voice. Is that even possible at 7 weeks? It wasn't a proper rooster sound.
More like an out of tune duck squawking. I just had to laugh when I wasn't telling
him to be quiet.

One of my hens was singing her egg song, it was 5:30am and a quail was sending
out some kind of call at the same time. I just wanted to shut them all up before
my neighbors heard the racket. I can have a few hens but only as pets and
certainly not roosters. Thank goodness this weekend is processing time.
These critters continue to keep me on my toes.

Aahhh... I love hearing them trying to find their voice!! So cute to hear them sounding like someone stepping on an Ooga Horn!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Aoxa.... you said you ordered 30 and were worried about processing so many... I would expect that you will probably be able to process 6 or so at a time, and over the space of about 2 or 3 wks. My experience with them so far has been that even though they are the same breed, and many are similar, you will have a few that are 'ahead' of the others and you will want to process them earlier to prevent them from dying of heart troubles or joint/leg problems. Our first Cornish X were ready by 6 wks, but others from that same group won't be done till 8 or 9 wks. Some just don't gain weight at the same rate, so when a group hits the target range they can be processed and leave the others to keep growing.

Watch for behavior changes with them also, not just growth rate/size. I noticed a couple who were more lethargic than the others and one even had some . The one with the cyanosis actually seemed like it died very quickly in the cone and didn't bleed out as well as well as the others. I think he may have actually had a heart attack before we cut him. Even though I would have liked another pound or so on them it wasn't worth risking them having heart failure just to gain a few more ounces. Ours were taught to scratch for seed while in the brooder and since being out in the coop/run they love being out moving around and scratching through the leaves and soaking up the sun. Though they didn't get to range as freely as the flock in the video they didn't lay around 24 hrs a day either and the meat was tender. I think when you keep them moving at least a bit it helps to reduce the heart problems also. But I would have to do a lot of experimenting over multiple groups to be able to make that statement with actual #s to back it up.

Sally, I don't know if there is a formula for the live weight to finished weight... but we lost about 25-28% on ours butchered at 6 wks. I will have to weigh a few on the next batch we butcher to see if those #s continue with older birds. I also never bothered weighing the rooster culls from other breeds to see if the percentage change with different body types.

cyanosis of the comb (blue comb ??? )

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Ah - most moms are used to being blamed for just about everything.
We can handle it.

Wierdest thing happened this morning. Went out to check on and feed the
meaties. I heard a crazy sound and thought someone got hurt. Then I heard it
again and looked closer. The third time I realized that it was the rooster finding
his voice. Is that even possible at 7 weeks? It wasn't a proper rooster sound.
More like an out of tune duck squawking. I just had to laugh when I wasn't telling
him to be quiet.

One of my hens was singing her egg song, it was 5:30am and a quail was sending
out some kind of call at the same time. I just wanted to shut them all up before
my neighbors heard the racket. I can have a few hens but only as pets and
certainly not roosters. Thank goodness this weekend is processing time.
These critters continue to keep me on my toes.

Too Funny, while I was digging a trench for the pool electric I heard a new crow in the layer pen, which has not a roo! As it turns out the White face Spanish Roo decided to start already! he is only 2 months! the turd!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: interesting, so is bresse the gourmet chicken or what?