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[rebrascora]

@Yorkshire Coop

Hi Kim

Pleased Harry is enjoying his new fodder. Fingers crossed it does him good. You are wise to grade it in rather than a change suddenly. Don't want any upset tummies.
My sister has lured me towards natural horsemanship rather than training aids but I can see the benefit of them and sometimes I'm tempted, as I make such slow progress with Natural methods, but that is probably because I don't practice them enough. When I have had results like half passing, they are pretty impressive so I try to adhere to "Natural" as much as possible. Ian is more conventional and I often find myself in the middle of an argument between him and my sister. I wish you luck with your Harbridge though. I have a feeling that some animals are just naturally inclined to work in an outline and others are not. Rebel is 20 and only just "finding it". Rascal has always carried himself and yet they are full brothers. Of course I am jealous again because you have an arena to do schooling in. I have to do my schooling out on a hack, which gets a bit fraught at times! I must make more of a commitment to getting out riding now the winter is approaching as they really need the exercise when they are confined to barracks.

I got my faecal worm egg count results back on the horses today (samples taken and sent off yesterday lunchtime, so once again great service from Westgate Labs) and Rebel, Rascal and MeMe came back "<50 - no eggs seen". Cora had a medium count but at the bottom end of medium at 250 epg (Medium is 200-1200) and she hasn't been wormed for a year, so I'm very happy with that. I sent off an Equisal sample for Rascal and MeMe last week to test for tapes as I had seen what I thought might be tapeworm larvae in the muck heap, but both came back clear. It's a more expensive test so I didn't get all 4 done and I wasn't sure how I would manage collecting the saliva sample. Rascal was the one I was most concerned about as he is losing top line and MeMe is the youngest, so I decided to do them, but having now experienced the sampling, I will most likely use that service again in the future for all of them. I bought a sampling kit for the hens too and must get around to getting a sample sent off for them especially now that they are penned rather than free range.

Anyway, I've just had a phone call from Ian asking if I can change Archie's rug whilst I am up at the farm seeing to Zak's wound, so must head out and get them sorted.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[boskelli1571]

@chicknovice123



Yes please don't feel like you have to go the whole hog first time. It has been a slow and steady process to get to the stage I am at now. Don't set yourself too daunting a task the first time. Make it as basic and easy as possible. I would recommend just doing one and give yourself at least a week to recover mentally/emotionally before the next one. I also prefer to distance myself from it a little by freezing it before I eat it. I appreciate that you will probably not be eating it yourself. Be aware that the flavour is a little different and the children may not like it. As with anything that does not taste quite as you expect it to, it can take time and the will to acquire a taste for it. Also, the texture will be tougher. Supermarket chicken is usually 8 weeks old 10 at most and they are fairly sedentary birds. Your surplus cockerels are twice that age and running around, so the meat and sinew is much stronger and slow cooking is the best option and they need to be left to rest in the fridge for a few days before freezing or cooking.

Portioning it up is easier than trying to dress it out whole and I bought some cheap garden secateurs that I keep specifically for butchering chickens rather than spend a fortune on proper poultry shears.

Do you brine your birds post butchering? I have found that brining tenderizes the meat and adds a little flavor too.

 

[rebrascora]

@boskelli1571
I've tried brining but it is bulky and I don't have a large fridge and the ones I brined where no more tender than those I have done without, so I'm not converted to the technique as yet.

 

[chicknovice123]

How things change...after all that hassle a few weeks back, trying to get the chicks to go in their coop for the night, tonight I was putting the kids to bed when I heard a load of distressed clucking out in the garden...I looked out and they were all running about...and it was pretty dark! I thought 'what on earth are they still doing out?' and then 'argh, they must be in trouble!!'...rushed down there panicking and found the door to their run had mysteriously closed so they couldn't get in. I've never seen such a mad scramble to get in the coop and how relieved was I that some terrible predator wasn't harassing them

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

They sure do keep you on your toes!

Glad to hear it wasn’t a predator and just a rogue door! It always sets me off in a panic too when I hear them distressed.

 

[Warriorgal]

How things change...after all that hassle a few weeks back, trying to get the chicks to go in their coop for the night, tonight I was putting the kids to bed when I heard a load of distressed clucking out in the garden...I looked out and they were all running about...and it was pretty dark! I thought 'what on earth are they still doing out?' and then 'argh, they must be in trouble!!'...rushed down there panicking and found the door to their run had mysteriously closed so they couldn't get in. I've never seen such a mad scramble to get in the coop and how relieved was I that some terrible predator wasn't harassing them

Yikes !! Ive just had one of those coop door guards set up and im out there most evenings now watching it close at the set time lol. So glad you noticed and sorted it for them.

 

[Warriorgal]

Its strange that I have silkies and a poland all about the same age and they all like exactly the same thing food wise. Im not sure if they are copying each other or if they are not keen on some foods I give them, like apple or fig.
The foods they love are natural yogurt and they love pomegranate. I guess they are approaching 8 weeks now so maybe they are still mostly happy with their growers pellets.
How is everybody elses experience with tasters for chicks ?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Its strange that I have silkies and a poland all about the same age and they all like exactly the same thing food wise. Im not sure if they are copying each other or if they are not keen on some foods I give them, like apple or fig.
The foods they love are natural yogurt and they love pomegranate. I guess they are approaching 8 weeks now so maybe they are still mostly happy with their growers pellets.
How is everybody elses experience with tasters for chicks ?

I don’t really feed chicks treats other than a bit of veggie for them to peck at to keep them entertained. A whole cabbage of a whole cauliflower.

 

[chicknovice123]

Its strange that I have silkies and a poland all about the same age and they all like exactly the same thing food wise. Im not sure if they are copying each other or if they are not keen on some foods I give them, like apple or fig.
The foods they love are natural yogurt and they love pomegranate. I guess they are approaching 8 weeks now so maybe they are still mostly happy with their growers pellets.
How is everybody elses experience with tasters for chicks ?

I can't get mine to eat apple either! They seem to love nasturtiums, chives, the leaves on my potato plants...oh and butternut squash but that's about it.

 

[Warriorgal]

I can't get mine to eat apple either! They seem to love nasturtiums, chives, the leaves on my potato plants...oh and butternut squash but that's about it.

Hi Chicknovice when I read you mentioning butternut squash i thought maybe i could find a cheap pumpkin at a supermarket but they are all sold lol.
Anyway an updated picture of joffrey Ive washed his crest since i took the pic, coz im daft and he is ok about it, he/she is 9 weeks old tomorrow.