Welcome to my pond - Swim, wade, or sit on the bank

[Cynthia12]

We’ve had Iris, our full size, adult rooster in the house all week while Frankie is trying to surgically remove his bumble.

I’m sure the neighbors think he’s louder echoing off our bare walls. As for us, he might as well be screaming directly into my brain cavity.

This was us Monday. We're notorious for micro bursts. Still worry over the neighbors pad on days like that. I keep going to my window to see if it's still standing! Today, snow on my Lily pad. .. The .. tree!

 

[orrpeople]

How do I break her?

I have had a lot of success just moving them to a different pen (although I hear this doesn't work w silkies who will nest on small rocks in the corner of a pen!)

Like Sour said, the problem w leaving a broody without eggs or chicks is that they lose a lot of weight and it's ultimately pretty hard on their bodies.

 

[orrpeople]

We’ve had Iris, our full size, adult rooster in the house all week while Frankie is trying to surgically remove his bumble.

I’m sure the neighbors think he’s louder echoing off our bare walls. As for us, he might as well be screaming directly into my brain cavity.

Haha!! I can relate! When I have to clean poop boards in the chicken barn at zero-dark-thirty, my Swedish Flower feels the need to crow about a a zillion times and for some reason, indoors, it's so much more - um - reverberating!!!

 

[orrpeople]

Morning Pond. We had a 6 week old Cornishx that was not looking good, so I butchered him this morning (the miser in me knows how much feed I've put into them and I hate losing any!) I'm pretty sure he was having heart failure. His heart was twice the size of any adult bird I've ever processed and his pericardium was full of fluid. His body cavity was also full of fluid. Not sure, now, if we should still eat the meat...
This is a pic of the heart. A lot of the fluid had already drained off the pericardium, but you can still get the picture (if you want).

 

[bobbi-j]

Morning Pond. We had a 6 week old Cornishx that was not looking good, so I butchered him this morning (the miser in me knows how much feed I've put into them and I hate losing any!) I'm pretty sure he was having heart failure. His heart was twice the size of any adult bird I've ever processed and his pericardium was full of fluid. His body cavity was also full of fluid. Not sure, now, if we should still eat the meat...
This is a pic of the heart. A lot of the fluid had already drained off the pericardium, but you can still get the picture (if you want).

View attachment 3061235

Thanks for sharing that, Orr. I have not seen that before. I’m not sure I’d eat the meat, either.

 

[Alaskan]

Morning Pond. We had a 6 week old Cornishx that was not looking good, so I butchered him this morning (the miser in me knows how much feed I've put into them and I hate losing any!) I'm pretty sure he was having heart failure. His heart was twice the size of any adult bird I've ever processed and his pericardium was full of fluid. His body cavity was also full of fluid. Not sure, now, if we should still eat the meat...
This is a pic of the heart. A lot of the fluid had already drained off the pericardium, but you can still get the picture (if you want).

View attachment 3061235

Huh... well.. it isn't contagious... you know exactly why it died.

So yes, I would eat it... well... not the heart... but yes the meat.

 

[room onthebroom]

Morning Pond. We had a 6 week old Cornishx that was not looking good, so I butchered him this morning (the miser in me knows how much feed I've put into them and I hate losing any!) I'm pretty sure he was having heart failure. His heart was twice the size of any adult bird I've ever processed and his pericardium was full of fluid. His body cavity was also full of fluid. Not sure, now, if we should still eat the meat...
This is a pic of the heart. A lot of the fluid had already drained off the pericardium, but you can still get the picture (if you want).

View attachment 3061235

Can I ask what method you use to dispatch?

 

[room onthebroom]

Can I ask what method you use to dispatch?

I’ve only done it once & chose cervical dislocation with rebar.

My insatiable curiosity makes me wonder what other methods my trusted pond peeps prefer & why.

 

[Alaskan]

I’ve only done it once & chose cervical dislocation with rebar.

My insatiable curiosity makes me wonder what other methods my trusted pond peeps prefer & why.

The method you used is great since it is fast, painless for the animal, and no blood splatter.

Me... I like to string them up by their feet. I use bailing twine.

Once they are upside-down they calm down completely.

I then walk down the line and slit the jugular.

I wait a few minutes, then decapitate and butcher.

Personally, I think it is a painless death method, and I find it gets most, if not all, of the blood out of the meat. I find the meat much more appetizing with the blood drained.

My kids dislike my method, they used to follow my method... but.... there was an "incident". Achem... so now they only do the decapitation method.

They use 2 loops of bailing twine, one for the feet, one for the head. Stretch out the bird, whack off the head. They use an axe or machete to cut the head.

The rope loops are held by whatever... a nail, a fence, a log... or a brother. So, it can be a one child job.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ponders good afternoon one and all!

The temperature is 83 and mostly sunny.

Have a great day!