Well, I'm on the way....

[greentree]

Update on the broilers....

I have never seen anything grow like this!! They outgrow their feathers! One day white, next day, pink again!! They drink ALOT.

I don't think I will have a chance to move these outside, they will be done in 2 more weeks, at 6 weeks.

I can't wait to compare them side by side with the FR's!

Nancy

 

[skeeter]

please post your results between the FRs and CCs that would be very interesting,thanks

 

[BirdBrain]

I looks like your birds are the same age as mine. I got 50 as well. Actually they sent 54 and we have lost 3 so far. They came on the 20th of February from Ideal. Yes, they drink a lot and poop even more. You might consider calling in any favors you have and rounding up your friends for a plucking party. Mom and I have quite a job ahead of us since we are going to do our own. I was at the feedstore yesterday evening and ended up coming home with 12 free cornish/rocks that the store was giving away (6 free birds with each bag of feed) so we have 2 groups.

 

[greentree]

How cool, BirdBrain!! We can do a side by side comparison! Tom's picture trail is great...I can't believe our birds will have wattles and combs next week!!

Are your birds going out on pasture? That was my original intent, but I am not sure now that it is worth the hassle. I don't have electro-net fencing, so I still have to buy that, and construct a cover. I don't think my birds are going to make 8 weeks, more like 6.

I am definitely going to have to have a processing party, I'll be the most popular hostess in the neighborhood!!

Joshua,
Burton Sausage does not process chickens.....have not called Readfield's yet!!

Nancy

 

[jhill1440]

Quote:
Hello,

I was unsure if they did process chickens. The only reason I mentioned them was we are getting our beef processed there since they will cryo-pac cheaper than readfields. When you are getting 500lbs cryo-pac'd even a few cents per pound add up fast even with traveling/gas costs added in.

Thanks for the info on Burtons.

Joshua

 

[BirdBrain]

Greentree,
It would be nice to put them on pasture, but as you know, at 4 weeks all the males are looking rather pathetic. Mom called one "Pin feathers" this morning as we were changing out the litter and she was right. They have fluffy feathers on their crops and a few longer feathers on their wings, but other than that they are all pin feathers. The "little" females are in much better shape, featherwise.

If we tried to raise them on pasture, it would be essentially serving up pricey chicken dinners to the coyotes. We are growing them out one the floor of my Dad's shop...he is thrilled.

Boy, they sure get whifty!! We have changed out the litter completely twice and piled it up next to the garden. Two or three times a day I go out there and add a thin layer of shavings and refill waterers. I finally went to TSC and got a pig feeder (round metal pan with 4 inch sides) and got a 5 gallon bucket (the kind with the lids) and made my own waterer out of that. I drilled a couple of holes about 2 inches down from the top...filled it with water, sealed the lid on, and flipped it over in the pan. The water came out to just below the level of the metal pan and I had a cheap, higher volume waterer for 4 bucks (the price of the pan...I had the bucket that I got for free at Sam's in the bakery--they had frosting in it).

Isn't it funny to see their wattles and combs turning dark (on the males) and hear their voices change. The ones I raised last year even tried their hand at crowing---never did hear such a pathetic noise.

They, on the other hand, seemed quite proud of their accomplishment.

Last year we only had 10. This year, with 50 + birds, they sure generate a lot of compost material. Now with the new dozen, I guess we'll just call them the dirty dozen.

These birds (the males atleast) have so few feathers, that plucking them is really no big deal. My biggest problem last year was getting the scald water too hot and cooking the skin on some of them. If you are going to freeze them all whole you will have to pluck them. Last year, the ones I was going to cut up into "parts", I just skinned and it was SO much easier. Those, I just cut under the skin from "neck to navel" and also around the "wing pits" and pealed them out of their jackets. When I got down to the vent I cut around the vent (skin still attached to the vent area only) and the whole skin and loosened innards fell away as one peice. If you are going to do it this way, you will appreciate the job more if you hose them down well after they bleed out.

Edited because I am a lousy speller--probably still missed some typos...

 

[greentree]

I finally got hold of a processor in Hempstead... but he wants me to bring the birds down the night before so he can fast them, and get them started early, I guess. Two trips down there plus the $3 per bird will add at least $5 to the cost of EACH bird. Even though I don't plan to sell them after they are processed, I don't want them to be a great loss, either.

It is looking more and more like I better find something around here to practice killing

I don't mind having the broilers in the barn, since that stall has a concrete floor. Every day I sprinkle some more shavings over the old, and I hope I don't have to clean it before they leave!!

I am going to try to weigh them tomorrow. I have a couple that seem huge!

I think down here, if we put these outside, they would sunburn, yeah...and in our humidity, they could be pre-scalded!!

Nancy

 

[BirdBrain]

I hear you about the humidity and sunburn. We are just down the road from you. It is not such a bad job to do yourself...if you have help. My kids helped on the first few birds last year and then conveniently found something else they "had" to do. So poor old mom got to finish the job. What was funny was that in a suburban backyard with close neighbors, I had to make sure they didn't squawk and tell the neighbors what I was up to...it was especially a challenge since they were out BBQing.

You might ask the processor if you can fast they yourself and then bring them down the following morning. That way you only have one trip. You might also ask him if you can help out and thus reduce some of the expence. He might be willing to do it for 2 dollars a bird if you are working along side him the whole time. Also, that would give you valuable practice for next time you do this.

Nancy, how far north of Hempstead do you live? Another idea might be to ask your neighbors for help and pay them in chicken for their efforts.

 

[MissPrissy]

I did the jumbo cornish last fall and we had to shovel out the little coop they were in every week. Some weeks not the entire coop but mostly the areas where they eat and drink the most - so that meant some weeks about half of the coop. It is amazing how much poop they create!

 

[greentree]

BirdBrain,

We live on the other side of Brenham. I am really not going to have many birds to process after all; I have a lot of commitments to take them live. I want to know how to process myself, and I thought about asking him if I could come down and help him one day...

I lost one last night. I had been watching one of the smaller ones be a little gimpy, but getting to the feeder and waterer O.K., then yesterday, I could not see any limping, so I did not worry about it.
Guess I should have made Cornish game hen for dinner last night!!

MissPrissy,

Did you close them off somehow to clean? They get so panic-stricken when I come in with the pitchfork that I am afraid they are going to trample each other!! I need a way to block them in a corner, I guess.

Nancy