Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[judge]

Judge: Use a kill cone ( your basic traffic cone...may have to modify for size of bird ), and a Piranta_Bolt knife from Havalon.
Meat birds forum should have some topics covering this.

What is a Piranta Bolt knife? Thanks

 

[delisha]

someone told me that there is a international poultry show in portage wisconsin this year. i was just wondering if that was right and if anyone has been there what is it like.

This will be my first time going to Portage. I am going to think it is like all the rest.

I think my rooster is eating eggs. I'm not sure but I'm mighty suspicious. I put one of the store cams on the back porch this afternoon and aimed it at the chicken tractor where the hens are now laying. I've seen hens sitting in there but I've been getting few (today none!) eggs. A few days ago I got two that looked like they had been pecked at. (Think I might keep the chicken cam back there permanently.)

I noticed that Danny is very, very interested in the nest after a hen comes down from it. He climbs up and looks around. I also haven't been getting the eggs I normally get in the morning from the nest in the coop. Hmmmmm!

There is no evidence of broken eggs laying in the nests - no shell pieces, no yolk or white schmears anywhere. Do you think he/they are eating them shell and all? Maybe just a dry spell for the girls? Seems like a little molting is going on. Maybe a combination of things? What's yer opinion, guys and gals?? What would you do?

All of my rooster go into nest boxes. Some will talk to the hen while she is laying. When they are trying to encourage a young one to start laying they will hop in and call them up too. I have one that will set eggs when a broody goes off the nest to eat.

Hi all- looking for some help...
I ran into my brother in laws sister tonight and they have recently got into chickens. She was wondering if we would take 4 roos of theirs. She doesn't care what we do with them, meaning if we butcher them, as long as her boys don't find out.
Well the last time we butchered chickens my dad helped me. Now I am not squeamish with blood or anything. I grew up hunting, and even now my dad and I will butcher our down cows and heifers, but I do not like to see suffering. There was a little issue with the ax not being sharp-enough said. I would like to hear all your methods of quickly and efficiently doing the deed. I can't remember if there is anyone on here with an aversion to butchering their birds, so if you shoot me a message that would be great too. Thanks!

This video is the way I butcher. Fast and clean. My grandkids asked if they could help next time.



http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...01C7D808011BCD263E9B01&view=detail&FORM=VIRE2

 

[jvls1942]

good eve, we were playing cards Mon night at the restaurant when the cook burned her hand real good on the grill,, I talked her into putting raw egg white on her hand.. everybody at the table thought I was bonkers.. but she did it,, and within a half hour or less, her hand quit hurting,, and I saw her today and she has no blisters nor pain.. might work on a sunburn , eh ?

tomorrow we are transferring about 40 younger barock chicks and a few guineas into the pen with the 21 , 3 month old Buff Orps.. then I will have to close the big gate and patch any escape holes I find.. then in a couple of days we can turn the new chicks loose into the big chicken yard..

I have a peacock and a peahen for sale.. but I don't think that guy wants to drive all the way to Wausau for them from ill.. I might answer his ad anyhow.. one never knows.....eh?
Annie picked a nice batch of raspberries, then she tripped on her way back to the house and landed on her pail.. She said that was a first for her... she salvaged most of the spilled berries.. She is upstairs making a pie for me as I sit here..

we ended up with about 30 keets from this hatch.. half go to Marlene, and half go to Jim P.. I still have plenty of them in the brooder outside..

I have a 5 week old Del roo who is naturally friendly.. today I offered him a piece of my donut and he took it from my hand.. He is going to be a tough one to butcher.. I would keep him, except I don't think he is a purebreed.. but he is going to be a good looker.. I don't know for sure who his parents are.. It could be a Del hen and one of the Del roos, but I am not sure..

I am still looking for a couple of Rhode Island red laying hens.. a friend in Nekoosa wants them..

anyone looking for a good crossbow ? I am going to sell mine.. $550.oo.. w/scope and acu draw.. Titan TL-7 Ten Point.. I am going to C List right now to list it..

