She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[scflock]

What have you done to Brad?
Nothing. Why, do you think I should?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Oh he's scary!! Always plays weirdos, he has one of those faces.

Look ive replied now so will be trapped here

He does, but you gotta like Steve. lol He plays his parts well.

So, all the best laid plans come to naught if you don't think them through entirely...

I just got off the phone with the only chicken processor within a reasonable distance (and its 1.5 hours away) to verify a few of my assumptions.

She was great in helping me guestimate the weight of my birds at the times I am hoping to process them. Weight them now, weight them a week from now, and that gain will roughly occur every week till I process them (or up to 16 weeks of age). Just a rough guess of course. Also, processed birds weight roughly 75% of their pre-processing weight. So, in a week I will be able to guestimate what the hens will be at 10 weeks, and roos at 14 weeks. Good to know. So I booked appointments for 3 birds on 3 different dates to try various ages.

I then asked the next question; "Do you stop processing at any point?" Answer; "We stop the last Tuesday before Christmas"...hmm..."when do you start up again?"...she says; "Usually the 3 week in May"...

I had planned to process on Jan 9, Jan 23, and Feb 20...38 birds each time...well, there goes the business plan!

So now I have to change focus and build more brooding space. Additional run space is already planned for the young chickens area, and it will definitely hold the 200+ chickens that could end up there...its the brooding space that's a problem right now. Looks like my living room, which currently houses the 1 brooder, is going to have to find space for 3. Guess I'll move the dining room table out again...it is such a relief to not have a spouse to give me that look...

Doesn't seem to always happen that way?

I've pulled you back in!

I feel the same way about Tim Curry, a fellow brit. Plays the most unusual characters, and something about him is a little disturbing. Maybe it was the clown sidewing posted

I've never cared for Tim, but his "Legend Role" was best.

 

[scflock]

He does, but you gotta like Steve. lol He plays his parts well.

What, can't spell
Busc...
Bushe....
Boosh.....

Ok, Steve

 

[WalnutHill]

I do that all the time. Can't even come close enough that spell check can figure it out...time to find another way to say it.

Southern Ohio...close enough

 

[AmyLynn2374]

What, can't spell
Busc...
Bushe....
Boosh.....

Ok, Steve

Buscemi!!!! lol

 

[scflock]

Southern Ohio...close enough

Ohio is really just SE Michigan anyway, isn't it?

 

[WalnutHill]

So, all the best laid plans come to naught if you don't think them through entirely...

I just got off the phone with the only chicken processor within a reasonable distance (and its 1.5 hours away) to verify a few of my assumptions.

She was great in helping me guestimate the weight of my birds at the times I am hoping to process them. Weight them now, weight them a week from now, and that gain will roughly occur every week till I process them (or up to 16 weeks of age). Just a rough guess of course. Also, processed birds weight roughly 75% of their pre-processing weight. So, in a week I will be able to guestimate what the hens will be at 10 weeks, and roos at 14 weeks. Good to know. So I booked appointments for 3 birds on 3 different dates to try various ages.

I then asked the next question; "Do you stop processing at any point?" Answer; "We stop the last Tuesday before Christmas"...hmm..."when do you start up again?"...she says; "Usually the 3 week in May"...

I had planned to process on Jan 9, Jan 23, and Feb 20...38 birds each time...well, there goes the business plan!

So now I have to change focus and build more brooding space. Additional run space is already planned for the young chickens area, and it will definitely hold the 200+ chickens that could end up there...its the brooding space that's a problem right now. Looks like my living room, which currently houses the 1 brooder, is going to have to find space for 3. Guess I'll move the dining room table out again...it is such a relief to not have a spouse to give me that look...

Our local processors also work on a seasonal schedule. I don't, which is why I process at home. That, and the closest processor is 40 miles north...

All you need is a sharp knife, a canning kettle, an old work table, and plastic bags for the feathers and innards. I'm not real fast at it, but once I start the processing step it's only 15 minutes or so until they are ready to chill. No blood in the house, and a bird raised on a good diet, withdrawn from feed at least 14 hours before processing, and hosed off after bleeding out makes almost no mess that can't be bagged.

No need to do them all at once, I prefer not to do more than 5 at a sitting unless I have help to make it a production line.

Build stackable brooders.

 

[WalnutHill]

Ohio is really just SE Michigan anyway, isn't it?

Ohio is the empty space between my home and my office in Indianapolis.

 

[scflock]

Ohio is the empty space between my home and my office in Indianapolis.

I feel the same way when I drive to Alabama.
Get a map, Amy
Sorry gachooks
You know what they say, the only good thing coming out of GA is 85 north

 

[scflock]

Our winters are too cold for a simple structure...and since I have the space inside this already incredibly insulated house...might as well do it in here. Of course I will try to put them into the storage space in the ground floor, but that's already packed with so much junk from 2 estates and a move from a much larger house...

Really, not saying this to joke, I wish I could put the mental picture I have of you on the screen.
A genius, probably never have to worry about where the money for the next power bill is coming from, in the middle of nowhere, chain smoking, and trying to cram 800,000 chickens onto Hell's half acre. Did you guys read about Ted Kaczynski up there?