The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[AletaG]

I raised cornish for a very long time. Since iI purchased English Orpingtons I processed my last male. I have two hens left that are getting pretty old. I have not hatched from them this year and i will make sure I do in spring so I have cornish/orp for food next winter.

Have you done that before? And when you say cornish, do you mean cornish LF, or CX? Man that gets confusing. Sometimes I see why the Cornish LF guys get testy. LOL.
The gentleman in Sequim who's teaching me the lost art of the capon, has been using a 3/4 Dark LF Cornish/Buckeye male over Del hens. Seems to work very well for him! I'm hoping to find a good mix with the HRIR, either a male or female blood that works out nicer than the originals for meat. It truly seems hybrids work out the best for earlier harvest. "hybrid vigor" has it's root in something. And all our breeds started out thataway, took years for someone to get them to breed true.

Ok, back to makin' dinner.

 

[aoxa]

I do not remember the last time I looked at eggs in the store. I should become more aware..thank you

We look at them all the time just because. Eggs in the store are $3.49 a dozen for extra large. That is not free range or organically fed. Organic eggs go for $5.89 a dozen. We just looked this weekend.

I was having trouble figuring out how much to charge per pound for processed chicken. We settled on 3.99 a pound. It's free ranged, and it's comparable to the farmer's market chicken that is 'free ranged' but is also in a tractor so I'd be proud to say ours are much healthier birds.

Really there is no money in the meat when you consider the time.. I am only selling to close family members and close friends. We are actually going to make home made chicken soup and sell that as well. I cut up 8 chickens into breasts, thighs, wings, and drumsticks. I stuck all the backs in a huge stock pot and it's simmering now. Smells SOOO good.

That 3.99 a pound is for whole chicken.

I love the silkie/bouquet idea! Aoxa, at least get a picture or two with one, just for fun. Hope y'all have a joyous day and blessed life!

Great idea guys

 

[Bill Matthews]

Good luck Justine and Susan...Best wishes to you and the other courageous people out there willing to standup for what is fair and morally right...It took a very long time but the uphill climb gets easier every day...Take Care and God Bless on your Special Day...

 

[mlowen]

[quote name="aoxa" url="/t/729605/the-natural-chicken-keeping-thread-ots-.

Great idea guys
[/quote]

Just be sure to throw the flowers, not the silkie!

 

[TipihlowLadies]

Bee, does not visit this site any more..you can find her on the fermented feed site

I raised cornish for a very long time. Since iI purchased English Orpingtons I processed my last male. I have two hens left that are getting pretty old. I have not hatched from them this year and i will make sure I do in spring so I have cornish/orp for food next winter.

I'am crossing with Buff Orpingtons I hope if one of my 6 boys calm down.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: here is a site that was posted a while back, if you decide not to buy chicks from Delisha.

http://www.sandgpoultry.com/aboutus.html It is not Amish but they look interesting.

Also the Amish have migrated so they are now located in OH, IN, FL, and out west too as well as PA. I think I have read of them in CO. CO is a lot closer to you than PA.

 

[BlueMouse]

OK..

Well if you are not worried..I am confused about what you are asking. I am a bit thick headed I guess.

That bird in the video was an older healthy bird. The fat was normal for its age.

If the heart had a clot that is not normal. The bird clots and has blood pool where it is killed. If you cut its jugular in the neck the clot is there, if you chop off the head the clot is right at the ax mark. If a bird died of a heath attack it clots there. Internal fluids in not normal. Pale liver is not normal. There should be no gelatinous liquid at all. You stated the bird was injured. All of that could be explained with internal injury, however i am guessing since I have no pictures. The bird might have been injured because it was ill and would not come out of the coop. I am again just guessing from information given and this is my opinion.

Sorry, I haven't been online in a couple days, too busy. I have work on comission all coming due at once and not enough hours in the day.... You're not slow, I was probably just unclear!

This was a young guinea, 4 months old. She has always been much smaller than the other birds, but seemed healthy. My husband accidentally broke her leg moving the coop that the guineas and turkeys live in to fresh grass, as soon as it was obvious that the leg was broken I slit her throat. I didn't have the camera when I was processing her because I didn't think I was doing a necropsy, but once I saw all the liquid I gave everything an extra thorough once over. I do wonder with the clot in the heart if what she had was ascites that was causing her not to thrive. I've been reading up and it says ascites is caused by partial heart failure. Normally it seems to be fatal, but this bird seemed fine, just, runty.

Now... off the computer and back to work...

 

[Kassaundra]

A question for you coconut oil users, my local grocery store has a mayonnaise jar size for $9 is that about the normal cost?

 

[countrygirl74]

Thanks to Justine, I now get mine here - much cheaper than from my local health food store little jars... and we go through a lot so it's nice to get it organic in bulk!
http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-extra-virgin-certified-organic-coconut-oil-54-fl-oz-14

 

[MEMama3]

A  question for you coconut oil users, my local grocery store has a mayonnaise jar size for $9 is that about the normal cost?

That's about what a spend for the lower quality ones. The higher quality ones run a bit more. I use coconut from everything for dog ear mites, baby wipes solution and rash cream, General first aid and more. I get the higher end virgin oil for about $13 and with all the previously listed stuff, it lasts me 4 months or more. I also use it as an indicator if it's time to turn on the a/c lol. If it's completely clear liquid it's time to turn it on. When it's solid or thick I turn it off.