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LuckyStrike
23rd December 2011, 07:38 PM
I built a chicken tractor about a month ago and got some chickens from a friend, but it turns out these chickens are not the kind that lay eggs everyday, and as I tell the chickens "i am not keeping you around for your looks" so I am looking for a new breed that will lay a bunch of eggs.

Any recommendations?

EE_
23rd December 2011, 07:54 PM
We have a Golden Sexlink and a Rhode Island Red that lay like a suminabitch.
They slow down in the winter but lay everyday in the warmer weather.

muffin
23rd December 2011, 08:01 PM
We have buff orpingtons and mixed buff orpingtons with rhode island red. They lay pretty regular. They've slowed down right now.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/breeds/breed-chart

Austrolorp sounds like a good one....

Dominiques are good ones too. Very pretty, also :)

Santa
23rd December 2011, 08:21 PM
Chickens egg production is directly related to the light. As days shorten, egg production goes down.
My birds haven't laid a single egg in weeks, but come spring, there will be plenty for Easter.

seaurchin1
24th December 2011, 06:40 AM
We have a flock of Rhode Islands, Ameraucanas and Araucanas. They are hardy laying breeds and the Ameraucanas and Araucanas lay blue and green eggs which are rather fun.
You can encourage egg laying in the winter by having a timed light come on in the early morning.

steyr_m
24th December 2011, 07:01 AM
Wow, I wish I lived in a place where I could have chickens outside at this time of the year. It's warm now [+14° F]; but can easily plummet to -40.

gunDriller
24th December 2011, 07:25 AM
i have 3 Rhode Island Reds. their laying has definitely slowed down in the winter.

i try to keep them stuffed with potato-birdseed-mash ... and to give them plenty of food scraps - turkey bones, scraps of beef ... and to give them a few hours outdoors free-ranging every day.

i have to be careful about free-ranging because they are in a predator-rich environment.

also, i bring their one of their waterers indoors everyday to let it thaw out, and then put it back outside. they have 2 waterers but one has been frozen solid the last few weeks.

Santa
24th December 2011, 07:41 AM
We have a flock of Rhode Islands, Ameraucanas and Araucanas. They are hardy laying breeds and the Ameraucanas and Araucanas lay blue and green eggs which are rather fun.
You can encourage egg laying in the winter by having a timed light come on in the early morning.

I've got a Easter egg variety pack myself. The timed lights do work, but I like giving them that natural break this time of year.
Plus I get burnt out on eating so many eggs throughout the warm months.

Mouse
1st January 2012, 11:04 PM
If you have few hens you need to give them extra lighting to keep them producing. We don't believe in that and don't have the coop wired up anyway. We are getting on average three a day from a flock of 16. It's the shortest days of winter and they don't want to lay. We will have 10 a day in the spring and then they will start hatching our new hens and our freezer full o chicken for next year. We get them up to about 40 during summer and then kill, kill, kill in the fall.

Right now, its just enough eggs for us and all our barter friends. Just barely.

osoab
3rd January 2012, 01:29 PM
What kind of chickens did you get lucky?

I have all but finished my coop and I am now getting ready to start looking for hens.

gunDriller
4th January 2012, 12:25 PM
speaking of chickens, mine have stripped every green piece of anything off the ground in their enclosure, which is about 20 x 25.

except for the blackberry leaves, they're still working on those. 3 Chickens vs. Huge Blackberry Bush - the chickens are winning. they eat the leaves. i throw a 2x4 on the blackberry branches and step on it so it's down at "beak level."


last year, i was clueless about planting. i threw sunflower & wheat seeds on the ground when it was raining and was surprised when they didn't sprout.

anyway, i like what the chickens do to the ground. they get it ready for planting - it looks like someone has raked their entire area with a metal rake, down to the dirt.

i have a bunch of wire mesh fence. i was thinking about making a movable enclosure, like a chicken tractor, and let them scratch the 50 x 200 area which would be my prime growing area.

osoab
5th January 2012, 07:02 AM
So where does everyone order chicks from?

muffin
5th January 2012, 04:12 PM
So where does everyone order chicks from?

We got our original flock from MFA. They have an order sheet you put in and the chicks come only once a year there (most likely from a local Amish hatchery, those are real big here). Most agri stores have them all spring and summer. Also, you can always check on craigslist.org. There are lots of hobby farms that sell hatching eggs, chicks, and adults. I know there's a poultry swap near us that is every month, even in winter.

