The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mrs Hutcherson]

Started at about 6 weeks, prolly wouldnt have worked as well if my cats didnt listen as well as they do lol

 

[Kassaundra]

I imagine that the smaller the chicks are the more of a temptation... what about yours, Kassaundra...do they pay any attention to the chicks?

Oh yea, mine would eat a chick in a heartbeat, given a chance.

 

[BlueMouse]

I have read that the ice bath right after scalding before plucking can help the skin to tear less.

You know, Delisha and Mumsy really are right, if you get the scalding right everything really DOES wipe off. I figured that they must know what they were talking about, but that their definition of "wipe" must be different than mine. Nope. I found it took a little while to clear of the very small feathers and you had to hand pull a few pinfeathers between finger and thumbnail. But other than that? It really was that easy. I also found that I had to give the chicken a little swish around in the pot with the dunking motion, to get the water down inbetween the wings and the body and get everything weet. But, our pot could have been bigger too. For the turkey's I think we're going to have to use part of a steel drum.

I have a hen that is looking pretty ratty. I don't know if she's getting ready to moult or is moulting? she's not broody (at the moment) but not laying either. I picked her up last night when I checked everyone over (I was hoping that I could tell if my big girls are getting ready to start laying. I can't.) and she seems light.... She just doesn't seem sleek or shiney, and her feathers seem sort of frayed. She just looks ratty. I kept her back this morning and gave her a scoop of grain. suggestions? I think I'll keep her back and give her a morning scoop for a few weeks.... should I invest in some calf manna? give her some mackerel? ground beef? egg? coconut oil? Not sure what will help bring her back into condition the best? Frankly I'm not even for sure what is going on.

So jealous of the first egg! Fox ate my big girl who was laying, and my other big girl has been broody and now (maybe?) moulting. Either way, no laying going on... My Cuckoo Marans is almost 30 weeks, and no sign of laying from her.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Well, Marsala is laying but she has not submitted to the cock she is with. All 3 of her eggs that had no development at day 7 had no bullseye. And none of my Blue pullet's eggs were fertile either. I have seen General Tso try and unsuccessfully mount her. Hoping he gets it soon so I know if he is fertile or not. Still have two eggs from Blondie(Buff hen) and an EE and BR egg developing.

 

[MumsyII]

Well, Marsala is laying but she has not submitted to the cock she is with. All 3 of her eggs that had no development at day 7 had no bullseye.

And none of my Blue pullet's eggs were fertile either. I have seen General Tso try and unsuccessfully mount her. Hoping he gets it soon so I know if he is fertile or not. Still have two eggs from Blondie(Buff hen) and an EE and BR egg developing.

My Sheryl Butler cockerel isn't making the mark either and he really tries hard too. There are a couple pullets of mine that also won't squat and hold still for him. I'm chalking it up to inexperience. Some Silkie strains take longer to mature than others. Here's to hoping practice makes perfect.

 

[uglychickens]

Could you list the "recipe" for the brine? How much water, salt, lemon juice, sugar, apple/slime????

Post processing/plucking, (cleaning/washing/pat drying the meat...) how long do you leave the chicken in the ice water?

Then, how long in the brine?
Do you freeze the meat in the brine? or rinse it off before placing into ziploc bags??
Thanks so much, got this chore staring me in the face as soon as the weather cools...
Birds will be about 6 months old, looks like I'll have 8 to do my 1st time. Nervous, need to get it all figured out real soon. Thanks, Chirp

Just a quick tip if your nervous about killing so many chickens at once on your first time, take the biggest one now and kill it, that way you can get the jitters out and learn what you'd do differently. It's also a good way to know if your knife is sharp enough, the very first time I had to kill a rooster I botched it BAD! The knife was too dull had to resort to a small hatchet... Who knows how much pain I put that bird through ;-( but I learned from it and now ill never put another poor chicken through the pain!!
Still cry when I think about it ;-(

 

[uglychickens]

Ok my one pullet has bright red comb and wattles, the red is starting to run down her neck (I have NN's) her vent is large and moist. The rooster is mating her but she hasn't submitted yet, she's 2&1/2 fingers between bone and vent... BUT NO EGG! She's 18 weeks how much longer do I have to wait?
This is starting to feel like forever!! Lol

 

[delisha]

Ok my one pullet has bright red comb and wattles, the red is starting to run down her neck (I have NN's) her vent is large and moist. The rooster is mating her but she hasn't submitted yet, she's 2&1/2 fingers between bone and vent... BUT NO EGG! She's 18 weeks how much longer do I have to wait?
This is starting to feel like forever!! Lol

lol..
You have to wait till the egg is in the nest box. It should be any day now.

 

[aoxa]

So we only ended up processing four. They weren't big enough for our liking.

Also, they still have quite a few pin feathers, and I spent far too much time plucking. The regular feathers are easy, but the pin feathers.. gah!

I'd say they are around 3-4 pounds after processed. 7 weeks. Need to grow out longer. Too much work for a 3 pound chicken.

 

[delisha]

So we only ended up processing four. They weren't big enough for our liking.

Also, they still have quite a few pin feathers, and I spent far too much time plucking. The regular feathers are easy, but the pin feathers.. gah!

I'd say they are around 3-4 pounds after processed. 7 weeks. Need to grow out longer. Too much work for a 3 pound chicken.

Two more weeks should do it.
Those birds will be delicious on the grill