Devonviolet Acres Poultry Journal

Baymule

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Are you going to order from a hatchery or just go to local feed store? Just getting settled in, a trip to the feed store might be easier, they generally have chicks in the spring.
 

Devonviolet

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Well, we made a decision, today, about our rooster! He definitely has a one way ticket to the freezer!

I was out spreading cut straw on muddy patches, when DH went into the chicken yard to feed the poultry. All of a sudden I heard him yell, and looked up just in time to see the roo run at him, jump up in the air and puff out all his feathers. It reminded me of the photos I have seen of cock fighting . . . Especially the way the neck feathers fluffed out.

I "suggested DH block the roo, with his foot, so he did. The happened over and over. I told him to run at the roo and stomp him feet, which he did, but the roo wouldn't back down. He just kept jumping up and trying to hurt DH. Eventually, the roo stopped attacking, so DH went back to what he was doing.

Just in case, I went and got the broom, and went in with DH to keep guard, while he did the chores. We finally figured out that the whole roof of the coop lifts up, to get the eggs. ( I KNOW - crazy, right??? The roof must weigh 50 pounds!) so, DH was holding the roof up so we could see if there were any eggs in the nest boxes, and BAM! The roo came around the side of the coop and attacked DH. Well, that did it! I yelled "NO!" And shoved the broom into the chest of the roo, to make him stay back. He tried jumping in the air, but I pushed him down, yelling "NO" again. :smack That seemed to do the trick. He stopped attacking, and went back to foraging, like nothing happened. DH was finished filling feed and water, so we left, Keeping an eye on the roo all the way to the gate.

We talked about it afterwards and decided it wasn't worth it, worrying you might get spurred every time you feed the chickens. Now is not a good time, because we have so much going on. But, it seems we are going to have to learn how to butcher a chicken a lot sooner than we thought!!! Ummmm! Coq au Vin sounds really good! Or maybe Chicken & Dumplings!,! Yum! Note to self: find the slow cooker!! :lol:
 

Devonviolet

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Are you going to order from a hatchery or just go to local feed store? Just getting settled in, a trip to the feed store might be easier, they generally have chicks in the spring.
That's a good point Baymule. If we were to order from a hatchery, we would have to get a minimum order - usually 25, to keep them all warm when they are being shipped during the Winter months. That is really too many for us to start with.

Atwoods doesn't have chicks and won't get any until Spring. We did check at a feed store, in Mt. Vernon, and they were getting some in the middle of Nov. We haven't checked lately, but I would be surprised if they have any left by now. And I don't want to have to deal with raising baby chicks right now when we have so much going on.

I was actually thinking of buying about 6-8 young layers, so we have some chickens to I traduced our LGD puppies to when I bring them home. I have looked on our local Craig's List and there are a number of people selling layers that are less than a year old.
 

Baymule

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Layers are the way to go, it will get you started without having to raise chicks. Maybe next year on the chicks.

I will be glad to give you pointers on butchering the rooster. #1-SKIN HIM! :lol: You don't even want to mess with trying to pluck that tough old bird!
I rolled a piece of cardboard into a cone shape and duct taped it. I tape it to the fence and drop a chicken in, upside down. I cut their throats, sometimes cutting their heads off. This lets them bleed out and they don't "run around like a chicken with it's head cut off" or flop around and bruise the meat.

I cut off the wing tips and tail, and make a cut along the breast and pull the skin and feathers off. Then I cut around the anus, make a cut up the belly to the breast bone and drag the innards out. I don't save the liver or gizzard on old birds, I give it to the dogs. Cut off the legs and you are done. Wash. Wash. Wash again.
 

Devonviolet

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Layers are the way to go, it will get you started without having to raise chicks. Maybe next year on the chicks.

I will be glad to give you pointers on butchering the rooster. #1-SKIN HIM! :lol: You don't even want to mess with trying to pluck that tough old bird!
I rolled a piece of cardboard into a cone shape and duct taped it. I tape it to the fence and drop a chicken in, upside down. I cut their throats, sometimes cutting their heads off. This lets them bleed out and they don't "run around like a chicken with it's head cut off" or flop around and bruise the meat.

I cut off the wing tips and tail, and make a cut along the breast and pull the skin and feathers off. Then I cut around the anus, make a cut up the belly to the breast bone and drag the innards out. I don't save the liver or gizzard on old birds, I give it to the dogs. Cut off the legs and you are done. Wash. Wash. Wash again.

Thanks Baymule! That sounds easy enough. (Wanna come over and help???) Well, I take that back this will be our first bird to butcher. I'm sure he will be the worst, for that reason! :hit

I've also read that if you slit the carotid arteries, and let the blood drain, after putting them upside down in the cone (which calms them down), they gradually just pass out, and aren't stressed, which can affect the taste of the meat. :hide The stress, that is.

Hmmmm, I wonder if we hold him (by the legs) upside down, while we trim his sours, if he will stay calmer than if one of us tries to hold him still while the other one runs the Dremel??? :ep
 

Baymule

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If he is destined for the soup pot, why bother with the spurs? You don't need a rooster for egg production and your layers would probably appreciate it as well.
 

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But for now, we will be getting some multi-purpose layers, that can handle the Texas heat - maybe Ameracana or Barred Rocks

I love the BR's! I wanted to warn you about the "Ameracanas". Anything at the hatchery or feed store that is labeled ameraucana or Araucana is an Easter egger unless it is clearly marked as a PB TRUE ameraucana and the chicks are are at least $15/chick.
 

Maggiesdad

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Yeah, if he's flaring his hackles at you this is never going to get any better. Their brains are no bigger than a pea, and run three programs, Fight, peck and scratch, and take care of the ladies. Once he gets in a loop of 'taking care of the ladies = fight you' , it's over.

To me, scalding and plucking is well worth the effort to be able to have the skin on. I use the feet, too, for rockin soup stock. Just too much good gelatin to throw away! :drool

If you've got a 12qt stock pot, souse him down in there at 145°-150° for about a minute and a half. ('Til the big wing and tail feathers come out easy) He'll pluck clean in less than two minutes. A big pressure canner will work for a scalding pot too if you have one.
 

Devonviolet

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If he is destined for the soup pot, why bother with the spurs? You don't need a rooster for egg production and your layers would probably appreciate it as well.

Well, if we keep the rooster to teach the puppies not to play with the chicks and chickens, we will want to grind the spurs down so they don't hurt the puppies in the process of "educating" them. :ep The roo also can't hurt us everytime we go into the chicken yard, if he doesn't have sharp spurs. When the puppies have learned that chickens aren't play toys, Mr. Roo can go into the soup pot.
 

Devonviolet

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Oookkaaay! I just realized where the confusion is coming from, about trimming the spurs vs just putting the roo in the soup pot. On my Devonviolet - Our LGD Adventure Journal we have been having a parallel discussion. Over there, Southern by choice suggested we keep the roo to educate our new puppies about not playing with the chickens. So THAT is why we would need to Dremel the spurs. o_O
 

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