Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Sclark73]

Awe, I'm envious Melanie. Not sure if you remember I lost my Seymour last year to old age(16).
I got the roof on the dormer yesterday just in time for the rain. I decided to sleep on the floor in the "kitchen" last night which went very well, instead of waking up at 3am I got to sleep in to just about 5. I love the sound of rain on a tin roof, hence the reason for using it. Anyhow only have one issue with leaking and that is above the bathroom area. The roof angles there are quit tricky but I figured their could be a problem. Easy fix once it dries back up. Again you'll have to wait for photos as byc just decides when I get to upload them.

 

[Huntress78]

Thanks BigZ. Yes time is always in short supply so I try to make the most of it...and I'm not one to give up easily so the Gold project will continue as long as I'm still able to care for them. The first challenge will be to find a male as those seven chicks are all pullets.

Cuties, totally agree the Lights are wonderful, I had a flock of them for years and they were my favorites. I don't know why they're not more popular here. The biggest complaint I hear about them is that the pullets take longer to mature and start laying...but once they start they lay for many years. Anyway, I hope to get Buff and Dark hatching eggs shipped in from some top breeders in Spring. With some luck I'll hatch enough to start another breeding program with a closed flock to avoid diseases.

Jim, did you take live weights on any of those meat pullets before you butchered? I'd like to start butchering in the next week or so but they look kind of small to me yet.

 

[jvls1942]

Thanks BigZ. Yes time is always in short supply so I try to make the most of it...and I'm not one to give up easily so the Gold project will continue as long as I'm still able to care for them. The first challenge will be to find a male as those seven chicks are all pullets.

Cuties, totally agree the Lights are wonderful, I had a flock of them for years and they were my favorites. I don't know why they're not more popular here. The biggest complaint I hear about them is that the pullets take longer to mature and start laying...but once they start they lay for many years. Anyway, I hope to get Buff and Dark hatching eggs shipped in from some top breeders in Spring. With some luck I'll hatch enough to start another breeding program with a closed flock to avoid diseases.

Jim, did you take live weights on any of those meat pullets before you butchered? I'd like to start butchering in the next week or so but they look kind of small to me yet.

sorry, no live weights taken,,
just for ballpark guessing, weigh one and deduct about 45% for waste..

I just feel the drumstick,, if it feels like the size I wouldn't mind eating , she is freezer bound..

way back a few weeks ago when we just started butchering, we picked out the smallest chickens first.. I figured the larger ones were doing a better job of feed conversion.. it seems to have been the right choice.. I don't think any of those smaller ones would have ever reached these nice heavy weights we have running around today..

It just seemed to me that there were two different sizes of chickens.. the jumbos, and then the ones who were more like white rocks ..

........jiminwisc..........

 

[jvls1942]

Quote: this is the 5th one I have built..

I took some photos of this build, and I have tons of photos of other builds ..
only I can't get them up to send them..
there is a glitch between my camera card and the computer..

.......jiminwisc......

 

[Kildare49]

sorry, no live weights taken,,
just for ballpark guessing, weigh one and deduct about 45% for waste..

I just feel the drumstick,, if it feels like the size I wouldn't mind eating , she is freezer bound..

way back a few weeks ago when we just started butchering, we picked out the smallest chickens first.. I figured the larger ones were doing a better job of feed conversion.. it seems to have been the right choice.. I don't think any of those smaller ones would have ever reached these nice heavy weights we have running around today..

It just seemed to me that there were two different sizes of chickens.. the jumbos, and then the ones who were more like white rocks ..

........jiminwisc..........

I agree Jim. Was a 1st for me from sunnyside. Usually their broilers fill out like jumbos.

 

[cuties]

Sorry about your Light Brahma Kildare.i hope you can kick whatever bug they have :/

 

[irishrovr]

 

[chickendreams24]

@irishrovr
Lol that is awesome that's one brave bird if only he knew.

 

[Cindlady]

Hi All!

Another one of the dark egg layers started laying. Such a tiny egg I almost missed it. It was the only egg in the nest so figured it must have taken her the better part of the day to lay! Hope the next one is easier for her.

Have to get feed later. The cats are not happy either since I've only been giving them a little at a time. Thought what was left would last a bit longer. We are also almost out of toilet paper!

Night All!

 

[jvls1942]

good morning, had pancakes , sausage and eggs for breakfast..
gotta have energy,, going to butcher 20 chickens today,,
I hope the plucker works like it should..

Also, the gas in the tank is getting low.. but I can always take the tank off the grill if I have to, I guess..

there are some honking big chickens out there..
some eight pounders, I am guessing ..

I know I have to cut more of the bottom of my cone off.. last time I could hardly find their heads without reaching way up into the cone..

..........jiminwisc..........

ETA: I guessed the gas situation correctly,, didn't even get the water up to temp and that tank went dry,, grabbed the other turkey fryer burner and continued right on..

ETA:
we had two 4 1/2 pounders the rest were 7 1/w pounds and up.

we did all 21 of the meaties.. Annie talked very sternly to the black chickens.. if they don't start laying , they will become soup stock.. we don't need to feed "pets" all winter..

I have to make some new cones.. the chickens were too large for the one I have..

the plucker performed perfectly .. I even ran two at a time ,once, and they came out fully plucked.. I normally run one at a time..

..........jiminwisc........

ETA:
chicken weigh in..

two were 4 1/2 pounds,, all the rest were 7 1/2 pounds and up.
2 eight pounders and 2 nine pounders..

Annie sold the 2 eight pounders to a friend..

We are well satisfied with these birds..
not bad weights considering there were no roosters in the bunch.
......jiminwisc.........