The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[maryhysong]

What age range is best for processing roos? I have several that I need to do, but only one even looks big enough to be worth it..... Plus part of them are bantams as well.... ?

around here it's whenever they are big enough to make a meal OR they are so obnoxious I can't stand them any more

 

[SallyinIndiana]

What age range is best for processing roos? I have several that I need to do, but only one even looks big enough to be worth it..... Plus part of them are bantams as well.... ?

I think it depends on how you want to cook them. The older they are, the more likely you will want to slow cook them. No matter the age, be sure to let them rest and brine them as well.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
well, the buff roo is to breed the red girls. it'll be a project for sure. he's sq from a well known breeder and judge, and the red pullets are lacking type for sure. first generation will all be buff, and if you want to breed buffs they'll breed fairly true color wise, even tho they're only heterozygous for the dilute gene. my goal is to eliminate the dilute gene, leaving me with better typed reds. but i'm sure i'll have plenty of extras for sale in the summer. I'll be keeping a handful of each sex to grow out for breeding, and then depending on their type, I may breed the f2 red chicks back to the buff roo to improve type further, if I haven't lost any of the deep mahogany shade.

 

[delisha]

What age range is best for processing roos? I have several that I need to do, but only one even looks big enough to be worth it..... Plus part of them are bantams as well.... ?

Some are delicious at 8 weeks. You can process them when they are large enough for a meal it does not take long. Cornish hens are tiny birds and delicious.

Quote: Yes..brine and rest.

 

[lalaland]

Delisha, wow you really have enough snow!

It started snowing Saturday night and still hasn't stopped, but luckily it is light fluffy stuff , and I am only up to 6 additional inches. Its deep!

Had to free a junco this morning that had gotten into the coop. They have a hard time finding their way out since they would have to drop to floor level and go thru the the little tunnel to the ramp outdoors. Little junco kept landing on the hens on the roost, poor thing was exhausted.

And its definite, what I was hoping to be a crested cream legbar pullet is icleandic. She looks identical to legbars, but a smaller version, and more tellingly, is the layer of the little tiny white egg, not blue.

-20 today and tomorrow. oh well!

 

[aoxa]

What age range is best for processing roos? I have several that I need to do, but only one even looks big enough to be worth it..... Plus part of them are bantams as well.... ?

What Mary said. Anytime they are big enough for a meal or obnoxious. The earlier you do it, the better texture they will have.

Delisha, wow you really have enough snow!

It started snowing Saturday night and still hasn't stopped, but luckily it is light fluffy stuff , and I am only up to 6 additional inches. Its deep!

Had to free a junco this morning that had gotten into the coop. They have a hard time finding their way out since they would have to drop to floor level and go thru the the little tunnel to the ramp outdoors. Little junco kept landing on the hens on the roost, poor thing was exhausted.

And its definite, what I was hoping to be a crested cream legbar pullet is icleandic. She looks identical to legbars, but a smaller version, and more tellingly, is the layer of the little tiny white egg, not blue.

-20 today and tomorrow. oh well!

We have so much snow as well. I caved and had it professionally removed this morning all down to the barn. It was so deep I couldn't do it with my snowblower. It's up to my belly button now in depth. I needed to get a car down to the barn for supplies..

Why do I live in Canada again? I have to remind myself that it's only a few months.... At least it's not cold right now.

 

[TeaChick]

I've seen other stories on her ... if I remember correctly, she sells the eggs for more like $6.50/dozen, and also sells meat birds and some veggies. She gets her food for a few pennies a pound and the same with her egg cartons ... I read a story she wrote about how cynical the "local food" business can be where she said if she leaves her father in charge of her booth at the farmer's markets, he can't sell anything. But if she sits there, with pigtails and an egg basket and acts like a cute kid, people buy.

She is pretty much my hero.

That's what I need, pigtails. lol I could get $6.50 a doz if I was a cute little kid with a sick mom too.
I think it's great that she's using what she's got to help her family!!!

 

[delisha]

We did not get the second 12 inches of snow. It stopped thank goodness. It dusted about an inch. So the snow is manageable this morning. It did not take me long to shovel at all. The birds did not want to come out this morning, however I see them go out to eat and drink and dash back in.

Justine..I am glad we do not get that much snow often. Last year we had one huge snow fall that I had trouble moving and the snow piles were so high you could dig a hole and park your car inside.

I do not think this year I could shovel that much snow. ..It sucks getting old.

Yes..I have enough snow...I am full and we do not need any more moisture.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

We're sending a bunch of cockerels away for processing today ... stupid frustrating stories about why we don't process them here ourselves, but maybe next time ...

Here are some photos of one of our mutt cockerels who is going to freezer camp today. Check out his comb:







He is kinda dirty as it is dead/mud season here ... he was prettier at the end of summer ... which was before it got muddy and before the other cockerels got more jerkey and also before we had several days in a row of freezing temps. But I still think he is a cool bird and wish I had room for mutt roosters here.

He seems to have a good amount of meat on him ... now I just need recipes!

 

[TeaChick]

We're sending a bunch of cockerels away for processing today ... stupid frustrating stories about why we don't process them here ourselves, but maybe next time ...

Here are some photos of one of our mutt cockerels who is going to freezer camp today. Check out his comb:







He is kinda dirty as it is dead/mud season here ... he was prettier at the end of summer ... which was before it got muddy and before the other cockerels got more jerkey and also before we had several days in a row of freezing temps. But I still think he is a cool bird and wish I had room for mutt roosters here.

He seems to have a good amount of meat on him ... now I just need recipes!

I that's what your dirty mutts look like, I'd like to see your clean purebreds. =)