Texas

[RoosterCogburn7]

Two roosters in the crock pots. (Last of the extra Marans), Happy Thanks Giving to all..

 

[orumpoultry]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you eat until you cant breath

 

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TEXAS FROM GEORGIA A FEW STATES OVER

 

[Eliza1313]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you have a safe and happy holiday.

The turkey we raised was delicious. A bit of a learning curve for processing them, and cooking. Know to add a good pair of pliers (possibly locking type) and a hacksaw to the processing tools. Might order one of the drill attachment plucking tools, but I don't know how well it will work without scalding the bird first. The pliers are needed for the flight feathers. Probably would have been easier to pluck if he had been done molting. So will wait awhile before processing the others. Learned the reason that white feathers were breed for, any that you miss or that break can be seen easily otherwise. Only about 11 lbs after processing, but large bodied. Would not fit in the roaster that handled a 22 lbs store bought turkey. Hoping the others will put on a little more weight before we process them, but I'm not sure how we will cook them if they get much larger.

Also started my first hatch almost 2 weeks ago. Had a duck go broody, so I ordered her some hatching eggs. Unfortunately I couldn't put them under her since the air cells had become loose during shipping. Then we moved the coops, and that broke her of being broody but she hasn't started laying again. I added some of the eggs from my chickens so that they will hatch at about the same day as the duck eggs. Has not been long enough for me to tell if they are fertile yet. Also need to pick up a stronger light, or a few, to be able to candle the darker colored shells.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you have a safe and happy holiday.

The turkey we raised was delicious. A bit of a learning curve for processing them, and cooking. Know to add a good pair of pliers (possibly locking type) and a hacksaw to the processing tools. Might order one of the drill attachment plucking tools, but I don't know how well it will work without scalding the bird first. The pliers are needed for the flight feathers. Probably would have been easier to pluck if he had been done molting. So will wait awhile before processing the others. Learned the reason that white feathers were breed for, any that you miss or that break can be seen easily otherwise. Only about 11 lbs after processing, but large bodied. Would not fit in the roaster that handled a 22 lbs store bought turkey. Hoping the others will put on a little more weight before we process them, but I'm not sure how we will cook them if they get much larger.

Also started my first hatch almost 2 weeks ago. Had a duck go broody, so I ordered her some hatching eggs. Unfortunately I couldn't put them under her since the air cells had become loose during shipping. Then we moved the coops, and that broke her of being broody but she hasn't started laying again. I added some of the eggs from my chickens so that they will hatch at about the same day as the duck eggs. Has not been long enough for me to tell if they are fertile yet. Also need to pick up a stronger light, or a few, to be able to candle the darker colored shells.

I have a feather plucker, and it gets most of the feathers my roosters, put a pair of pliers is often needed for the wings. The two that went in the crock pot made a pile of meat for the family, and there is plenty left over. Also, I shot a doe this morning, so more meat for the table. I bet you noticed you didn't have to cook that turkey less time than a store bought one. Birds get a tad lighter once the feathers, head, feet and entrails are removed. I bet you had the best turkey you ever had, 11 pounds or no. The roosters we have culled of the Marans make store bought chicken taste like cardboard.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Mosquitos tore me up today, but I bagged my doe today, and just in the nick of time for doe rifle season that ends Sunday.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Mosquitos tore me up today, but I bagged my doe today, and just in the nick of time for doe rifle season that ends Sunday.

Oh, man, me, too - I was outside trying to get some coop building done and I got eaten ALIVE by the mosquitos! I should be thankful for all this rain and wetness (and mud/bugs for the chickens), but GEEZ......

- Ant Farm

 

[Eliza1313]

I have a feather plucker, and it gets most of the feathers my roosters, put a pair of pliers is often needed for the wings. The two that went in the crock pot made a pile of meat for the family, and there is plenty left over. Also, I shot a doe this morning, so more meat for the table. I bet you noticed you didn't have to cook that turkey less time than a store bought one. Birds get a tad lighter once the feathers, head, feet and entrails are removed. I bet you had the best turkey you ever had, 11 pounds or no. The roosters we have culled of the Marans make store bought chicken taste like cardboard.

Glad you were able to get yourself a doe this season. I miss having venison, but none of the people I know that hunt have had enough to want to share or trade. I have not gotten to the point that I can hunt myself, maybe in a few years after I can process my own birds from start to finish. Too much of a bleeding heart still.

The turkey was good. Had found a rub for pork in a recipe book that we really liked, so we used that on it. Plus mixed some of the rub with water to inject. Next one we might cook more traditionally. Went to a friends for the day, most of the meat (ham and lamb) was all home raised except for the other turkey.

The broilers we raised were delicious. If I end up with too many males from the hatch I have going then they will be for the table.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Glad you were able to get yourself a doe this season. I miss having venison, but none of the people I know that hunt have had enough to want to share or trade. I have not gotten to the point that I can hunt myself, maybe in a few years after I can process my own birds from start to finish. Too much of a bleeding heart still.

The turkey was good. Had found a rub for pork in a recipe book that we really liked, so we used that on it. Plus mixed some of the rub with water to inject. Next one we might cook more traditionally. Went to a friends for the day, most of the meat (ham and lamb) was all home raised except for the other turkey.

The broilers we raised were delicious. If I end up with too many males from the hatch I have going then they will be for the table.

There is nothing wrong with respecting the animal you take for meat for the table. I do my best to do it as humanely as I know how. I try to make the death quick. I don't know many people who enjoy killing animals for the sake of killing animals. And those people aren't worth knowing. I carry a larger caliber than most because I prefer a humane one shot one kill. The thought of it wounded and having to track it is unappealing. One, because I get around like John Wayne walks (part of the reason for the icon), and two because of the animal suffering

Three are two reasons I don't buy store bought meat anymore. Industrial farming keeps the animals in terrible situations that also breed disease and multiple meat recalls. If I can't raise it, or cull it, I don't consider it safe. I can look at the internals of the animal and see if it something I want to feed my family. Both my grandfathers were ranchers. I wish I had half the land they had. But, I recall being on one ranch, and the cattle were allowed to be cattle with a pasture and barn. I remember going between Las Cruces and El Paso going past an "Industry Dairy Ranch" and you could smell the rancid feces before you got there. The cattle were up to their chest in their own waste. It looked like the cattle version of what Tyson does to their broilers,

I don't trust the USDA that rubber stamps that behavior nor the meat they approve for the grocery store. So, I am close to my meat source, and do my best to waste absolutely none of it. I can't stand the taste of liver of any animal, so I give that away to those that just adore it.

A lot of folks don't think to take any of the internals. But, I will use the chicken gizzards and hearts. I have a large deer heart in my refrigerator. I don't want to waste anything. The animal gave its life to provide meat for my family. So, it is usable, I use it.

So, I understand where you are coming from and respect it. When you are close enough to your meat source to get bloody, it brings significance that a pre-packaged slab of meat on a tray doesn't convey,

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Oh, man, me, too - I was outside trying to get some coop building done and I got eaten ALIVE by the mosquitos! I should be thankful for all this rain and wetness (and mud/bugs for the chickens), but GEEZ......

- Ant Farm

My hands are all tore up, it was the only part not covered up. I would have brought the citronella from the truck if I had known. But, a mile hike back to the truck would probably have spooked everything in the forest.