The Front Porch Swing

[enola]

Covered, you don't want the skin to dry out.

 

[LindaB220]

You're right....no more mulling. It's food on the table and that was the plan all along. It was just the initial few minutes that bothered me and then when I got to work I didn't even think about it again. That doesn't make me a different person than I thought I was - it means I'm capable of providing well for my family. Period.

Now, are they supposed to refrigerated covered or uncovered? Can't find anything that tells me, so I covered them.

Good for you. That shows that you are growing as a responsible person into a self sustaining person. Proud of you. Yes Covered.

 

[Blooie]

K - thanks. No skin, Ken won the battle and skinned them but I was thinking about the outer layer of meat drying out too.

I appreciate the help, my friend!

 

[LindaB220]

K - thanks. No skin, Ken won the battle and skinned them but I was thinking about the outer layer of meat drying out too.

I appreciate the help, my friend!

You know you can bake skinned chicken by layering it in bacon. Ummmmmm. Or cut them up and have breasts and boiling chicken.

 

[Blooie]

Bacon? Never thought of that but it sounds fantastic! Gotta tell ya, Katie showed up while we were skinning the second chicken, and the first one was laying on a newspaper ready to go in for final cleaning. Neither of us heard her come up until she was almost at my elbow, and she asked, "Is today freezer camp day?" I sure didn't want her here for this, but she'd already seen quite a bit so there was no point in sending her home. Besides, if she had questions, this was the time to ask them. So I said, "Yep. You can go in a turn on TV and wait for me if you'd rather do that."

"It's okay, Gramma." She stared at the chicken Ken was skinning, Floyd, then looked down at the other one. Back and forth her eyes went, from one to to the other. "You know, Gramma, it looks like Floyd got all the food. He's really big. Charlie's mostly feathers and noise, huh?"

 

[bruceha2000]

That is what I tell my Anconas when they are jumping the other birds. "You may be the top chicken in the flock but *I* am the top chicken EVERYWHERE you go"

Does anyone use an automatic chicken door??
This would be an extravagance for me way above my usual comfort zone so I'm very nervous about spending the money, but my kids all want to go in and get this for me.

. We will be going on vacation and even though my neighbor is wonderful about helping us out I don't want to become to much of a burden on her.

I am most interested in the people who use one in the northern states. We seem to have 9 months of winter in Wi. so I don't want one that I will be fussing most the year. especially during blizzards and at -20. I am looking at the Ador. but I'm worried it will ice up and not open or close properly.
Can anyone offer any insight or send me to a reliable resource? Please.
@Blooie welcome home. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip. Great pixs.


edited for spelling.

I have a Pullet Shut door. My coop is inside the barn so I don't have the issue you are concerned about. I think you would almost have to have some sort of "open porch" affair with roof and sides that project out some distance on an outside coop so the door can't ice up with rain that freezes. The Pullet Shut is side hinged so it wouldn't be able to open against a pile of heavy snow though I don't think snow in the small gap between the door and frame could keep it from opening. I think ice could freeze it closed. It is all aluminum though so if it is on the sunny side of the coop, the ice might melt faster. On the other hand, vertical lift doors run in channels so the door might not be able to open/close if ice or snow gets in them.

Hmmm, thinking this through, I suspect you could mount the Pullet Shut inside the coop so it opens into the coop instead of out, then there wouldn't be an issue of "pushing snow".

Ho-hum...another day, another egg. She made a big show of picking up shavings and putting them on her back....is that something they usually do? I can't remember reading that anywhere. Anyway, it took her quite awhile to decided to settle down and get to work and she made the most pleasant chattering sound. THEN came the "egg song" as she hopped out of the nest - first time I've heard it and I jumped out of my skin at the first notes! It was loud!

How quickly some get jaded!

I've never seen my girls do that. The closest is when they flip dirt and/or shavings on themselves in a "dust" bath.
Guess she has a good set of lungs! Some of mine sing (even if they HAVEN'T laid an egg) and others don't but if they sing, it is loud.

Picture it - 6 shiny orange tractors, six rather plump, older guys wearing bright green shirts with orange pumpkins on them, bib overalls and bandannas and their red fezzes making tractors dance. He'll come home sunburned and grinning, like he always does. I need to see if Riley has any pictures of them performing.


I don't want pictures, I want video! I have never seen tractors dance.

The deed is done. Floyd and Charlie are in the outside refrigerator, all cleaned, prepped and waiting for a couple of days before I wrap them for the freezer. Speckles got a reprieve. It's strange, I don't know whether I should feel worse about butchering them or worse because I don't feel worse about butchering them. (You may have to read that sentence a couple of times for it to make sense.) When Ken was killing them it was harder than I thought it would be to see it. But as soon as he had them hung those thoughts left my mind and I just got busy with what had to be done. Does that make me less the gentle soul I always thought that I was? I mean, I hunt. I've shot cleaned and butchered many a deer, rabbit, and pheasant in my lifetime. As soon as Ken was done with the hard part it's like that part of my brain took over, shoved my heart out of the way, and I just started right in.

