Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Solanacae]

In anticipation of low to no egg production this winter as my flock is aging, I began water glassing eggs in June. I managed to collect two 5-gallon buckets worth and we've been eating them since October. They are more fragile and watery than a fresh egg but taste the same and perform the same in cooking.
The only thing I cannot do with them is hard boil them. I tried once and it was an unmitigated disaster. So when the girls produce a dozen, I boil those. We've cut way back on hard boiled eggs in our salads but that fine with me.

How do you glass eggs? I’ve looked for information on it but haven’t found anyone with much experience. Most videos on YouTube are like, “I’m going to try this cool method of preserving eggs and see how it works.”

 

[Solanacae]

You might be interested in this regarding food labels (at least in the US). It underscores the issue and is also practically helpful when you go shopping!
I try to grow my own veg and buy meat from local farmers. It doesn’t solve the problem but it helps. Buying local is increasingly popular where I live and I am lucky to be in and around small family farms.
I worry about slaughterhouse practices but have been unable to find out a lot about that. There is a local slaughterhouse a mile away but they don’t handle poultry.
https://awionline.org/content/consumers-guide-food-labels-and-animal-welfare

Thanks for the label information! I have found Facebook to be quite helpful in helping me find local farmers that I can get my meat from. No one seems to do poultry around here either, but a lady on my local backyard chicken FB page was looking for help getting some meat birds processed.

It was very informative to learn how to butcher a chicken from start to finish, and I was able to buy some to take home and eat. These birds were Cornish Cross hybrids, and even though this lady had an excellent set up and encouraged free ranging around the farm for all her birds, it was still sad to see how not-mobile these birds were. I can only imagine how much worse it must be for those raised en masse. I have debated on raising my own meat birds - but if I do, they wouldn’t be Cornish Crosses. I don’t mind paying a little extra in feed for a bird that can move easily.

 

[Perris]

I think the juices are rising: all the pullets are very lively this morning, with lots of chasing and chest bumping and flaring of hackles going on. Eggs soon?

 

[Perris]

I must owe tax for that one So, like father, like son (with Janeka head bobbing between them)

 

[RoyalChick]

Thanks for the label information! I have found Facebook to be quite helpful in helping me find local farmers that I can get my meat from. No one seems to do poultry around here either, but a lady on my local backyard chicken FB page was looking for help getting some meat birds processed.

It was very informative to learn how to butcher a chicken from start to finish, and I was able to buy some to take home and eat. These birds were Cornish Cross hybrids, and even though this lady had an excellent set up and encouraged free ranging around the farm for all her birds, it was still sad to see how not-mobile these birds were. I can only imagine how much worse it must be for those raised en masse. I have debated on raising my own meat birds - but if I do, they wouldn’t be Cornish Crosses. I don’t mind paying a little extra in feed for a bird that can move easily.

Totally agree with you. I can remember the first time I saw a Cornish Cross I was appalled.
I am fortunate to live near to a farming area so I can get meat, eggs, honey and veg quite easily. I still feel disloyal getting eggs so I just eat fewer when mine don’t lay.

 

[Perris]

I still feel disloyal getting eggs so I just eat fewer when mine don’t lay.

I used to feel that way, but got over it at 3 months !!!

 

[DobieLover]

How do you glass eggs? I’ve looked for information on it but haven’t found anyone with much experience. Most videos on YouTube are like, “I’m going to try this cool method of preserving eggs and see how it works.”

The ratio is 1 oz hydrated lime (pickling lime) to a quart of water. You mix up the solution and lower clean, unwashed eggs into it. I would wash and sell or immediately eat soiled eggs and save the cleanest ones for "the soup". The buckets are kept loosely covered to prevent too much evaporation and condensing of the solution.

 

[RoyalChick]

I used to feel that way, but got over it at 3 months !!!

My Roadrunners (two crazy Legbars) have declared it is spring and are laying.
One lays the tinniest eggs so I need two from her to make a one egg omelette!
She is laying about twice a week now so I am all set. Loyalty crisis averted!
The honest truth is I need more chickens.

 

[Marie2020]

The ratio is 1 oz hydrated lime (pickling lime) to a quart of water. You mix up the solution and lower clean, unwashed eggs into it. I would wash and sell or immediately eat soiled eggs and save the cleanest ones for "the soup". The buckets are kept loosely covered to prevent too much evaporation and condensing of the solution.

I think I may have seen this on YouTube last year. The eggs are preserves for some time, is this right?

 

[Marie2020]

It's flexi preening Tina. She us not being nasty but it has to stop. Other than the anti feather pecking spray can anyone recommend anything else?