Lots people order them from companies online. Just be careful how far the hatchery is from you or you will end up with a box full of dead chicks :'( I've read the horror stories about this and how the PO people are generally assholes about getting live animals in the office....

osoab
9th January 2012, 05:04 PM
Just ordered my first batch of chicks.
I ordered from Cackle Hatchery.

10 Road Island Reds
10 Buff Orphingtons
10 Cherry Egers.

I plan on slaughtering 10-15 at around 2-3 lbs to thin the flock. I will slaughter another 10 or so once they reach maturity. Keeping the remainder ,8 tops, over winter.

Just got the brooder box completed.

I have done my best on doing this the cheapest I could. All most all the wood I used for the coop and the brooder came from pallets from work.
I did not reuse the nails. :o

EE_
9th January 2012, 05:21 PM
Just ordered my first batch of chicks.
I ordered from Cackle Hatchery.

10 Road Island Reds
10 Buff Orphingtons
10 Cherry Egers.

I plan on slaughtering 10-15 at around 2-3 lbs to thin the flock. I will slaughter another 10 or so once they reach maturity. Keeping the remainder ,8 tops, over winter.

Just got the brooder box completed.

I have done my best on doing this the cheapest I could. All most all the wood I used for the coop and the brooder came from pallets from work.
I did not reuse the nails. :o

Are you free ranging? You're going to have eggs coming out of your ears :)
We love getting fresh eggs from home.

osoab
9th January 2012, 05:29 PM
Not really.

My indoor pen is 5x7 area plus a two row 4' nesting box. They will have an outside area of about 40 sq ft to play in also. They will also get free range in my garden as time permits. I have a decent amount of yard space.

That is why I am culling most of them early. I will start at 2 lbs and keep going.

I am also planning on lost birds. So who knows what the grand total to adulthood may be.

The smaller the order the more the shipping bites you, so going bigger seemed like a better idea.

I should add that I live in town too. ;D

EE_
9th January 2012, 05:31 PM
You're bound to get a few roosters. To my understanding, you want to slaughter them by 18 weeks.

osoab
9th January 2012, 05:34 PM
You're bound to get a few roosters. To my understanding, you want to slaughter them by 18 weeks.

I ponyed up for all pullets. I will post the results. At 50 cents more per bird, they better be pullets.

No rosters allowed in town.

osoab
11th January 2012, 06:47 PM
Chicks are shipping on the 6th. ;D

or should I have used...

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/dre0371l.jpg

osoab
7th February 2012, 03:53 PM
What's up peeps?

22092210

edit.

Just got these in the mail this afternoon. I got them about 36 hours after they were shipped.

All healthy. Just the 30 pullets I ordered, no extras. I had reservations about two of them, but I can't tell the difference now, they all see to sleep, get bumped into, drink, eat, bump into another sleeping bird, shit, drink, drink, eat, peck, sleep, get bumped into, shit, drink, peck around, ..... ;D

It's been 20 years or so since I have been around the baby chicks. Cute little fuckers.

I just took these. They have already made quite the mess. I already raised the waterers up a bit to keep them from shitting in them a little less.

221522162217


The dudet in the middle is a face plant in the food while sleeping. Yes, I am using a waterer base for a feeder, I just need a low place where they can get food to start off with.

osoab
9th February 2012, 05:12 PM
Day 3 pics. I tried to upload a short vid I had yesterday to the site. I wasn't able too. I have no idea why the first two didn't get the flash action.

I changed their paper towels about 3 hours ago. Pooping little bastards.

No deaths and all of them still look healthy.

2232223322342235

EE_
9th February 2012, 05:30 PM
Day 3 pics. I tried to upload a short vid I had yesterday to the site. I wasn't able too. I have no idea why the first two didn't get the flash action.

I changed their paper towels about 3 hours ago. Pooping little bastards.

No deaths and all of them still look healthy.

2232223322342235

Those litte crapping machines grow quick

osoab
9th February 2012, 05:37 PM
Those litte crapping machines grow quick

Yes they do. The wing feathers have grown out about a 1/2 inch in two days.

ximmy
9th February 2012, 06:18 PM
Yee-ha!

osoab
10th February 2012, 06:51 AM
Yee-ha!


More like cheep, cheep soon to be cluck, cluck. :p

osoab
12th February 2012, 05:06 AM
Some day six pics.

I ended up getting them on pine shavings yesterday morning along with giving them the full run of the brooder. I ended up putting duct tape around the top half of their feed holes. This really reduced the waste from them digging it out.

Starting on Friday evening (3rd day since receiving) the cheepers really started getting feisty and trying out their wings.

