San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[empireranch]

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I think technically your supposed to refrigerate the processed chickens for a few days in the fridge to let the acids of rigor-mortis leave the flesh (SORRY for graphicididty)! I have never cooked one on the same day a butchering it. But I have heard of people who have and say it's fine. I am not opposed to it, HOWEVER, our BBQ is broken, so we wouldn't be able to unless someones wants to bring theirs!

25th it is then! What say everyone 11 am?

I'll be there!

 

[dfdesigns]

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Take pictures, would you? I can't come down today, but I'd love to see her in action!

Dana

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Beautiful eggs Nancy!! It's such a good picture too. Looks like a pro took it.

QUESTION:
I have an Australorp that went broody. She was sitting for days with nothing under her and I threw her off the nest several times a day.
I finally broke down and put two eggs under her. One isn't fertile. It's a lighter shell so I can see that it's not fertile. The second egg is
a little darker, harder for me to tell with my flashlight with tin foil over the top candler. It's a NN egg so it's a little smaller. What should I
do, continue to let her sit? Remove the infertile egg and leave the other one until I determine whether it's fertile or not? Even when I
take her off the nest to eat she just sits in the shavings and acts like she's brooding eggs right there! HELP!!

 

[luvanimals2]

Allison, Thank You! I love the pic too. As some of you know, I cannot take a pic to save my life. The pic was done by a pro. I am lucky to have him as a friend.

Okay, to the question. I usually cannot see veining until at least day 5. It gets easier at day 10 because it becomes mostly dark. Depending on what day it is, I would leave it.

I know exactly what you are dealing with. I have a bunch of broodies here. Ugh.......... don't they know I am at my limits?

The RIR and BO continue to do well. I walk into the coop and the BO is the first to greet me. She tries to tip over my treat cup. I will bring food and she is never fooled. She will skip the watermelon, lettuce, tuna, rice or whatever is on the menu and just stand in front of me for my secret treat stash. It is usually mealworms and those are her fav. Thank god she has not gone broody. I'd better go and knock on some wood.

Nancy

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[Laurelm]

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HI - If you are still looking for a home for your roo - I'd be happy to take him as long as he's healthy. I have LOTS of roo's and I am sure they'd teach him some manners. If not and he's stays too aggressive with the hens I will take him to the feed store - however if he behaves himself he has a home for life.

Just let me know.

Take care & I am sorry about your little hen - that's very upsetting!

Laurel

 

[Laurelm]

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I have lots of broody hens - I just let them sit on fertile eggs and hatch them. I do candle at night and throw out the infertile and dead eggs. I found 4 new babies today under my frizzle and one naked neck chick under my leghorn! Their body is telling them to brood and hatch so why not let them - it's prefectly natural. If you need fertile eggs I'd be happy to donate some.

Take care,
Laurel

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

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I would leave the few eggs as Nancy said for at least 10 days, by then you will be able to tell FOR SURE if they are fertile or not.

There are different ways to try to break a broody, everything from dunking her in water to separating her from the flock in a type of quarantine cage, but I think they are fun. Mine hatched out 4 little babies and now they are following her throughout the yard and it's HILARIOUS to watch their little antics! Just give her a few eggs and have fun with it! She won't be broody after they hatch.

 

[dfdesigns]

I second (third?) letting your broody do her thing... it is so much easier letting her raise the chicks than doing it yourself, and the chicks end up being accepted by the flock without fuss. I had a lot of fun watching mine!

Dana

PS - are we locked in for the butchering class? 11am on the 25th?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

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YES! 11 am on the 25th!

 

[HatchingFever]

Hey everyone just got word that my 4 birds got 1 place 2ed place and 4 th place