Washingtonians

[Stumpfarmer]

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To eat them.

Some of us actually like healthier more humane chicken.

I only wish I was near enough to you city folk to collect your roosters for you. . . Out here if I'm low on roosters I have to do some serious and usually failed hunts for free roosters.

I could see it as a sex determination ray, so you could choose cockerels (or, OO! OO! a sex determination ray and instant caponizer! There ya go!) when you do not need more hens. It just so happens that I need hens at the moment, and the time I need cockerels to use/sell as meat is in the future after I have sufficient numbers to make that a sensible activity. A single well-raised cockerel would have the same effect as the single bottle of private reserve Oregon Pinot Noir a friend once brought to a party: spoils one for the cheap and easily available, and I'm not currently in a place that I can forego Costco rotisserie chicken entirely.

I'd also like to be able to choose the sex of beef calves, so that I would never have an embarrasment of AngusXShorthorn heifers nor watch an old cow finally deliver a purebred calf only to pull the leg up and see balls. All this natural randomness and lack of control is highly inconvenient. And nonfuturistic.

 

[Illia]

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How did they taste. I know they are suposed to be a delicasy "sp? with black skin and what not. Shes pretty much here just for looks, as honestly, I can't stand the little booger. cant keep her in the coop/run, she is constantly picking on the others in the flock, havnt seen a single egg from her in a couple weeks now. Hopefully its just due to the molt. She eats like a pig, and is just plain rude for a chicken. lol

They taste like chicken

But mine had a slightly more liver like flavor, however most people say if you compare, especially blindfolded, you won't notice the difference. I was likely imagining the extra flavor

 

[Stumpfarmer]

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I know places like that around here. ACRES of broken trucks, sitting covered with blackberries!

That would be my Unkles property out by Hansville! But I wouldnt dare go out there unanounced, even during the day! It'd be a good way to iether get shot or eaten by a pack of dogs!
My mothers stuff is mostly in buildings, there is some stuff, iron chairs/tables, chains, who knows what else hidden in the black berries... But mostly smaller stuff that one person could handle.

My hired hand's grandmother lives in Hansville. Small world.

 

[Illia]

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Actually it isn't. Especially considering if you have more males - In nature the male is far more likely to get shot, eaten, or die of other causes, thus, there needs to be an equal or random amount.

Male deer and other ruminants live pretty solitary and competitive lives, very active ones too, which give more threat for being eaten and especially with humans around, more chance of getting shot.

Male insects, especially flying ones, spend most of their lives running or flying around in search of a mate, while the females are usually less active and more hidden, thus, males die off frequently. So you need plenty around.

Male birds also have a pretty competitive, solitary life until they find their mate (and with many all that means is mating, then that's it) so life is pretty full of dangers, often ones that the bird doesn't respond the best to, while females are usually in a safe nest or hiding spot, as survival and survival of the offspring is the number one goal. For males, it is finding females.

 

[VelvettFog]

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WOW

I like that bird

 

[Stumpfarmer]

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Actually it isn't. Especially considering if you have more males - In nature the male is far more likely to get shot, eaten, or die of other causes, thus, there needs to be an equal or random amount.

Male deer and other ruminants live pretty solitary and competitive lives, very active ones too, which give more threat for being eaten and especially with humans around, more chance of getting shot.

Male insects, especially flying ones, spend most of their lives running or flying around in search of a mate, while the females are usually less active and more hidden, thus, males die off frequently. So you need plenty around.

Male birds also have a pretty competitive, solitary life until they find their mate (and with many all that means is mating, then that's it) so life is pretty full of dangers, often ones that the bird doesn't respond the best to, while females are usually in a safe nest or hiding spot, as survival and survival of the offspring is the number one goal. For males, it is finding females.

I'm tempted to remind you that you shouldn't attempt to teach your grandma to suck eggs, here. Or kill a joke with a flamethrower.

Also, what is true in the wild or in nature is not, in fact, of much applicability to domesticated animals, especially when one is trying to either build a flock or maintain a small herd of registered cattle, which examples I was comically addressing. Life may be real and earnest but Monday mornings are hard enough without attempting to address things 100% seriously.

(My academic training is in Archaeology with a concentration on subsistence strategies, and what you've mentioned is 101 level stuff: I know it, but that's not where I was goofing at the moment).

 

[Stumpfarmer]

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WOW

I like that bird

Thanks. He's BIG, too, double or better the size of his biggest sister.

 

[Illia]

Sorry, didn't mean to upset you.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

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Upset is hardly the word: perplexed is much closer.

*sigh*

In any case: first blood drawn. The chicken buyers bent a piece of loose wire, the chickens tipped their water over and then fastened it to the ground with a loop of grass, and when the latter let loose I caught the back of my right hand on the former, tracing a six inch scratch parallel to the one inflicted by the kitten the other night, so that bandaging the new without ripping open the healing old is going to be a challenge.


I'm challenging my own record for fastest use of 100 assorted size flexible fabric bandages.

Mondays. Never did trust the things.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Well, it's raining at the bull guy's place in Oakville, I wonder if his pastures ever drained. Looks like that's as close to me as the rain's going to get. Alas.

Well, better go out and drag sprinklers around, eh?