They don't play with the golf ball yet. :(

I added the floor level feeder for now to keep them from eating too much of the smaller pieces from the pine shavings.

One thing to add, in the instructions for the chicks I received, they said do not use cedar chips or shavings for poultry. I guess the stuff is toxic to them.



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EE_
12th February 2012, 06:45 AM
I'm not sure what your plans are, but before those chicks are ready to be turned loose, they will be jumping out of that box. Do you have a cover?

osoab
12th February 2012, 06:51 AM
I'm not sure what your plans are, but before those chicks are ready to be turned loose, they will be jumping out of that box. Do you have a cover?


One better, I am making an extension of at least 8" this afternoon. I also have a chicken wire frame that sits over the top.

Once they started jumping, Friday evening, I realized that deficiency.

osoab
19th February 2012, 09:06 AM
Well, it has been a week since my last pics.

Buggers are growing like gangbusters. Probably triple the size when I first got them if not bigger. On Thursday, a few of them started jumping on top of the glass feeders to hang out and sleep. My 8" extension wasn't enough, so on goes the wire top.

As you can see from one of the pics, I had to make an addition to their abode. PVC pipe wrapped with a cheap blue tarp. Gorilla tape holding the tarp together. They don't quite know what to think of it, but I think they will enjoy the extra space. It's not quite enough space, but it will help.

2277227822792280

Son-of-Liberty
19th February 2012, 10:28 AM
Thanks for all the pics and updates Osoab.

gunDriller
20th February 2012, 07:09 AM
As you can see from one of the pics, I had to make an addition to their abode. PVC pipe wrapped with a cheap blue tarp. Gorilla tape holding the tarp together. They don't quite know what to think of it, but I think they will enjoy the extra space. It's not quite enough space, but it will help.

Gorilla Tape is awesome stuff.

i had to put a blue tarp on the roof of my outdoor chicken coop, and used Gorilla Tape to tie down parts of it.

6 months later, after freezing & rainy weather, it's holding strong (Knock on Wood.)

muffin
20th February 2012, 05:34 PM
the next broodybutt to come along, i'm sticking 10 eggs under her....

osoab
26th February 2012, 04:14 PM
another installment of chick pics.

All still healthy with no deaths. I really figured I would lose at least one by now. I can pick up a few of them like the one pic.

23062307230823092310

LuckyStrike
26th February 2012, 04:43 PM
An update to the OP.

These chickens have been laying very well, not sure if it's an egg a day but it's close.

It's weird because the guy I got them from had about 20 and he said since he gave about 10 away all of his are laying better, and these didn't lay for a month or so, but thankfully they are now and I'm enjoying my egg sandwiches.

Hoping to get some bees and either a rooster or a few more hens in the next month.

Santa
26th February 2012, 07:27 PM
A few nights ago, three of my hens got trapped outside the coop as night fell and had to sleep on the ground. I woke to a ruckus
and went out to find a fox had one of my birds in his mouth and was trying to make his getaway. When he saw me he dropped the bird and ran.
The hen was laying there as if dead, but when I picked her up she started blinking at me. No blood. The fox apparently bit down on her head.

But today, after three days, she's almost back to normal, except for a slightly crooked beak. She's a lucky bird.

osoab
10th March 2012, 05:21 AM
Well, it's over 4 weeks since I got the crap machines.


2409241024112412

gunDriller
10th March 2012, 07:11 AM
Well, it's over 4 weeks since I got the crap machines.

nice lodging you got there !

did you name any of them ?

osoab
10th March 2012, 07:35 AM
did you name any of them ?

Dinner and Breakfast.

muffin
10th March 2012, 09:46 AM
Dinner and Breakfast.

coincidence, our pigs will be named that too!!

muffin
10th March 2012, 12:20 PM
just learned this....

Blue eggs are especially high in helium, which, as we all know, we need, or our heads would not stay above our shoulders.

Pink eggs have extra estrogen in them. Men should not eat them or they will have to wear a bra.

Very dark brown eggs not only are higher in cholesterol, they contain a substance that increases the melatonin in your skin. This is why farmgirls frequently have freckles, and why all the men on the farm have dark skin only on their arms and above their collar line.

Green eggs are eggs that sat a little too long under the hen before they were collected...

;D

osoab
13th March 2012, 06:38 PM
Chickens are heading outside in a few days.