.......jimgettinghungryforpie............

 

[lulu313]

Hi lulu
September 28, 29 I will be there! It will be my first show we will be there as spectators only. Hoping to learn how it all works.

We are thinking about taking a few of our birds but we are not for sure yet.

 

[jvls1942]

for butchering I bought the small safety cone from F&F. It works perfectly for chickens of most sizes and most ducks, too.. I cut a hole near the pointed end large enough for my hand to reach in.. You need to do this sometimes to guide the head out of the hole.. I use a very sharp knife and cut just the juggler ,, do not cut the wind pipe.. You want them to bleed, not suffocate.. they die very quickly and quietly this way.. just like falling asleep.. and the blood drains into a pail, and does not get smeared all over the feathers.. No bruising of the carcass ..

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

A couple of my birds came back with bruises. I'm hoping they happened here when they were squabbling, and not at the butcher. I still have SO many chickens! I counted the ones I want to keep and there are 35. I need to whittle that down a bit. To like 25. Plus, I'll have my call ducks (I have 14 right now) and my 2 turkeys.
I went to make the stray cat a little bed in our garden shed today and discovered he already had one! He's been sleeping on some burlap we have in there.
Our filly is signed up for weanling/yealing classes with the high school kids. She's a yearling that will be getting weaned - where's the hide-under-the-chair smiley?

 

[babylady4]

Judge, here is an article on butchering meat birds. It is the one I was talking about earlier...

http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...kens-for-meat-zmaz09jjzraw.aspx#axzz2aaaL3EnB

Complete with pics!

 

[chikenscratch]

Judge, Mother Earth News has some good articles on butchering chickens. Using a plastic cone nailed to a tree seems to me the quickest/painless way to do the deed. No bruising of the meat either.....

WOW what a weekend!!!! It was SO nice to escape and spend some quality time with the hubs and extended family! Heart was amazing! I cannot believe Ann and Nancy Wilson can still crank out the music! They were pitch perfect the entire time! Of course the trip would not have been complete without a little bit of adventure thrown in thanks to my cousin!

the important part is that we made it to the concert and back home! The train ride was really nice too!

CS, I do NOT envy you the drive through all of that road construction! Yuck! 41 south of Milwaukee is a mess...... it will be so nice when it is finished though!

The EAA Airventure is going on this week...... that makes work a little bit exciting.... planes flying over the building all of the time..... ugh.

That is about it here! Reality calls tomorrow and it is back to the grind!

Perhaps I should stop and pick up a lotto ticket on my way in the work........

Mel- I actually do not drive on the I, to get to work I take Sheridan Rd and to get up north to Racine, I take Green Bay Rd. Now on the rare occasion that I head north past Racine, I'll take GB Rd then hop on the I at that point because the construction is done after Racine (or it was).

Deli- thanks for the update and I'm glad that the girls have settled in for you. Maybe they just needed their siblings? One of these days, we'll actually botcher out the roos here. DH has a lot of items on the to-do list. I'm planning to build a rabbit pen to put Mr. Gibs in while the hens are out. That way I don't have to cut a hole in the coop for them to get in and out easily, I can just leave the door open. Once we get rid of the roos, I'll take a few SLW. What is your opinion on Australorps & Sussex?

 

[delisha]

I like them both..I really wanted sussex and tried to hatch some out. They have huge eggs..I would love a few pullets. The SLW are due next week. I hope it is a good hatch.

 

[Cindlady]

Hi All!

BBP... Hope butchering day wasn't too hard on you.

Delish... Sure, I'll take the butchering feathers unless it's way, way lots of one kind.

Irish... I can't do earrings for this show/fair everything has to be approved by the fair board and someone there is doing feather earrings. They may be able to take them to another show/fair.

cuties.... have the kids gather up some nice feathers and send them to me

It could be worth a couple of bucks to them. (see previous posts)

kristi.... see cuties post! LOL

Judge...Yep, I'll take the feathers! Hope that burn heals quick!

Nothing new here.... Night All!