The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

I have never before eaten a bird that just dropped dead. I'm going to run it by my wife 1st. I know he was perfectly healthy yesterday. Still a little torn an what do do. Butcher or just incinerate him. I don't know. I'll think on it and see if anyone here has any feedback.

I don't know if I would eat him, but I'd let my birds at least. Or my dogs. But you don't have any dogs...

 

[JackE]

Absolutely love your coop design. Did you get that from Open Air Coops?

Thanks, and yes, that is the Woods coop from the book.
Jack

 

[off-grid hen]

Stony- did he have any wounds? I would open him up. If he was sick, you would probably be able to tell, because you've processed so many birds. You might be able to spot something abnormal. If you don't want to go through the trouble, I don't blame you though.

 

[stonykill]

Stony- did he have any wounds? I would open him up. If he was sick, you would probably be able to tell, because you've processed so many birds. You might be able to spot something abnormal. If you don't want to go through the trouble, I don't blame you though.

no visible wounds. Aoxa my thought is if I won't eat him I won't feed him to my animals. Not good enough for me, not good enough for them. Pretty certain I'm just going to incinerate him. Don't want to take chances.

 

[Melabella]

let all my birds out this morning and in one of the pens, the mutt breeding pen I found the rooster dead, still warmish. A Sumatra/black Australop mix. Handsome boy, his pics are up here somewhere. He was perfectly healthy yesterday. Heart attack I guess? I have one really really randy young guy who free ranges, but terrorizes the girls. I think maybe he just found a new home. Looks like some rooster and or hen/rooster swapping soon.
I guess I need to warm up some water.

I know it's the natural order of the circle of life, but sorry stony.....

 

[delisha]

I would eat him
He was healthy yesterday, and still warm this morning. I would assume heart attack, or organ failure, nothing about it would spoil the meat, all though I do not know about your snake issue there, if possibly he fought a poison snake. and you will not know until you open him up. Can you take pictures?If his heart was blown, I would definably eat him. I know that BDM wants pics for that thing too.

 

[stonykill]

well my wife is no help. "whatever you think" was the response.

 

[stonykill]

I would eat him
He was healthy yesterday, and still warm this morning. I would assume heart attack, or organ failure, nothing about it would spoil the meat, all though I do not know about your snake issue there, if possibly he fought a poison snake. and you will not know until you open him up. Can you take pictures?If his heart was blown, I would definably eat him. I know that BDM wants pics for that thing too.

never seen a poison snake here, ever.Lived on this land my entire 45 years. Poison snakes are extremely rare here in this part of NY. Way north of us are timber rattlers and east of us in Mass are some, but not many copperheads.

I was waiting for you to chime in. I guess I better get warming that water. Pics...doubt it. Work by myself, bloody hands, camera, don't mix well.

Will a bad heart be obvious Delisha?

 

[Leahs Mom]

well my wife is no help. "whatever you think" was the response.

She IS helpful...she's saying she respects your opinion and decision - and that's a good thing!

 

[delisha]

As far as cement and DL, you might have to add 1 more bale of hay. I use straw because of the humidity.

I have wood floors and I feed and water outdoors. It is neer impossible to keep DL dry in some environment and humidity levels with FF and water in the coops. I am going to add AG lime next spring on clean out and I have a big pile of chopped up wood chips when we had a tree removed. I forgot what kind of tree it was so I have to go examine those first.