Tonight is the first night they will get total darkness. I forgot to turn off the last heat lamp this weekend to start their acclamation.
I have a couple basement lights on right now, but they are chirping a storm up with almost complete darkness. They sound scared shitless, if shitless could occur with a chicken that is. ;D

Santa
13th March 2012, 09:35 PM
This old hen still looks pretty good for having had a fox chew on her head.

http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/ac358/jackconrad/Demon%20Hens/file-1.jpg

muffin
14th March 2012, 06:28 AM
"i'm pissed and i'm not gonna take it! cluck."

osoab
16th March 2012, 04:53 PM
Got them moved outside yesterday.

Here are some pics.

I have a couple pics of the outside pen. Just got that wrapped up this afternoon.
I sowed some grass seed. The straw is there to keep moisture.

The one pic that looks fuzzy is a shot through the screen door. I haven't put chicken wire on the door yet. I am going to go as long as I can before I add the wire on the coop door. Basically, when I open the main door and I see that they have poked through the screen, I will add the chicken wire.

It is cramped for space with 30 chicks, but once I am down to 8-10 hens, there will be plenty of room. Butchering will start in about 2 weeks.


24742475247624772478

osoab
26th March 2012, 11:42 AM
So how do those with chickens butcher them?

Any techniques or helpful hints would be appreciated.

muffin
27th March 2012, 06:57 AM
WARNING: GRAPHIC PICTURES

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/109583/killing-plucking-eviscerating-cutting-up-your-chicken-graphic

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/grim79.html

http://butcherachicken.blogspot.com/

muffin
27th March 2012, 07:00 AM
we dipped them in boiling water for about ~2 minutes. cut their heads and feet off and plucked them. cleaned out the guts. chopped some into pieces and left some as whole. a few towards the end, we just skinned em to save on plucking.

osoab
27th March 2012, 07:19 AM
we dipped them in boiling water for about ~2 minutes. cut their heads and feet off and plucked them. cleaned out the guts. chopped some into pieces and left some as whole. a few towards the end, we just skinned em to save on plucking.

I was wondering if anyone just skinned them instead of plucking.

I am having the shop cut me up some s.s. sheet to make some killing cones.

osoab
27th March 2012, 07:21 AM
WARNING: GRAPHIC PICTURES

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/109583/killing-plucking-eviscerating-cutting-up-your-chicken-graphic

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/grim79.html

http://butcherachicken.blogspot.com/

I was looking at these sites yesterday.

http://razorfamilyfarms.com/animals/chickens/kill-them-with-kindness-how-to-make-and-use-a-killing-cone/

http://foodwaterandfire.ludlowsurvivors.com/chickenkill.html

I looked at your last link yesterday too. It is a good read.

muffin
27th March 2012, 10:56 AM
I am having the shop cut me up some s.s. sheet to make some killing cones.
we didn't use a cone. we just caught them, tied their feet together, hung them on a line strung between 2 trees, and slit their throats. they flapped about for about 30 secs - 1 minute. easy peasy. it's a 2-3 man operation tho.

Awoke
27th March 2012, 11:25 AM
Why wouldn't you just chop the heads off, like the old days?

Great thread, btw!!

osoab
27th March 2012, 11:28 AM
Why wouldn't you just chop the heads off, like the old days?

Great thread, btw!!

To keep them from bruising the meat and breaking bones.

The cones also keep the blood in one area. Some of the sites I have read the use the cone and add a weight to the chickens beak to keep the head from flying around and spraying blood all over the place.

Awoke
27th March 2012, 11:29 AM
I was wondering if anyone just skinned them instead of plucking.

I am having the shop cut me up some s.s. sheet to make some killing cones.

This link Muffin put up has a system for skinning instead of plucking. That is how I would do if, if I had chickens.


http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/grim79.html

Osiris
27th March 2012, 07:08 PM
Cute chicks you got there! I don't have the first clue about raising chicks but out of curiosity what is a sufficient amount of space for them? If I only wanted them for laying eggs how many would I need? They have been selling them for weeks at the feed store I go to, so freakin cute!

muffin
27th March 2012, 07:50 PM
it depends on how many eggs you want to get a day. we have 14 laying hens and we average about 10 eggs a day (right now). the amount of eggs layed depends on time of year (length of daylight). according to backyardchickens.com, you will want to provide about 4 square feet per bird. so a shed 6x8 will house 12-14 chickens.

this website is pretty great. i've gotten many chicken questions answered on the forum....

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-faqs-the-frequent-asked-questions-of-raising-chickens

Awoke
27th March 2012, 07:59 PM
To keep them from bruising the meat and breaking bones.

The cones also keep the blood in one area. Some of the sites I have read the use the cone and add a weight to the chickens beak to keep the head from flying around and spraying blood all over the place.


