South Carolina

[Joycats]

Quote:
I can't do it either. I'm a farmer with a mother's heart. I buy organic chicken from a local farmer but I could never eat my own chickies. If I raise them here, I look them in the eye and I care about them. I could never eat them. When I was a small girl it was my job to go bottle feed the baby calves. I loved it - morning, noon and night - LOVED it! Then the calves grew up and I realized what was going to happen to them. Cried for weeks, quit eating beef at 10 years old. Been this way my whole life and I ain't gonna change now.

Makes it easier for me knowing how they were taken care of. I don't name the meaties & that helps

Actually it didn't bother me the first time either - but I knew why we were raising them & how they were treated & raised in the pasture with good food & room to run and grow. If we were to get a calf, we would have to get 2 .... one for nic and one for us to send to the freezer. She had a hard time watching the first couple of chickens we processed - then she was in charge of eviscerating them. DH did the dirty work & also skinned them. I did final cleaning & quartered or halved them.
Once she ate one though, she won't eat grocery store birds now either.
Knowing we raised them for food, gave them space, and food & water, and cared for them, makes it easier for her I think........that and once they get so big, you do not want to see them waddling around because they just look miserable.

I know a lot cannot process their own chickens.

Oh I'm not saying it's bad - I think it's a great thing to do. I agree that at least you know the chickens are healthy and well cared for. I just don't have it in me to take a life. I have trouble killing snakes that eat my eggs and baby chicks .... but I've been able to get past that and I do kill them. It took me getting mad about it first though. I kind of wish I could do it because there would be money to make in raising meat birds. And it's getting really hard to make ends meet on the farm with feed and gas prices.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Hey Amy......... our neighbor's daughter is about 7 or 8 I think.......she asked me yesterday if we had anymore of those Butler Ducks

Took me a minute to figure out she meant Nicole's duck named Butler.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
Makes it easier for me knowing how they were taken care of. I don't name the meaties & that helps

Actually it didn't bother me the first time either - but I knew why we were raising them & how they were treated & raised in the pasture with good food & room to run and grow. If we were to get a calf, we would have to get 2 .... one for nic and one for us to send to the freezer. She had a hard time watching the first couple of chickens we processed - then she was in charge of eviscerating them. DH did the dirty work & also skinned them. I did final cleaning & quartered or halved them.
Once she ate one though, she won't eat grocery store birds now either.
Knowing we raised them for food, gave them space, and food & water, and cared for them, makes it easier for her I think........that and once they get so big, you do not want to see them waddling around because they just look miserable.

I know a lot cannot process their own chickens.

Oh I'm not saying it's bad - I think it's a great thing to do. I agree that at least you know the chickens are healthy and well cared for. I just don't have it in me to take a life. I have trouble killing snakes that eat my eggs and baby chicks .... but I've been able to get past that and I do kill them. It took me getting mad about it first though. I kind of wish I could do it because there would be money to make in raising meat birds. And it's getting really hard to make ends meet on the farm with feed and gas prices.

I have no clue how much money would be in raising them.........by time you figured in price of birds & feed for the weeks you have them......then your time to process...

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
Oh I'm not saying it's bad - I think it's a great thing to do. I agree that at least you know the chickens are healthy and well cared for. I just don't have it in me to take a life. I have trouble killing snakes that eat my eggs and baby chicks .... but I've been able to get past that and I do kill them. It took me getting mad about it first though. I kind of wish I could do it because there would be money to make in raising meat birds. And it's getting really hard to make ends meet on the farm with feed and gas prices.

I have no clue how much money would be in raising them.........by time you figured in price of birds & feed for the weeks you have them......then your time to process...

I wouldn't process them myself. I'd probably have them sold to an organic meat provider before I started. I know the man I buy my meat from does contract out some of his products to other farms. He would collect them and have them processed himself, then I'd get paid a set price by the pound. But the cost of food would be an issue as those chickens really eat a lot and food is kind of outrageous. He requires that they be pasture raised, but you still have to provide food to them (especially as chicks). The only good thing is you know you'd be limited on time, they grow fast so the turn around is quick.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
I have no clue how much money would be in raising them.........by time you figured in price of birds & feed for the weeks you have them......then your time to process...

I wouldn't process them myself. I'd probably have them sold to an organic meat provider before I started. I know the man I buy my meat from does contract out some of his products to other farms. He would collect them and have them processed himself, then I'd get paid a set price by the pound. But the cost of food would be an issue as those chickens really eat a lot and food is kind of outrageous. He requires that they be pasture raised, but you still have to provide food to them (especially as chicks). The only good thing is you know you'd be limited on time, they grow fast so the turn around is quick.

We fed gamebird food because of higher protein amounts which is what is recommended for meat birds. price is crazy for that feed!

When do you sleep?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Moonchild, it says you are offline.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Okay, calling all users of the still air 'bators. A friend has not had any luck hatching chicks from hers so she brought it to me to try for her. I set it up last night and so far it is holding temp at 100 just fine and humidity is dropping some. It only has the wire floor, built in trays for water, an egg turner and the heat coil on top.
How do you still air 'bator owners keep your humidity up in those? I expect to add a sponge but am working with it now to see what it will do before I add eggs. I started with 53% humidity and am now down to 43%. That is a big drop in a short time.

 

[itsjustjen]

Our run is done!!!!!!!!

My wonderful Hubs has been working on it every single day and it's finally done! Got everyone in for their very first grassy adventure! Only wish I had designed it differently....they are a pain to get out. Where the door is, when our coop is built ( late summerish ) it will be the same pyrmaid design only half the length.

Also but the new chickie babies into the brooder on the porch to help air out my bathroom ( stinky little boogers ). When we designed the brooder, we did it with more chicks in mind so we added a divider that slides in.

The older chickies on one side ( with Poof the duck )

The babies on the other!

In hindsight the divider could be further over.....

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
We........
Fill only one of the chambers.
Let it run on 30-45% the first 18 days.
Add water to other chamber on day 18.
It gets up to 50-60%

That is a big drop in a short time, but it has happened to me also. It seems to do better hatching with a lower starting humidity.

If it is not holding humidity on day 18, we add the plugs. one or two depending on what is needed.

Actually - I use one until I see pips and then add second one. If I think it gets too high during hatching (more than a couple dozen eggs in there and it usually does, then I remove one)

Also with still air, ours are sitting on two small wooden boards so it is not flat on a surface.

Glad it is holding temps! To me, a turner is a pain - it gives off enough heat to affect the temps

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
Awesome!

Love the way you did the brooder!