The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Wing clipping question:

I am considering clipping the wings of our girls. I'd leave the roo with full wings, since he tends to stick by them pretty close. I want to clip their wings because every girl now regularly flys over our fence. Our five foot chain link fence.

My partner is concerned because he believes that having unclipped wings will help the girls escape predators. I think the girls are getting themselves into more and greater possible danger by letting themselves out of the pasture whenever they please. Worse, even, they are getting very close to the road.

Our house is only about 15 feet away from a relatively busy road. Most of the area we have hoped our girls would free range on is our back yard, which is about an acre of blackberry berry brambles and apple and walnut trees, which borders on to a city park. But no. They prefer the small strip of front yard, under the medlars.... sigh...

Anyhow, I would like to clip the wings, and then maybe put up a short plastic net fence to keep the girls away from the road.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

My girls were flying over fencing as well. I just took a few posts attached them to original fence and added plastic fencing to make it taller.
Perhaps drive way markers or long sticks weaved in the chain link so they stood straight then attach plastic netting to that. I think thats easier than clipping wings

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote:

Quote:

Super secret recipe for everything.... Garlic and butter. Done.

Yes. Garlic and butter. How bout a little onion too? does that go w/the heart?

On the liver, the only way I've been able to eat it is cut VERY THIN - almost paper thin if that is possible and easier to accomplish when it's partially frozen. Then I would dredge in flour with salt and garlic, then fry in - are you ready - BUTTER with onions.

It's not half-bad that way but if I get it much thicker, forget it.


Those bread stuffed ones sound interesting too. How long to roast? Maybe I'll try the heart this time but I WAS getting it for the chickens to eat.

I even dislike the smell when chopping it up for the hens. My mother used to make me eat things when I was younger and this was on the top of the dislike list.
Not that I dont believe you guys it tastes good but I will stick to venision steaks and jerky

 

[Leahs Mom]

It has been WARM here is So Cal so my bowl went CRAZY and as I was just "soaking" these grains, I didn't cover them as deeply as I do my regular FF. I did rinse the grain before I fed it & smelled it to make sure it wasn't off...

I feed the Scratch & Peck layer feed that has some whole grains and is slightly ground? Not really a mash some whole grains or 1/2s ....

AOXA I don't add anything else to my FF bucket as I was worried about messing up the protein levels.... I guess I could add some whole grains to my feed. Should I be worried about the protein content??

I feed them in large flat potted plant drip pan thingys (its a technical term ) So it is almost like being in the ground... In the morning I dump the remainder on the ground and put the fresh food on the dish ....

I kind-of thought that you were just doing a short-term soak on those based on what you had written.

I have to admit that I haven't fed store-bagged feed so I'm not sure, but it sounds like a mash with a coarse grind. I got mine originally from the feed store that made it to order, but what I got was probably similar to what you have. And it's what I still make today - I just get the items in 50 lb bags and coarse grind my own so that it isn't sitting getting rancid as i had to purchase a minimum of 300 lbs (which I shared, but it still was around longer than I liked).

Your pan sounds like just what they'd like to eat from height wise. Does the stuff on the ground disappear more quickly than what's in the pan? Oddly enough, I have the bread pan feeder which is deep, and a pie pan feeder which is shallow. They always clean out the pie pan way before the deeper ones so I know they prefer the flatter. And they love it off the ground!




I, personally, like to have my basic feed left as-is with the protein, minerals, etc. at the "supposed right balance" But mine get all kinds of other stuff so I'm sure it throws things off anyhow. I just have this "thing" in my head that I want to know that at least their basic feed is formulated like it's supposed to be.




I've been REALLY ENJOYING Kassaundra's sprout bag method. I pounded a post out in the run and have been inverting those bags out there and let them go-to-town on them. I was AMAZED at how clean they pick those bags!



Edited because it added a bunch of old quotes that weren't supposed to be there. Been having quote troubles w/byc all day.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I even dislike the smell when chopping it up for the hens. My mother used to make me eat things when I was younger and this was on the top of the dislike list.
Not that I dont believe you guys it tastes good but I will stick to venision steaks and jerky

I couldn't eat it like my mom made it either. Huge, thick chunks of liver, tough as could be. And not NEAR enough butter. It was only after I was an adult that I tried making it and found that I actually liked it. I was amazed.

 

[Shan30]

 I even dislike the smell when chopping it up for the hens.  My mother used to make me eat things when I was younger and this was on the top of the dislike list. 
Not that I dont believe you guys it tastes good but I will stick to venision steaks and jerky  

Agreed on the liver. Nasty no matter what you do to it.

And sorry I have no idea on the cooking time. I throw most stuff in around 325 and cook it until its smelling and looking ready to me. Not a flawless plan but it usually works out. I'm sure if you could find some indication online.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Super secret recipe for everything.... Garlic and butter. Done.

You really can't fail with that. And you can always add cream.

I now have a "processing" day tradition ... green banana salad with gizzards & hearts.

You take regular unripe bananas, slice just through the peels and boil them until the bananas are soft but not falling apart. Let them cool while the sauce cooks.

While the bananas are boiling, you cook the sauce, which is thinly sliced onion (I like red onions for this), a couple whole pepper corns, a couple bay leaves, sliced olives (green or black), plenty of garlic, and pimentos with lots of olive oil and about half as much white vinegar. That simmers together for about an hour.

Then you slice the bananas and gently toss them with the sauce in a glass dish. Salt it to taste.

It can be refrigerated when it cools down, so you can make that a day ahead.

The best part is on processing day you cook up the hearts and gizzards (diced, garlic, butter) and toss them into the salad.

I love it, but I also love liver. I make liver and onions pretty often.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

For using chicken livers ... I like to cook them in garlic & butter, add in cream & tarragon, then serve it over pasta. Could be good with white wine in there, too. Thinly sliced onion?

Now I'm getting hungry.

 

[delisha]

Wing clipping question:

I am considering clipping the wings of our girls. I'd leave the roo with full wings, since he tends to stick by them pretty close. I want to clip their wings because every girl now regularly flys over our fence. Our five foot chain link fence.

My partner is concerned because he believes that having unclipped wings will help the girls escape predators. I think the girls are getting themselves into more and greater possible danger by letting themselves out of the pasture whenever they please. Worse, even, they are getting very close to the road.

Our house is only about 15 feet away from a relatively busy road. Most of the area we have hoped our girls would free range on is our back yard, which is about an acre of blackberry berry brambles and apple and walnut trees, which borders on to a city park. But no. They prefer the small strip of front yard, under the medlars.... sigh...

Anyhow, I would like to clip the wings, and then maybe put up a short plastic net fence to keep the girls away from the road.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

This clip will show you how

Quote: I love liver too..yum

 

[delisha]

Mumsy,

Your boy is simply beautiful..what a real treasure. Love his perfect comb.

 

[aaggjg]

Mumsy,

Your boy is simply beautiful..what a real treasure. Love his perfect comb.

X2!!!!!