Yeah I see now. Good idea actually. I was picturing it reverse, like those cones you would put on a dog or cat after a surgery. Now that I see you jam the bird inside it with their head popping out the skinny end, it makes much more sense.

Heimdhal
27th March 2012, 08:00 PM
This link Muffin put up has a system for skinning instead of plucking. That is how I would do if, if I had chickens.


Its easier, but you lose the skin, which some people really enjoy and greatly helps in keeping the meat moist in some cooking methods (like long roasts or smoking).

Awoke
28th March 2012, 11:42 AM
Yeah, I'm half and half. I like the skin on for cooking, but I don't actually eat it when dining. I always pull it off, unless it is ultra crispy.

Santa
28th March 2012, 12:59 PM
If times get hard, you'll want that skin.

Awoke
28th March 2012, 05:15 PM
I agree, but they are not hard right now. Not like they will be.

muffin
17th April 2012, 01:50 PM
tax day chickens. we have them every year! ()>>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgyL-x5O63Y

this one is still workin on coming out...

Oh, I'm a chickie who lives in an egg.
But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.
The hens they all cackle, the roosters all beg.
But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.
For I hear all the talk of pollution and war.
As the people all shout and the airplanes roar.
So I'm staying in here where it's safe and it's warm
And I WILL NOT HATCH!

Osiris
17th April 2012, 05:19 PM
I don't blame them! So cute!!!!

muffin
18th April 2012, 05:44 AM
well, it came out before they went to bed last night. 3 fluffy butts under mama. now we have 2 other broodies. i put 4 eggs under one broody and 2 golf balls under the other. i'm saving her for my friend that wants some of her bantums (millie fleur d'uccles) hatched. i'll probably get some of my own from her....

also, i bought 5 plymouth barred rock chicks at the farmers market last saturday. can't wait til those are big enough to go outside!! when they mix with our rhode island red rooster, they'll have black star babies.

now i want some ameraucanas or easter eggers.

i'm not good at chicken math :-[

osoab
18th April 2012, 06:03 AM
No chicken thread is complete without "Mike The Headless Chicken" story.

http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken


Beheading

On September 10, 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen of Fruita (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruita,_Colorado), Colorado (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado), United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States), had his mother-in-law around for supper and was sent out to the yard by his wife to bring back a chicken. Olsen chose a five-and-a-half-month-old cockerel named Mike. The axe missed the jugular vein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugular_vein), leaving one ear and most of the brain stem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stem) intact.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken#cite_note-Lloyd-1)[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken#cite_note-2)
Despite Olsen's botched handiwork, Mike was still able to balance on a perch and walk clumsily; he even attempted to preen and crow, although he could do neither. After the bird did not die, a surprised Mr. Olsen decided to continue to care permanently for Mike, feeding him a mixture of milk and water via an eyedropper; he was also fed small grains of corn.
When used to his new and unusual center of mass, Mike could easily get himself to the highest perches without falling. His crowing, though, was less impressive and consisted of a gurgling sound made in his throat, leaving him unable to crow at dawn. Mike also spent his time preening and attempting to peck for food with his neck.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken#cite_note-Lloyd-1)
Fame

Once his fame had been established, Mike began a career of touring sideshows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideshow) in the company of such other creatures as a two-headed calf. He was also photographed for dozens of magazines and papers, featuring in Time and Life magazines.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken#cite_note-Lloyd-1)
Mike was on display to the public for an admission cost of twenty five cents. At the height of his popularity, the chicken earned US$ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US$)4,500 per month ($48,000 in 2010 dollars) and was valued at $10,000.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken#cite_note-Lloyd-1) Olsen's success resulted in a wave of copycat chicken beheading, but no other chicken lived for more than a day or two.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]
Death

In March 1947, at a motel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel) in Phoenix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix,_Arizona) on a stopover while traveling back home from tour, Mike started choking in the middle of the night. As the Olsens had inadvertently left their feeding and cleaning syringes at the sideshow the day before, they were unable to save Mike. Lloyd Olsen claimed that he had sold the bird off, resulting in stories of Mike still touring the country as late as 1949. Other sources say that the chicken's severed trachea could not take in enough air properly to be able to breathe; and therefore choked to death in the motel.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]
Post mortem

It was determined that the axe had missed the carotid artery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotid_artery) and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was severed, most of his brain stem and one ear were left on his body. Since basic functions (breathing, heart-rate, etc.) as well as most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem, Mike was able to remain quite healthy. This is a good example of central motor generators enabling basic homeostatic functions to be carried out in the absence of the cerebral cortex.
Legacy in Fruita

