The Old Folks Home

[bamadude]

Hagar3: bear is pretty sacred around here.....long time no see. How u been?

 

[Double Kindness]

LOL that's funny ronott1! as I light up a fatty.

I know it seems very silly to caponize 5 ac roos, but I already have 2 nice ac decrowed roos, and since these aren't PERFECT or from the best lines, I don't think it would be wise on my part to have the others decrowed also, as it is expensive to get it done. And winter is coming, I need the space they would take up. B/c my friend has 18 eggs from her ac in the bator, more eggs everyday, at least for the next 2 weeks, as she rehomed the mature ac roo a week ago. The new roo isn't mature enough to start mating quite yet. He's a sweetheart though, so I do hope his temperament comes through on the babies.

There is ONE ac roo in the last batch that looks pretty good, but I really don't have the kind of money needed to decrow more ac, I won't be selling my extra decrowed ac roo until spring, to observe them and see how well the decrowing surgery took.

I had to bring my last outdoor plant inside the barn last night, at 8 am it was 28f here. Brr.

Alaskan-can you share ur muscovy ducks coop/pen pictures? I'm trying to figure out wtd for them. The last 3 nights the dark chocolate scovy went to roost in the coop with the chickens, they usually stay outside under the coop, on top of the Rubbermaid tote made into a shelter for them, but I never see them in the tote. I use 2 big heavy plastic black tubs for their water, and trying to figure out the best way to over winter these guys, as it's looking like we won't get the cemani/bresse pen/coop built in time. We're likely to build them a coop and stick it in the existing meatie/duck pen and finish predator proofing it and setting up the electrical fence to zap anything looking for an easy meal out of my rare chickens.

Now time to start breaking this rooster down to smaller pieces and get this coq au vin on the stove!

 

[Alaskan]

 Well done Alaskan.  Left comment on your coop page  - what I really feel about your accomplishment.    PS Is it possible your spouse may stray with  some guy who has no chickens.  Must be plenty of those in Alaska.

Get a PI  - sue her and let her pay you alimony AND chicken support!!

That is totally my fantasy!

DK, just curious, what exactly is free range wine?

I haven't tried skinning the feet, but I think you might be able to peel them off like a glove if you make a slit in the direction of the foot and try to start peeling it, making the slit longer as you advance.

It doesn't peal that easily vehve. You cut a small slit on the underside of a claw, then pop the outer claw off (like the layers of an onion). Then, you will have a skin edge that you can grab and peel. It peels like when you get sun burnt, and peel the top layer of your own skin off. You have to get the angle right to keep it peeling in a large piece. Takes practice.

@Double Kindness

I have pictures on one of my coop pages. I have lots of snow and wind and very little sun in the winter, so I set up the coop with as much floor space as possible. Ah, go look at the page. Before that coop I had them sleeping under an overturned garden cart. Pictures of my ducks....


Male and female

Male

Older female with heavy caruncles for a girl, and one year old girl

 

[Alaskan]

Labeled ducks, picture take March 12 hatched October 25. So, about 4.5 months old. VERY clear which were which, big size difference. The boys were as big as mom.


The unlabled in the back of the first picture, is another girl.

 

[vehve]

Alaskan, I was thinking of starting from the other direction, like you would take a glove off. But apparently that wouldn't work then? You'd have to pull the skin along the surface though, sort of making a 180 deg fold and pulling it off.

 

[bamadude]

Confucious say...a no footed chicken will not run like adidas

 

[Alaskan]

Alaskan, I was thinking of starting from the other direction, like you would take a glove off. But apparently that wouldn't work then? You'd have to pull the skin along the surface though, sort of making a 180 deg fold and pulling it off.

You can peel from the top too....but it doesn't peel at all like the skin from the body.....

 

[vehve]

I've been a bit wasteful with the feet. Our flock is so small, that the birds are pretty much pets, and the feet are a bit too handlike for my liking, so I've just disposed of them. It's interesting how soft the skin on them really is.

 

[hennible]

Confucious say...a no footed chicken will not run like adidas

Confucius say chicken with big feet... Come up with your own joke, I got nothing...
But these birds have serious feet meat

 

[hennible]

I've been a bit wasteful with the feet. Our flock is so small, that the birds are pretty much pets, and the feet are a bit too handlike for my liking, so I've just disposed of them. It's interesting how soft the skin on them really is.

Why not boil them whole ( after a good wash if your picky ) for a soup stock?