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

[Sally Sunshine]

i always have about 2 pounds difference between male and female, leg problems are few for me,,it has always been males close to processing when i do get the leg problems though..I have more of a problem with heat, I try to not have any thing older then a few weeks when the temps hit 90's,,I have lost more to heat than anything else...

Good luck Sally, and let me know about the equipment, it would make a huge difference when doing that many.

will do, I am thinking about getting 15 and making a temp area for them that I can take down after processing, just providing overhead shelter and a tight wired area for them to go and get locked in at night, that way I don't need a coop while its still warm.

 

[fisherlady]

will do, I am thinking about getting 15 and making a temp area for them that I can take down after processing, just providing overhead shelter and a tight wired area for them to go and get locked in at night, that way I don't need a coop while its still warm.

they should do well in a temporary set up. They are just like other chicks for first 2 wks or so, by wk 3 they are pretty much getting to be butterballs with feathers and ours didn't even like the heat lamp anymore so they went out to their coop with a heated area available if they wanted it. They do need to be kept in dry and draft free area though. So provide them with a 3 sided shelter and plenty of shade if it is warm out and they should be fine. You will be amazed at the amount of water they go through though. We ended up getting 2 waterers (3 gallon size) for our meatie pen, and we elevated them up on bricks so they were about chest high to prevent them from fouling the water.
They can't fly more than a couple of feet and I never saw any of ours get over 1 ft off of the ground when they did try, so you don't have to have a tall enclosure. But they can't escape from predators if threatened either, so whatever enclosure you provide needs to be secure for them, since they can't get out of their own way due to their weight.

 

[Beekissed]

Mine flew higher than 5'8" and could do a standing jump of 3 ft! It depends on how they are raised, I think, as to how mobile they are. And the water consumption will go down sharply if you feed fermented feeds..as will the feed consumption.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Well for some reason the Meyer hatchery site wont take my order it keeps running on the choose a date! so I will take it as a sign for now and try again later! uggggg

 

[bruceh]

bee mine jump and ran also free raged with the best of them. they like big chicken. i saw no difference when on pasture

 

[they'reHISchickens]

I Haven't been around here much the past months, but DH is starting to ask when we are sending the batch of late March roos to process in Frystown. I have no freezer room so they need to wait and we need to pick out a flock replacement roo from the bunch.

Future SIL is raising a flock of 25 meaties ordered from K&K in late May. He has had to process a few because of the heat but is planning a "Chicken Wang" the end of August. According to DD, a 'wang' is a party: the kids ( they are actually 30-somethings) will get together and process chickens and that makes everything a lot more fun.
DH isn't interested in any chicken party, he just wants the job done with no mess.

 

[ronott1]

I Haven't been around here much the past months, but DH is starting to ask when we are sending the batch of late March roos to process in Frystown. I have no freezer room so they need to wait and we need to pick out a flock replacement roo from the bunch.

Future SIL is raising a flock of 25 meaties ordered from K&K in late May. He has had to process a few because of the heat but is planning a "Chicken Wang" the end of August. According to DD, a 'wang' is a party: the kids ( they are actually 30-somethings) will get together and process chickens and that makes everything a lot more fun.
DH isn't interested in any chicken party, he just wants the job done with no mess.

Have the Party!

Invite local BYCrs so that they can learn how to process in a fun way.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I Haven't been around here much the past months, but DH is starting to ask when we are sending the batch of late March roos to process in Frystown. I have no freezer room so they need to wait and we need to pick out a flock replacement roo from the bunch.

Future SIL is raising a flock of 25 meaties ordered from K&K in late May. He has had to process a few because of the heat but is planning a "Chicken Wang" the end of August. According to DD, a 'wang' is a party: the kids ( they are actually 30-somethings) will get together and process chickens and that makes everything a lot more fun.
DH isn't interested in any chicken party, he just wants the job done with no mess.

LOL sounds awesome!

 

[Chambertin]

Dew is just the grass crying because they know the cows are coming.

Everything you eat is alive, respect it and use everything you can. Vegetarians kill just as much as anyone else they are just much better about self denial.
Respect the chicken in coop, run, or on the table

 

[ronott1]

Dew is just the grass crying because they know the cows are coming.

Everything you eat is alive, respect it and use everything you can. Vegetarians kill just as much as anyone else they are just much better about self denial.
Respect the chicken in coop, run, or on the table

Your post hits on a very good point.