Mike the Headless Chicken is now an institution in Fruita, Colorado (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruita,_Colorado), with an annual "Mike the Headless Chicken Day", the third weekend of May, starting in 1999. Events held include the "5K Run Like a Headless Chicken Race", egg toss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_toss), "Pin the Head on the Chicken", the "Chicken Cluck-Off", and "Chicken Bingo", in which chicken droppings on a numbered grid choose the numbers.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken#cite_note-3)
Notes

muffin
18th April 2012, 06:15 AM
oh yeah. i remember reading about him years ago when i was a kid. crazy chickens. i had a one-eyed chick (we named her horus) for a year. she died about a month ago. i think she was eggbound. i have another that has a tumor on her eye and is blind in it. i have a friend that has a one-legged chicken they call peggy :D

gunDriller
21st April 2012, 05:13 PM
I don't blame them! So cute!!!!

they sure are ! makes me want to get a rooster.


i'm learning that in order to take care of chickens, i need a way to coax them back to the coop at the end of the day.

which means giving them their favorite foods.

they like the "slop bucket" from the kitchen (all extra food & grease from frying pans gets washed into the bucket).

seeing me with the slop bucket is usually enough to bring the chickens in from their positions up to 50 yards away in the forest.

but the food they like the most is - egg-shells. that's like Chicken Crack.


also i have learned that Chickens sometimes "purr" - sounds a lot like a cat. i witnessed it once when i let a chicken indoors to watch TV. another time when one of the chickens was sitting on an egg.

i think it means they're relaxed.

i forget what the TV show was :)

osoab
21st April 2012, 05:47 PM
they sure are ! makes me want to get a rooster.


i'm learning that in order to take care of chickens, i need a way to coax them back to the coop at the end of the day.

which means giving them their favorite foods.

they like the "slop bucket" from the kitchen (all extra food & grease from frying pans gets washed into the bucket).

seeing me with the slop bucket is usually enough to bring the chickens in from their positions up to 50 yards away in the forest.

but the food they like the most is - egg-shells. that's like Chicken Crack.


also i have learned that Chickens sometimes "purr" - sounds a lot like a cat. i witnessed it once when i let a chicken indoors to watch TV. another time when one of the chickens was sitting on an egg.

i think it means they're relaxed.

i forget what the TV show was :)

Don't feed them egg shells. You do not want to tempt them into eating their own eggs.

Once they start eating their own eggs, it will be time for the dinner table.

muffin
22nd April 2012, 04:59 AM
i've read that too, osoab. i've even had a few eat them from under them (broody hen that didn't know she could leave the nest for a bit, common problem). buuuut i feed mine eggshells all the time. i used to crunch them up pretty fine and bake them a bit to deter egg eating. but i stopped doin that a long time ago. they eat eggshells that i throw in the compost. they also get what's left of a smashed egg from the nest. i've been doin this for 2 years now and haven't had a problem...edit to add: some chickens are just prone to eating their own eggs or eggs from other nests (IMO). it's something that can't be helped. if they do this, from what i understand, it can't be fixed, AT ALL.... soup pot for chicken then!

YES! they do purr! i have at least one chicken that sits in my lap or likes to be carried or held that purrs all the time. she's like a kitty :) the rooster purrs all the time too....

he also cries and whines :D

muffin
22nd April 2012, 05:51 AM
also i have learned that Chickens sometimes "purr" - sounds a lot like a cat. i witnessed it once when i let a chicken indoors to watch TV. another time when one of the chickens was sitting on an egg.
here's ya cranky broody laying on golfballs...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ0Ev3wCdLk&feature=youtu.be

about them goin to the coop in the evening.... they should do this on their own, i would think. i kept my locked in the coop when i moved them out there the first time for about a week before letting them out into the run. then i kept them in the run for about 2 or more weeks before letting them free range. they all go to bed at sunset on their own. no treats needed. every once in a while, usually when the coop is too crowded, i have a few that try to roost on top of the run. no biggie. i just move them in.

gunDriller
22nd April 2012, 07:15 AM
Don't feed them egg shells. You do not want to tempt them into eating their own eggs.

