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

[katbriar]

These posts on raising chicks out doors is so encouraging. Thank you for sharing.

I live in the "high desert" of New Mexico and have been trying to figure out how to raise meat birds when spring night temps get below freezing into June (hard for little ones) but by then days are 80+ (hard for big ones).

I need to do some rethinking and scheming but I think these suggestions make it possible!

Thank you, thank you!

 

[Tomtommom]

First batch of chicks I think I managed to hang on until 5 weeks, then they moved out.

Second batch... 3 weeks and I was done with that smell.

I sectioned off an area in the coop, put food and water out and a heat lamp up and that was that. They honestly never sat under that lamp.



This time... I'm thinking 3 weeks is all I'm going to manage. They're stinky and messy and they're trying to eat the puppy pads. Heat plate instead of lamp this time, going to use the top of the litter box from the picture above (those chicks never used it, I put it in there as possible shelter. Thinking top only may be more usable)... It's so much easier for them to integrate in the flock if they have to stare at eachother a couple of weeks first.



I'm just hoping they're not ALL roosters.... but I am thinking 2 or 3 are girls... 3 or 4 boys... They're all feisty and chest bumpy and attack my hand when I feed them.

Feisty poop machines.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

OMG these are the two roos we processed

I found the image looking for a wet chicken picture, I dont feel guilty but I guess I could have sold them.

What do you all do with your rare breeds? eat them too?





Two young brothers from Fall

 

[Tomtommom]

OMG these are the two roos we processed

I found the image looking for a wet chicken picture, I dont feel guilty but I guess I could have sold them.

What do you all do with your rare breeds? eat them too?





Two young brothers from Fall

Holy cow those are good looking. I could not eat them....

I rehomed an Ameraucana cockerel. He had a good temper and looked nice.. couldn't kill him. Lucky for me, after posting an ad on the TSC message board, an employee there got him. She had three EE ladies in need of a man

I ate his brother.. he had crooked toes.

What can I say?

I would imagine a rare breed cockerel/rooster shouldn't be TOO hard to rehome. Craigslist/Facebook groups/auctions/kid at the 4H. Making it a trio usually sweetens the deal, two girls you're willing to part with, along with the rooster.

 

[Beekissed]

OMG these are the two roos we processed

I found the image looking for a wet chicken picture, I dont feel guilty but I guess I could have sold them.

What do you all do with your rare breeds? eat them too?





Two young brothers from Fall

Sally, those birds are stunning!!! So hard to kill the beautiful roosters with all those incredibly colored feathers. I love me a partridge roo!

 

[ronott1]

OMG these are the two roos we processed

I found the image looking for a wet chicken picture, I dont feel guilty but I guess I could have sold them.

What do you all do with your rare breeds? eat them too?





Two young brothers from Fall

Sally!

There is a market for feathers--Jewelry and arts and crafts. You can sell those feathers!

They even make fishing lures with that red color.

You cannot scald them and dry plucking is hard but I have done it, which of course means that you can too!

Yes, I eat the rare ones. I think I am the first person in the US to eat a Pita Pinta LOL!

My oldest daughter was hungry so she cooked one of the first two I processed. She was sorry and let me eat some too....

 

[Happy Chooks]

OMG these are the two roos we processed

I found the image looking for a wet chicken picture, I dont feel guilty but I guess I could have sold them.

What do you all do with your rare breeds? eat them too?





Two young brothers from Fall

Wow, they are were gorgeous! And very large too!

 

[chicken junky]

6 of my new brahmas are buff crossed with partridge, do any of you know what that might look like? Those roos are so beautiful I didn't know they were so stunning. I am more excited about my new babies now.

 

[ronott1]

6 of my new brahmas are buff crossed with partridge, do any of you know what that might look like? Those roos are so beautiful I didn't know they were so stunning. I am more excited about my new babies now.

Depending on the Barring, they may be sex linked with boys looking different from the girls. I am not clear on how much barring is involved with your partridge though.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Will keep this in mind, I will have to research this! I had no clue!

Quote: LOL