Silkie thread!

[jajeanpierre]

That is very true jajeanpierre. I've seen plenty of free rooster listings on Craigslist and as much as I would like to think that if I gave my rooster away it would go to live on a happy farm with all the females he could possibly would want, I am sure that wouldn't happen. My intent is to keep both if I can as long as one is getting hurt and assuming that my neighbors don't seem to mind. I've been keeping them in until 8:30 on the weekdays and 9 on the weekends. I'd like to think that that muffles the crowing just a tad. You must be one tough cookie if you can slaughter a chicken. I'm not sure if I could do that. I looked into it before getting chickens, but I'm still not sure I could do it. I have got to get me a sizzle or a chicken with a frizzle gene. A double frizzle?! Those must be adorable! Hopefully you can keep him too.

Before I bought my first chicken I thought I had found someone to slaughter them for me through the feed store (I was buying straight run chicks). Right after I bought them, the feed store owners said, no, that person now only slaughters for the 4H Club kids. I am not sure I would have ever bought any chickens if I had thought I would have to do it myself. I asked around everywhere, knowing I would have a bunch of cockerels that no one would want. I couldn't find anyone to do it for me (I would have paid a LOT for someone else to do it!).

I joined a BYC thread specifically for people like me, to help us do it right and help us get through it emotionally. (It's called Processing Day Support Group~HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!) I ended up slaughtering my first Silkie when my (expletive) Dachshund got into the fenced back yard and tore up four little cockerels. That Silkie was destined to be slaughtered and was badly hurt, so it was easy to do. One of the four, my absolute favorite that I intended to keep, died that night. The other two survived, one the Silkie I still need to slaughter and the ugly little frazzle Cochin that is so ugly he is adorable and will live.

I didn't think I could ever do something like slaughter a chicken, but I did and I'm proud of myself for being able to do it. Philosophically, if I am going to eat meat it behooves me to give that meat the best life possible and as quick and stress free a death as possible. Factory farming is not any kind of a life or death for a chicken.

I have always known the cockerels had to be slaughtered by someone. When I found out I didn't have someone to do it, I asked around. One solution suggested to me was to just kick them out of the pen and let "nature" take its course. I was astounded someone could do that to a little cockerel they had lovingly raised but didn't have the backbone to slaughter it themselves, instead leaving it to the foxes, hawks and raccoons to do their dirty work, which is not likely to be a humane death, that's for sure.

The frazzle (that's when it carries two frizzle genes) Cochin is a really ugly bird. I have two of them, a cockerel and a pullet. The feathers are horrible--thin, brittle, sparse. Some of the feathers are just the shaft, so are like wire. The feathers break. I don't think the bird has a nice temperament, but I've read that it is common in the double frizzles. They are also small.

As soon as I separated the pullets from the cockerels there was peace and all the cockerels got along well. The two left still do. The little frazzle Cochin will tidbit for the Silkie cockerel. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. I had intended to put the cockerels back in with the pullets, but they are quite happy in my back yard.

You might put your cockerels in a crate/box that is low for the night. I understand they cannot crow unless they can stand up and stretch out their neck.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Ah, you have a Frazzle Cochin and are going for Sizzles?

Did u eat the silkie boys.. and what did they really taste like?

The frazzles are not part of a breeding program--they are hatchery chicks. I had ordered frizzle Cochins from a hatchery, expecting 50% smooth and 50% frizzle. I ended up with 3 frazzle (75%), only one frizzle (25%) and no smooth. I suspect the hatchery had pens with both parents frizzle or maybe even a frazzle x frizzle. Sadly, the frizzle cockerel died after my (expletive) Dachshund got into the back yard where they were free ranging, if you can call a back yard free ranging. I adored that little bird. I have two frazzles left, a pullet and a cockerel. The pullet's feathers are much better than the cockerel's, but she is still pretty ratty looking. I'm tempted to get a smooth bantam Cochin pullet for the frazzle, and would end up with 100% frizzles.

How hard would it be to buy a show quality blue or splash Cochin pullet in Texas? The frazzle cockerel is black.

I'm not sure I will be able to tell how good a Cochin (or more likely, how awful) he is. I think the double frizzle gene does a lot of things besides just making a mess of the feathers. Does anyone on this thread have some insight into frazzles?