Once they start eating their own eggs, it will be time for the dinner table.


i wouldn't have started but - it's too late. they had already eaten a few.

actually, i think it's a good survival mechanism. especially if i'm travelling & don't have 24/7 chicken-sitter coverage, they will eat their eggs if need be. doesn't really bother me.

i have found 3 protected places where they are piling up eggs. now i leave 2 or 3 when i take the eggs. i get the feeling it upsets them if all the eggs are gone. like they get the feeling that their nice safe egg-laying place isn't so safe.


also to keep them from eating the eggs, i just try to keep them stuffed. they get steak tartare almost every day, along with their 'special favorites' - 20 # weight shredded office paper soaked in bacon grease & other goodies from the frying pan, noodles with a bit of parmesan, etc.

and they also love grapes, & Mandarin oranges from the can.



about them goin to the coop in the evening.... they should do this on their own, i would think.

i usually call them in around 4 PM, since i don't feel like dealing with it after dinner.

from the point of view of their survival, yes, i would like them to get in the habit of returning to the coop. i just prefer to take care of chores while i'm "still up".

once i turn into a couch potato, all chores are set aside. :)

muffin
22nd April 2012, 08:15 AM
so i'm curious how you guys do your eggs. do you wash and/or refridgerate?

for almost 2 years now i've not washed or refridgerated my eggs...

Santa
22nd April 2012, 08:50 AM
I don't wash, but I refrigerate.

gunDriller
22nd April 2012, 03:43 PM
i don't wash, just try and use a clean part of the shell to knock against the frying pan when i break the egg open.

during the winter, i didn't worry about refrigerating outdoors. i would just let the eggs pile up then go pick a bunch.

now that it's getting warmer i might "tighten up" the policy a bit, and not leave the eggs sitting around outdoors like I was.


i can't help but wonder if women chicken farmers are more likely to wash the chicken eggs than men chicken farmers.


i'm also thinking it would be good to get some imitation eggs, maybe some nice crafted wood eggs. the chickens seem to like having a bunch of eggs to sit on.


i planted a bunch of orchard grass and rye & wheat. it's covered with clear plastic to keep the moisture. there are green sprouts under the plastic but not as much as i thought there would be. i want to let the sprouts grow more, so that when i take the plastic off the "grass meal" lasts the chickens at least a week.

Heimdhal
22nd April 2012, 05:35 PM
If eggs are never refridgerated (below 40 degrees) they dont need to be. They will last just as long. Once an egg has been in the fridge though, its need to stay that way

muffin
23rd April 2012, 04:37 AM
i'm also thinking it would be good to get some imitation eggs, maybe some nice crafted wood eggs. the chickens seem to like having a bunch of eggs to sit on.

i just use some old golfballs, they don't seem to notice the difference. i've heard of people using plastic easter eggs with rocks in them for weight.


If eggs are never refridgerated (below 40 degrees) they dont need to be. They will last just as long. Once an egg has been in the fridge though, its need to stay that way

yep. exactly. i tell people i don't wash because the eggs come out naturally with a 'bloom' (http://www.georgiaeggs.org/pages/bloom.html) on them that protects them from bacteria getting in. if you wash them, they don't last nearly as long. and as many eggs as i have, i can't put them in the fridge. i sometimes end up putting them in the basement where it stays cool. especially when it starts getting pretty toasty (before the ac comes on). it stays about 65-70 down there even when it's triple digit outside.

seems like i read somewhere that if you don't wash them, they can last close to 4 months. don't hold me to that though....

here's a helpful article. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1977-11-01/Fresh-Eggs.aspx

Heimdhal
23rd April 2012, 08:22 AM
4 months is quite some time. I dont know the answer to it though. In the fridge, even the farm raised eggs will last over a month and a half just fine.

I have heard of egg waxing. I dont know much about it, as I dont raise chickens yet so I havent deviated into all the intricacies, only the general info. But apprently there is a process whereupon one can wax the eggs like one would wax a hard cheese (beeswax and parafin mix) and they will remain shelf stable that way for up to or even over a year, IIRC.

Now, I doubt this is totaly neccessary if you've your own chickens. I know if I had a constant fresh supply, I wouldnt worry as much about massive long term storage of them. But I guess back in the day, with no fridges and it taking months to cross a continent, there may be a use somewhere for it ;)

osoab
19th June 2012, 06:15 PM
Got my first egg last Thursday. I am butchering 8 of them tomorrow.

Any advice on butchering techniques? Hand plucking, got a propane torch to singe. Keeping livers and gizzards. Should I deep fry the hearts?

What about the necks?

And the big one....


How do I deep fry the feet with a good result?

osoab
20th June 2012, 04:29 PM
Ended up butchering 7 of the hens. The first one took 1 hour by myself. I had never done or seen personally a chicken being butchered.

