The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

What is the easiest way to cull some extra cockerels for the freezer? My grandparents always used an axe, but I'd rather not do that.....
Also, has anyone ever processed Bantam Cochins? Is there even enough meat to put forth the effort?

there is some meat on them but not much... for the bantams, the ones I've processed I've just skilled and deboned the largest portions (breast and thigh) and then boil the rest for soup stock or put it back in the yard for the birds to pick clean. by then it's not recognizable as a buddy and they don't seem to notice. LOL and if the dog decides to help, the raw bones are 100% digestible as opposed to the cooked bones which will splinter.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
if it is worms or coccidia, then the cochin's already been exposed and has probably already developed immunity to the cocci and is managing parasite load on her own... so your other girl will benefit from the company with little or no harm to the cochin IMO.

 

[Kassaundra]

I do not have any bantam chickens but have culled several young ones for injury, sickness or failure to thrive and have processed them all for food. There is at least enough for a big pot of soup. My husband and I aren't big eaters so I have also 1/2'd them and served for a meal. It only takes < 30 minutes to do start to finish.

 

[TeaChick]

if it is worms or coccidia, then the cochin's already been exposed and has probably already developed immunity to the cocci and is managing parasite load on her own... so your other girl will benefit from the company with little or no harm to the cochin IMO.

Oh, good, that's what DH and I thought. Thank you. =)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Came home and all the FF I put out was gone! Now if only the dog didn't eat it........................

Here's what happened when the muskrat came up to eat the chickens food. I was just going to shoot it cause they are a nuisance and over populated. They live under the docks around here a chew through the flotation...anyway behind him was our waterfall I built a few years back which is made of big rock and was not safe too shoot there. So I took the barrel of the gun and nudged him away from it. He ran over a jumped on the rocks under the waterfall.
Here's a visual....



with a great old cat who is no longer with us...
Well I just left him alone so he could leave and he started to do just that when the FedEx guy came in the gate, startled the rat who jumped into my water feature....

then I see him go into a hole in the rocks and it sounds like he's remodeling in there, thumping rocks around and scratching....did I mention there is a rubber liner so the water goes where you want it an so the pond doesn't leak. Well, it leaks now!

He must have started to tunnel out the back cause it really goes down fast. All the rock has to come out, patch leak, rebuild.....I shot the little bugger and slid his carcass out on the ice and an eagle ate him. Had to vent...I am so pizzed.

Bummer. And in this weather too.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Bad Bad BYC. Double post.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Hmmm apple seeds.....

Well, I don't know what to say.

I do observe that when free-ranged or in the wild these birds would eat orchard droppings.

And I do observe that at least my birds don't want to eat what is not natural to them (take legumes, for example...I feel bad "forcing" them to eat legumes but that's another topic and the legumes are probably just as toxic to their system if not more so...).

I have observed that when I put things out that aren't natural to them that they may take a look then just walk away and it will be there weeks later without them having touched it.

mine like kidney beans but it typically makes me think twice as the poo turns red. I tend to only give red stuff to the adult chickens now so I don't over think the red poo.

My "Mister" has a bit of discoloration on his comb. I haven't done anything for it as I didn't want to agravate it worse. Not dark, just kind of lighter and maybe a little yellowish tint.

Kassaundra - do you think I should just leave it alone and observe or should I put some oil on it?

Last yr my production reds got spots like that on their combs. I did nothing and the combs would have been fine but then the 2 boys started pecking at each other's combs lots of blood and the spots turned black fast. the combs did not fall off though just stayed black and looked muddy in the spring and summer. Both were re-homed before mid summer though.

What trick did you use to get your chickens out of the coop? They look great in your snowy pictures. Mine won't even go outside when chased with a broom. I even tried popcorn on the ground as they typically love popcorn. The cat loved it though and even caught some of the wild birds that came by a couple of hours later.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Bad Bad BYC. Double post.

Are you on a phone? It double posts more when your on a phone.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: As long as the kidney beans are cooked it should be okay..but it's one of those beans that they shouldn't have raw.

To get them out, I try to keep the dog kennel run "swept"...I take a broom and try to sweep it back enough that some of the chips show through. That helps a lot. if you look at that photo you can see a little bit of chips showing through.

Then I toss the loose sprouts way out away from the door so they have incentive to go. However... "Mister" is a weenie. He stands on the logs and doesn't want to step on snow so I have to give him a push.

They he'll stay out after the sprouts for a while but not for long!

 

[TeaChick]

Came home and all the FF I put out was gone! Now if only the dog didn't eat it........................

Here's what happened when the muskrat came up to eat the chickens food. I was just going to shoot it cause they are a nuisance and over populated. They live under the docks around here a chew through the flotation...anyway behind him was our waterfall I built a few years back which is made of big rock and was not safe too shoot there. So I took the barrel of the gun and nudged him away from it. He ran over a jumped on the rocks under the waterfall.
Here's a visual....



with a great old cat who is no longer with us...
Well I just left him alone so he could leave and he started to do just that when the FedEx guy came in the gate, startled the rat who jumped into my water feature....

then I see him go into a hole in the rocks and it sounds like he's remodeling in there, thumping rocks around and scratching....did I mention there is a rubber liner so the water goes where you want it an so the pond doesn't leak. Well, it leaks now!

He must have started to tunnel out the back cause it really goes down fast. All the rock has to come out, patch leak, rebuild.....I shot the little bugger and slid his carcass out on the ice and an eagle ate him. Had to vent...I am so pizzed.

So sorry!!!