Coffee anyone ?

Baymule

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I have a few male ducks that need to go. I’ve heard ducks are terrible to pluck, but I don’t want them skinless. They are on Craigslist, and I’m procrastinating in hopes I will be able to sell them before I need to process them.

I raised ducks once for the freezer. I missed the "window" of plucking on half of them and boy, did I ever regret that! Needle nose pliers were my friend!
 

Bruce

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I think $6 a pound is outrageous but these people don’t bat an eye and are excited to order and wait months for it. Go figure.
Gee and I thought the $5/lb people charge here for pasture raised chicken was high! I need to find a T-day pasture raised turkey somewhere. The last 2 years I was in So. Cal (so the the rest of the family had to suffer with dinner at the retirement community 'restaurant'). Normally I get the bird at the Burlington Farmer's market but that place is a total indoor body on body zoo starting about now. I don't know how they are doing 'social distancing' but they'd have to cut the number of people, customers AND vendors, by at least 90% to do so.

I don't skin the CCX, we pluck them.
Probably because they only have about 10 feathers anyway ;)
 

Mini Horses

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Definately the CCX are easiest to pluck. Hey, too young for many adult feathers. I used to live closer to coast and they had duck hunts. I was told that they paid big $$ to have someone clean them -- a real PITA I've been told.. Did turkeys once...another tough one to pluck and a lot of plucking to do.

AS FOR chickens -- why does everyone think that these big hens will lay at 4 months??? Like there is a switch in there that flips. My big old gals don't lay until 6-7 months. Especially if starting in Fall. Now, some of those sex-links sometimes start about 5 months but, I am so tired of sellers saying -- any day -- and these gals are 3-3.5 months and they want $30+ per this underage hen. Yes, I raise them, I can laugh at their folly. Just annoys me. Plus they get their panties in a knot when you offer less. :idunno And yes -- that IS a rooster not a hen! It has gotten really bad this year with everyone who bought every chick this Summer (& all the canning lids!) and are tired of waiting for those eggs.......CL abounds with chickens, all at POL. :lol: Keep feeding them -- it will happen one day.

Ok -- that felt good. 😁
 

Baymule

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Gee and I thought the $5/lb people charge here for pasture raised chicken was high! I need to find a T-day pasture raised turkey somewhere. The last 2 years I was in So. Cal (so the the rest of the family had to suffer with dinner at the retirement community 'restaurant'). Normally I get the bird at the Burlington Farmer's market but that place is a total indoor body on body zoo starting about now. I don't know how they are doing 'social distancing' but they'd have to cut the number of people, customers AND vendors, by at least 90% to do so.


Probably because they only have about 10 feathers anyway ;)

They may only have 10 feathers, but they got plenty of pin feathers. I grow mine to 8-10 weeks old, instead of the 6 weeks old of industrial chicken. I processed one today that weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces. The rest were between 6-7 pounds.
 

Baymule

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Thanks for the coffee. We woke up at 4. I hate when that happens. I only got 4 chickens processed and in the freezer yesterday. Home health care came yesterday in the morning, didn't get started on chickens until 10:30, had to take Carson to the vet at 3:00, his anal glands need expressing. They hurt and he was crying. Vet tech said they were full, not impacted, but they were hurting him.

I have 12 chickens on ice, hope to get most of them done today.
 

Mini Horses

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Fog again...getting to a daily thing. Sure prefer sunshine instead. Then we have Zeta bringing some rains Thu & Fri....gonna be a gloomy week. Window blinds up and lots of lights on --- I need light!!! Everything out there is just wet. :oops: I'm going to work today. Can't do much outside.

While doing chores & unloading from feed run yesterday, I hear a "pop" as I moved a bag. Looked and saw nothing. Later I found two broken eggs in my jacket pocket :hide. Yep. Picked up while feeding....forgot to remove them and now yuck! The pop was found :rolleyes:

We all have to deal with our day. Everyone try for a good one :yesss:
 
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