The last two were done in about 40 minutes. I had a buddy show up to help me.

The meat was tough. We fried one of the early butchered ones. Should have let it sit in a marinade for a couple of hours prior to frying. I had no idea that the gizzards were so damn big. Gizzards, livers, and hearts were all tasty. 5 of the birds had yolks in various stages of size/development. I did not find any whole eggs inside the birds I butchered.

Sharp knives is the best advice I could give anyone on the process.

Osiris
20th June 2012, 06:35 PM
Sounds like fun! Yuck!

How many do you have left? Are you keep them for egg production or slaughtering all of them?

osoab
20th June 2012, 06:39 PM
Sounds like fun! Yuck!

How many do you have left? Are you keep them for egg production or slaughtering all of them?

I gave 12 to my folks, they lost one of those.

I have 12 left after today, I will keep at most 8 birds through next year. I wanted to see if I found my egg eater. That's why I didn't butcher 11 of them todayl

Awoke
21st June 2012, 05:38 AM
The meat was tough.

Slow cooking in a crock pot is the answer.

muffin
26th June 2012, 09:03 AM
yes, the slowcooker is your best friend. had the same problem. cooked one that i thought was a young chicken in the oven. it was like leather. the next time, i cooked 2 at the same time, bone-in, in the slowcooker. fall-off-the-bone tender. makes a huge difference.

Osiris
28th June 2012, 04:01 PM
Got my first egg last Thursday. I am butchering 8 of them tomorrow.

Any advice on butchering techniques? Hand plucking, got a propane torch to singe. Keeping livers and gizzards. Should I deep fry the hearts?

What about the necks?

And the big one....


How do I deep fry the feet with a good result?

I was looking for a new recipe and came across this, it reminded me of this thread..... You may be interested.

http://offalytasty.blogspot.com/2012/04/spicy-fried-chicken-livers.html

This too http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/01/08/crispy-spiced-chicken-livers/

osoab
28th June 2012, 04:30 PM
I was looking for a new recipe and came across this, it reminded me of this thread..... You may be interested.

http://offalytasty.blogspot.com/2012/04/spicy-fried-chicken-livers.html

This too http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/01/08/crispy-spiced-chicken-livers/

Thanks.

I have never heard of coconut flour before. I think I will give it a try.

osoab
9th October 2012, 05:25 PM
Lost a bird yesterday.

No clue what occurred. Didn't do a necropsy. I also didn't do a gundriller and butcher her. :D

When I found her, she was still warm, had just died. No rigor. In the outside enclosure. No blood on the outside of the carcass. Wasn't picked on. Looked liked she either laid down or fell over and died.

As of today all the other birds seemed fine. As active as they always have been.

Any ideas?

gunDriller
10th October 2012, 02:38 AM
Lost a bird yesterday.

No clue what occurred. Didn't do a necropsy. I also didn't do a gundriller and butcher her. :D


i couldn't butcher a pet chicken !

i already have burial plots picked out for them. they're 1 1/2 years old, i figure they might live to be 3 1/2.

when they free range they get into some possible trouble. i had to put plywood around a compost pile because they were eating the soft juicy part at the bottom. it was going to fall over on their heads.


if they saw a black widow, i think they would try to eat it.

just out of curiosity, maybe open its mouth and look for any trauma, e.g. swollen tongue.


after thinking about it more, i realized there were a number of possible toxins. poison mushrooms ? i guess it depends on what's in their 'free range' area.

muffin
14th October 2012, 04:51 PM
i'd say either eggbound or heart attack (did you find her on her back?). both are very common and can't be helped....

osoab
14th October 2012, 06:09 PM
i'd say either eggbound or heart attack (did you find her on her back?). both are very common and can't be helped....

Laid over on her side. Right side to be exact (birds perspective).

muffin
14th October 2012, 06:32 PM
if she was eggbound, her tail would have been down before her death. sort of in a droopy mood type thing. being eggbound will make them lathargic and want to just sort of squat anywhere. not sure if they die in a certain position with that.

with a heart attack, they almost always spaz out and roll over on their back before dying....

LuckyStrike
14th October 2012, 06:48 PM
Any ideas?

What is the weather like? I've heard chickens can't regulate their temperature very well so if they get wet in a cold or windy environment it can kill them.


My chickens are coming along very well, I have a lot of young hens and heading into winter egg production is lackluster, but by spring it should be on. I'm getting in contact with some local restaurants to see about getting scrap food (ideally lettuce, tomatoes etc) to help cut down on the food bill, since they are now confined to a pen.