The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

It looks like DH and I will be attempting our first butchering of a chicken either tomorrow or Friday night. I have a video for the butchering process, but what comes next? Am I supposed to soak the chicken in the fridge or do I put the chicken in the fridge for a few hours then soak in a solution? This is an older chicken so he will be going into the crockpot not the oven. Any great crockpot recipes?

 

[armorfirelady]

Brandsilee- I feed powder garlic when I don't have the stuff that's in a jar in liquid. They don't have it every time now but that's only because the garlic is in the fridge & their food is in the coop. you guys reminded me today to add some so both the big girls & tots got some with other herbs and pepper.

Leah's mom- rice wash is the cloudy liquid you get when your rinse the rice. I just kept rinsing till it was clear. Then I cooked the rice for the hens and continued on with the Lab process. I haven't used it yet its just sitting in the fridge staring at me

Stony- lovin the pics can't wait to see what Momma has to say when the ducklings go in the pool
Edited because I can't spell on the iPad

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm going to do some searching around for an answer to this but...maybe someone here knows the answer!

I have a big ginger root. Can it be fed to chickens? Grated into feed or just whole for them to peck at?

Is it useful for anything?

 

[Quailsong]

Yep...that video has been posted several times...but I've never watched it all the way to the end. Seems like I'm always in a hurry

Maybe I'll get all the way through it some time!

No kidding. I'm surprised there's no more vids on it. Here's one that saves on reading/watching time.

I know ginger isn't toxic to birds but I don't know about feeding it to them in moderate batches. More like a treat? I bet if you made kombucha ginger tea that it'd not be a problem with chickens if they ate the scoby or even some of the drink.

Ginger is a GREAT herb for cooking with, has many medicinal uses for humans. For chickens I'm unsure of. But of course, moderation is the key when using it - much like garlic.

 

[BlueMouse]

well, I checked on my broody mama agin (for like the millionth time) still sitting on the one egg left, and I think now that there's only one chick. I was so sure I had seen two. Not sure how four eggs morphs into , one egg and one chick. but there you have it. Maybe I'll be able to see better tomorrow. I was upsetting her looking with the flashlight, so I left. She's so sweet clucking to her little chick and dropping food for it, and pulling the egg under her at the same time. That's one awesome multi tasking Mama right there!

Baby buff orpington is tiny and fluffy and yellow and drattedly cute. Hoping that it's a pullet.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
I'm on my way out to try this right now!

 

[Leahs Mom]

well, I checked on my broody mama agin (for like the millionth time) still sitting on the one egg left, and I think now that there's only one chick. I was so sure I had seen two. Not sure how four eggs morphs into , one egg and one chick. but there you have it. Maybe I'll be able to see better tomorrow. I was upsetting her looking with the flashlight, so I left. She's so sweet clucking to her little chick and dropping food for it, and pulling the egg under her at the same time. That's one awesome multi tasking Mama right there!

Baby buff orpington is tiny and fluffy and yellow and drattedly cute. Hoping that it's a pullet.

I really LOVED watching my first (and only so far) mamma w/the new kiddos. I could have just sat and watched for hours. I observed her telling them different things like, "Here's food" "Come here NOW" "Freeze" and others. Pretty interesting how she talked to them and how they responded. Amazing thing to me was that she was a hatchery chick herself that had no mama. Just knew what to "say" and do.

I think it will be amazing and just as exciting every time (if I could just get someone to cooperate out there

)

 

[loanwizard]

It looks like DH and I will be attempting our first butchering of a chicken either tomorrow or Friday night. I have a video for the butchering process, but what comes next? Am I supposed to soak the chicken in the fridge or do I put the chicken in the fridge for a few hours then soak in a solution? This is an older chicken so he will be going into the crockpot not the oven. Any great crockpot recipes?

When mine get Pressure cooked.... or crock potted, soaking them isn't necessary.

I don't have any recipe's as I put mine in feet and all in about a gallon of water the pressure cook for 45 minutes. After relieving pressure it falls off the bone... literally. I then can it and the broth.

 

[stonykill]

It looks like DH and I will be attempting our first butchering of a chicken either tomorrow or Friday night. I have a video for the butchering process, but what comes next? Am I supposed to soak the chicken in the fridge or do I put the chicken in the fridge for a few hours then soak in a solution? This is an older chicken so he will be going into the crockpot not the oven. Any great crockpot recipes?

everyone has their own way. I personally even with an old bird, butcher, let it rest in the fridge for 3 days then either freeze or put it in the crock. I put it in whole, cut up, not debone'd... on low for 8 hours, pull the chicken out CAREFULLY and then debone. Then if in no hurry cook it another 8 hours on low with any fixin's you want init. It is good after 8 hours but SO much more flavor if cooked the additional 8

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
I'm liking how easy that sounds. I don't have a pressure cooker and I'm pretty sure the feet will have to come off for it to fit in my crock pot. But not having to wait does sound nice. Typically for a store bought chicken, I use water, and a few seasonings or butter in the crock then coat with BBQ once off the bone. I was just thinking I read on here not to cook right after processing.