I think I'm gonna have to mull this over for a bit.

I did have to read it twice, skimming the posts of course. I think the difference is you don't have a personal connection to the animals you hunt, you do with the chickens. You are tending to their needs knowing that you intend to kill (some of) them for dinner. So, yeah, there is a difference. I'm not sure if I could do in one of mine, even the Anconas that are mean to the other girls. But I don't have to deal with that since Rebekah wouldn't allow it.

Bruce

 

[Tomtommom]

Bacon? Never thought of that but it sounds fantastic! Gotta tell ya, Katie showed up while we were skinning the second chicken, and the first one was laying on a newspaper ready to go in for final cleaning. Neither of us heard her come up until she was almost at my elbow, and she asked, "Is today freezer camp day?" I sure didn't want her here for this, but she'd already seen quite a bit so there was no point in sending her home. Besides, if she had questions, this was the time to ask them. So I said, "Yep. You can go in a turn on TV and wait for me if you'd rather do that."

"It's okay, Gramma." She stared at the chicken Ken was skinning, Floyd, then looked down at the other one. Back and forth her eyes went, from one to to the other. "You know, Gramma, it looks like Floyd got all the food. He's really big. Charlie's mostly feathers and noise, huh?"

The killing part bugs me some. It's so.. permanent. Once it's done, it's done, can't turn around and put the beasty back the way it was. But once they're dead, they're dead and I'm ok and just clean 'em up.

I'm waiting for my bunch to show what's what. I know one is a cockerel for sure, but the others I just don't know about. No big combs and wattles, except for the one certain cockerel, but some have long tails and act mighty offended if you touch them (jump up at you). They're 15... 16 weeks old. If there were more, surely they'd have big red combs by now. I know a few are pullets for sure, they let me hold them and pet them, which around this time is usually how I can tell the difference.. since I'm the rooster afterall. Hey, you can laugh, but that's how it works in my coop. I'm the main man. I pet the ladies when they squat.. so they know I'm their benevolent ruler.

Luckily, no crowing yet. Mr.Foghorn can stick around until I know for sure who all gets to go on a trip to the freezer.. I only want to make all that mess once darnit.

 

[Tomtommom]

Oh Lord, the egg song.

I have a production red and an Australorp that compete about being top hen. They actually 'battle' per egg song... FOR OTHER CHICKENS. They're not even laying.. they sing at the top of their lungs announcing another bird is laying an egg. And they will climb into the nestbox WITH the bird. They're rediculous

They fight over nestboxes.. they always want the box the other is in.

At one point I had THREE chickens in one of those plastic nestboxes. The two divas and the poor chicken trying to lay her egg.

 

[enola]

Bacon?  Never thought of that but it sounds fantastic!  Gotta tell ya, Katie showed up while we were skinning the second chicken, and the first one was laying on a newspaper ready to go in for final cleaning.  Neither of us heard her come up until she was almost at my elbow, and she asked, "Is today freezer camp day?"  I sure didn't want her here for this, but she'd already seen quite a bit so there was no point in sending her home.  Besides, if she had questions, this was the time to ask them.  So I said, "Yep.  You can go in a turn on TV and wait for me if you'd rather do that."  

"It's okay, Gramma."  She stared at the chicken Ken was skinning, Floyd, then looked down at the other one.  Back and forth her eyes went, from one to to the other.  "You know, Gramma, it looks like Floyd got all the food.  He's really big.  Charlie's mostly feathers and noise, huh?"

PRICELESS!

 

[ducksanddoxies]

Lov

Bacon?  Never thought of that but it sounds fantastic!  Gotta tell ya, Katie showed up while we were skinning the second chicken, and the first one was laying on a newspaper ready to go in for final cleaning.  Neither of us heard her come up until she was almost at my elbow, and she asked, "Is today freezer camp day?"  I sure didn't want her here for this, but she'd already seen quite a bit so there was no point in sending her home.  Besides, if she had questions, this was the time to ask them.  So I said, "Yep.  You can go in a turn on TV and wait for me if you'd rather do that."  

"It's okay, Gramma."  She stared at the chicken Ken was skinning, Floyd, then looked down at the other one.  Back and forth her eyes went, from one to to the other.  "You know, Gramma, it looks like Floyd got all the food.  He's really big.  Charlie's mostly feathers and noise, huh?"

Love it. Kids need to know where food comes from. We haven't butchered animals yet but, I'm not opposed to my kids seeing it.