And, yes, I did eat the Silkies. I only took a couple of bites of the first one, trying very, very hard not to taste it or feel it in my mouth. The second batch I slaughtered, three with severe testosterone poisoning, were such nasty bity things that I had no trouble tasting them. They were incredibly delicious! The meat is funny looking with black streaks next to the bones and on the legs so I tried to hide it in a curry. Even a curry sauce couldn't hide their rich buttery flavor. They were about 6 months old with huge testicles, so they were nothing like the 6 week-old Cornish cross mush you buy in a grocery store.

I have two Ameraucana cockerels I need to slaughter that are now six months old. I keep putting it off. It will be interesting to compare the taste between the Ameraucanas and the Silkies. Silkies are prized meat birds in the Far East.

 

[Roxie479]

Wher
Where are you located?

I'm in western NC

 

[OohLaLa]

Before I bought my first chicken I thought I had found someone to slaughter them for me through the feed store (I was buying straight run chicks). Right after I bought them, the feed store owners said, no, that person now only slaughters for the 4H Club kids. I am not sure I would have ever bought any chickens if I had thought I would have to do it myself. I asked around everywhere, knowing I would have a bunch of cockerels that no one would want. I couldn't find anyone to do it for me (I would have paid a LOT for someone else to do it!).

I joined a BYC thread specifically for people like me, to help us do it right and help us get through it emotionally. (It's called Processing Day Support Group~HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!) I ended up slaughtering my first Silkie when my (expletive) Dachshund got into the fenced back yard and tore up four little cockerels. That Silkie was destined to be slaughtered and was badly hurt, so it was easy to do. One of the four, my absolute favorite that I intended to keep, died that night. The other two survived, one the Silkie I still need to slaughter and the ugly little frazzle Cochin that is so ugly he is adorable and will live.

I didn't think I could ever do something like slaughter a chicken, but I did and I'm proud of myself for being able to do it. Philosophically, if I am going to eat meat it behooves me to give that meat the best life possible and as quick and stress free a death as possible. Factory farming is not any kind of a life or death for a chicken.

I have always known the cockerels had to be slaughtered by someone. When I found out I didn't have someone to do it, I asked around. One solution suggested to me was to just kick them out of the pen and let "nature" take its course. I was astounded someone could do that to a little cockerel they had lovingly raised but didn't have the backbone to slaughter it themselves, instead leaving it to the foxes, hawks and raccoons to do their dirty work, which is not likely to be a humane death, that's for sure.

The frazzle (that's when it carries two frizzle genes) Cochin is a really ugly bird. I have two of them, a cockerel and a pullet. The feathers are horrible--thin, brittle, sparse. Some of the feathers are just the shaft, so are like wire. The feathers break. I don't think the bird has a nice temperament, but I've read that it is common in the double frizzles. They are also small.

As soon as I separated the pullets from the cockerels there was peace and all the cockerels got along well. The two left still do. The little frazzle Cochin will tidbit for the Silkie cockerel. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. I had intended to put the cockerels back in with the pullets, but they are quite happy in my back yard.

You might put your cockerels in a crate/box that is low for the night. I understand they cannot crow unless they can stand up and stretch out their neck.

This discussion is on the GA board now. How is the best way of culling for a chick or older bird with the least amount of suffering for human and foul. I have not had to do this yet. I've been tested with other animals and issues so I know I could do it, but I also know it will not be easy on my heart.

 

[Jharper]

The frazzles are not part of a breeding program--they are hatchery chicks.  I had ordered frizzle Cochins from a hatchery, expecting 50% smooth and 50% frizzle.  I ended up with 3  frazzle (75%), only one frizzle (25%) and no smooth.  I suspect the hatchery had pens with both parents frizzle or maybe even a frazzle x frizzle.  Sadly, the frizzle cockerel died after my (expletive) Dachshund got into the back yard where they were free ranging, if you can call a back yard free ranging.  I adored that little bird.  I have two frazzles left, a pullet and a cockerel.  The pullet's feathers are much better than the cockerel's, but she is still pretty ratty looking.  I'm tempted to get a smooth bantam Cochin pullet for the frazzle, and would end up with 100% frizzles.

How hard would it be to buy a show quality blue or splash Cochin pullet in Texas?  The frazzle cockerel is black.

