Quote: Thanks, the Auburns are very pretty! They sure have an attractive variety of birds. Haha I hear you on the "making friends with what you eat"! I hunt, and have ate everything from deer to raccoon. But my first pig, we processed this weekend actually brought tears for me. Bacon was really friendly and a lot of fun too! He was here for 8 months, and I am really surprised at how smart pigs are. I am sold, and will raise more, we finished out at below 80 cents a pound @ 300#. He was very friendly, manageable and smart. He had a pretty large pasture, and he was very lean, no lardno fat, almost disappointed! I think what i will miss most, when i started our tractor he would run around like a piglet, he knew mom was bringing a fresh roll of hay to his pasture
Yes, pigs are one of the smartest animals. THey have become hot as pets-- have you seen the tea cups?? I wanted to raise pigs thisyear, we are going to wait another year. 80cents a pound is GREAT!! LEan is ok. You'll figure out how to feed to get the carcass you want. I like fat too, and bought extra thick bacon today. yum. I would like to learn how to smoke meats. Talked to BIL at length about the details of smoking-- he's a great cook.
I've learned not to play with them , and not name them. Not even Little Pig, Sir Francis Bacon, and Boss Hog. WHat ever the name it is still a name. ANd only tears can result.
My opinion is that it's still young. Give it another couple weeks. I had 1 that I thought had a broken wing at a week old. Just 1 wing hung lower. Just so happens that side just grew faster. It wasn't long and the other did the same. My tom did fan out at an early age but I don't think it was a week. sue BTW, Welcome!
I can heartily agree with this. That's why we still have Chuck and Rosie. When you buy that Butterball at the supermarket, there is no attachment.
Oh 4 isn't so bad-- I have 10!!!
Around me we have a lot of clam and oyster shells in the ground, but I also feed back all the egg shells from eggs used in cooking and incubating. I also have a bucket of crushed oyster shell at the disposal of all the flocks, should they want it. My chickens have pretty hard shells, but if there is a hairline crack, the chickens will break it and eat it! You might want to try a pail of oyster shell from your feed store to strengthen their shells. If it continues after that, I would cull her. I have raised a lot of chickens and have never had an egg eater yet. I did an experiment this weekend and put group of 6 good eggs and 1 cracked egg in 5 different sections of the yard and nests. In every case the cracked eggs, no matter how small the crack was, were eaten and every one of the good eggs were left, except for 1 egg and it could have had a hairline crack I did not see! Are all of the eggs getting broken and eaten, or just certain ones?
Yes it increases their meat protein. Poultry are not vegetarians and the meat/fish is a once in a while treat, when hubby goes fishing, not an everyday mainstay.
I have raised BBW and Holland White Heritage turkeys and see no differences in their personalities, but both were hand raised, from a couple of days old, so that might be the reason. It may be some genetics have something to do with it too, if they were too inbred! Breeding brother and sister should be avoided!
Heritage birds taste better than BB. BB home grown tastes better than store bought. Free range tastes better than cooped and well fed tastes better than junk fed. Also a brine for 3 days will also help.
Pigs should be fed mostly all corn for 6 weeks before slaughter and this also puts more fat on them. I don't name my food either, BTW !!
The spider webs are veins forming as the embryo grows and is a good thing!!!
