Texas

[AmyLM]

Good friend and I processed chickens for the very first time today! I wanted to tell someone but I didn't want to start a new thread.. hehe. We bought some chickens from someone to "practice" with before we invest in meat chickens if we didn't have the heart/stomach to do it. We went with the method illustrated in the youtube video "respectful chicken harvest." Everything went really well and we plan to have rotisserie chicken tonight!

thats how i processed my rooster. Thanks to that video! hahaha But to be honist... I coudlnt eat him. my mom and gramma thought it was funny. We will be raising meat birds next year and I wont be doing the processing which should make it easier.

 

[CaliTX]

thats how i processed my rooster. Thanks to that video! hahaha But to be honist... I coudlnt eat him. my mom and gramma thought it was funny. We will be raising meat birds next year and I wont be doing the processing which should make it easier.

I was really pleased with the process, the first bird was nerve wracking but the second went VERY smoothly and everything was straightforward. They were quite small but they tasted pretty good. I think next time we will let them rest as the bird we left whole was rather "stiff" and I think this affected the texture of the meat. Or maybe not! I'm making grocery store chicken tonight and honestly its feeling quite "wrong" already. I will be processing my own again, at least I know they went quietly and quickly! It may be a different story when I raise mine and then try to process. I have told myself I will keep a few that I can allow myself to get attached to and will be able to live as layers and then pets, but the meaties I will try to simply feed, water, and not bond with. We'll see. Haha.

 

[AmyLM]

I was really pleased with the process, the first bird was nerve wracking but the second went VERY smoothly and everything was straightforward. They were quite small but they tasted pretty good. I think next time we will let them rest as the bird we left whole was rather "stiff" and I think this affected the texture of the meat. Or maybe not! I'm making grocery store chicken tonight and honestly its feeling quite "wrong" already. I will be processing my own again, at least I know they went quietly and quickly! It may be a different story when I raise mine and then try to process. I have told myself I will keep a few that I can allow myself to get attached to and will be able to live as layers and then pets, but the meaties I will try to simply feed, water, and not bond with. We'll see. Haha.

my husband and I say the same thing about the eggs! We wont buy eggs anymore from the store. Even though our eggs are like laughingly small.. they are SOOOOOO much better tasting. We are really excited to raise meat birds because my husband (who is from India) really finds the pastey sickly looking american chicken farm mass produced chickens very disturbing. He calls it "rubber meat" in other words... hes not sure its meat at all. LOL We are trying to decide what breed of meat birds to get and where to order them from. We also want to rehome some of our fancier birds and get more true laying birds to help off set the costs. But Im so fond of my ornementals that its hard to decide who goes!

 

[GamGam]

ChickletteSarge, I couldn't find any around here so I drove to Quality Feed today. Got the fish zole. They had a large assortment of birds and other animals. Now I know where I can get some silkies or other breeds in the future. Got my RIR medicated. She is eating soft food. I wonder if I can give her a course of Duramycin-10 (tetracycline) just in case she gets an underlying infection. I am going to post on the emergency forum to ask. Thanks so much for letting me know about Quality Feed.

 

[dukeis111]

hello, fellow Texans!

 

[GamGam]

Hello Duke

 

[dukeis111]

hello Gam!

hows the weather?

 

[chickletteSarge]

ChickletteSarge, I couldn't find any around here so I drove to Quality Feed today. Got the fish zole. They had a large assortment of birds and other animals. Now I know where I can get some silkies or other breeds in the future. Got my RIR medicated. She is eating soft food. I wonder if I can give her a course of Duramycin-10 (tetracycline) just in case she gets an underlying infection. I am going to post on the emergency forum to ask. Thanks so much for letting me know about Quality Feed.

GOOD DEAL GAMZ! Those guys are awesome! They know alot of OT info as they aquired their shop from a really old timer! Lol hey he was stil workin the shop at 80 back 15 yrs ago! I havent been to them in about 10 yrs since i was away doin my mil thing. But i came back and there they are still runnin the shop! Hope you got a biz card! Any Q's you may have they may be able to help! If you need their # let me know and ill get it to you!

 

[henryholub]

So the thing I've known was coming happened today. One of the older ladies in the neighborhood who is always very particular about how other people keep their yards, park their cars, place their trashcans, etc., left a city ordinances flyer in my door about my crowing roosters (that i'm trying to get rid of anyway...she'd know that if she'd just talk to me) So here's the offer. I'm located in Tyler, TX, and anyone who wants them can have them. I can even make delivery out to a certain distance...we can work that part out. But, they have to go ASAP. So please, please, please....help me give these guys a good home!

 

[henryholub]

Celebration! I found student at a local private school who's family raises chickens that wanted them. The roosters are going to a much better place than even I can provide here. Good things still happen.