I'm not sure I will be able to tell how good a Cochin (or more likely, how awful) he is.  I think the double frizzle gene does a lot of things besides just making a mess of the feathers.  Does anyone on this thread have some insight into frazzles?

And, yes, I did eat the Silkies.  I only took a couple of bites of the first one, trying very, very hard not to taste it or feel it in my mouth.  The second batch I slaughtered, three with severe testosterone poisoning, were such nasty bity things that I had no trouble tasting them.  They were incredibly delicious!  The meat is funny looking with black streaks next to the bones and on the legs so I tried to hide it in a curry.  Even a curry sauce couldn't hide their rich buttery flavor.  They were about 6 months old with huge testicles, so they were nothing like the 6 week-old Cornish cross mush you buy in a grocery store.

I have two Ameraucana cockerels I need to slaughter that are now six months old.  I keep putting it off.  It will be interesting to compare the taste between the Ameraucanas and the Silkies.  Silkies are prized meat birds in the Far East.

Be my luck our neighborhood would turn into the town of Fitzgerald, Ga. If any of y'all know what I'm talking about. LOL!

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: How about you go the other way around, keep the pullet and get her a nice Cochin boy? I bet its easy to get a SQ Blue or Splash Cochin cockerel, much easier to find and less expensive than the pullets...

Thanks for the info, I will be looking at one of the "extra" boy in a different light. To bad he is still cute. I would rather find him a good home with nice ladies to play with.

I too had to make the difficult decision to process the extra boys myself - or not hatch any chicks. I call it processing instead of slaughter because slaughter always sounds violent to me and when I process I do it in the least violent way possible - they do not suffer and I make sure of that. Around here you either pay to process batches of 20 or more birds, or they won't do it. I decided when push came to shove I could do it. I also read that thread, and a few other threads before I did anything myself. I haven't been able to do any Sillies though - they are just too darn cute. I have a total of 3 birds that I have done, all large fowl, and it doesn't get any easier but it is better because I know they are not suffering at the end. They had a good life (which I created by hatching them) and they have a useful death and not a wasted one. I can't afford to feed them forever and if I can't find them a good home with other girls I am not going to give them away to be possibly inhumanely processed and then eaten by somebody else.

I processed my severely curly toed gold leakage Lav/Split AM boy not that long ago. He tasted like chicken - real stuff. Like you said, nothing like that rubbery tasteless Cornish cross mush you get in the store. He wasn't buttery though - although he had probably 2 cups of yellow fat stored in there. I still have to distance my feelings from those I choose to process, and it takes a lot longer than it "should". Like you, I have a few that will live longer than necessary until I get up the emotional detachment to process them. I have to talk myself into doing it.

One thing I have noticed - their bones are a lot stronger. You know how people always say NOT to feed cooked bones to the dogs? Well I have had dogs for years, and never had a single problem with them eating cooked chicken bones - the store bought ones. After I cooked my first bird I looked at those strong flexible and HARD cooked bones and said to my self - "This is what they are talking about not feeding to dogs. Those would really make trouble".

I apologize to anybody that this offends, but the realty is that these are chickens, they were bred to produce meat and eggs. Silkies are more like pets than chickens, but they are still chickens. I have had other chickens for many years (EEs) and I have only recently come to the realization that the boys provide better food than what is available in the stores. I have always eaten the eggs knowing they were better, but I hadn't hatched out my own chicks before - so I never had an excess of boys to deal with. I now do, and I am facing reality squarely.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

 

[Fancychooklady]

[VIDEO] [/VIDEO]

That little chipmunk is soo cute!

 

[Jharper]

Here's Cotton's two chicks. The oldest is the one that hatched before she died(non-bearded rooster is the daddy). The second one(youngest) is the last egg she laid the day before she died and it hatched. . The paint rooster is it's daddy. He beat the no bearded rooster to it I reckon. Haha.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Here's Cotton's two chicks. The oldest is the one that hatched before she died(non-bearded rooster is the daddy). The second one(youngest) is the last egg she laid the day before she died and it hatched.

. The paint rooster is it's daddy. He beat the no bearded rooster to it I reckon. Haha.

Awww, they are cute. Please find out what is going on - to protect all your birds.