➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[ShrekDawg]

I peed.
I'm Do not have superpowers I promise I'm just not lazy.
And I am a professional multitasker.

I still think you are! LOL that is a lot to juggle! Lazy or not lol

And that a good skill to have!! Lol

I’m horrible at that unless it involves a phone.... i.e. the ability to do anything without putting it down.....

 

[CindyinSD]

OMG really!?



Yeah, that part is sad. although I read you can do feed off for 12 hours and on for 12 hours and that helps some? Idk how much though. I was thinking of possibly trying some of the red rangers too cause I figured they might be healthier but idk.

I got “Color Yield” meat chickens. They’re a Ranger type, and I really liked them. The males dressed out at about 7 lbs. They never waddled around looking miserable. They were never terribly active but as active at least as many modern teenagers. I offered food 24-7, which was possibly not the best management strategy, but it worked. I lost three before processing time: one as a chick that I culled for leg issues, one as a mid-sized cockerel which I found stiff and dead in the tractor one morning, and one that got squished as I was moving the tractor. They’re delicious.

I wanted to try CX to see what I thought of them. I offered food 24/7 for them, too. It worked fine for the first two weeks, but then I started finding a dead chick every morning and one time, two. They were swollen up like grapes and barely waddling around. It was awful. I asked folks on the meat bird forum and was advised to offer food only once a day for 20 minutes and turn off the heat lamps (it’s in the 40s-50s at night here even now). I’m actually giving them an hour to scarf down as much as they can, but unlike some who advised me, I’m not free ranging. I’m moving their large tractor once a day.

They are NOT THE SAME CHICKENS. It’s amazing. When I go into the tractor they’re swarming me, all over my feet, chirping and acting like a bunch of wild hooligans. They’re actually likable. I should probably have treated the Color Yield chickens the same way, but they weren’t quite the little piggies the CX were so they did okay anyway.

About butchering the quail, I think I saw a video where they spatchcocked the quail (cut out the backbone with poultry shears) and then, when it was opened up, removed the entrails. I tried to find it but couldn’t. It might have been cut—for some reason YouTube can’t figure out how they feel about the butchering videos and just whimsically removes one but leaves another one up.

 

[ketojenn]

I cut out the backbone and open them up that way. I'll take pictures next time.

 

[Kiki]

I cut out the backbone and open them up that way. I'll take pictures next time.

Yes! I love pictures.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I got “Color Yield” meat chickens. They’re a Ranger type, and I really liked them. The males dressed out at about 7 lbs. They never waddled around looking miserable. They were never terribly active but as active at least as many modern teenagers. I offered food 24-7, which was possibly not the best management strategy, but it worked. I lost three before processing time: one as a chick that I culled for leg issues, one as a mid-sized cockerel which I found stiff and dead in the tractor one morning, and one that got squished as I was moving the tractor. They’re delicious.

I wanted to try CX to see what I thought of them. I offered food 24/7 for them, too. It worked fine for the first two weeks, but then I started finding a dead chick every morning and one time, two. They were swollen up like grapes and barely waddling around. It was awful. I asked folks on the meat bird forum and was advised to offer food only once a day for 20 minutes and turn off the heat lamps (it’s in the 40s-50s at night here even now). I’m actually giving them an hour to scarf down as much as they can, but unlike some who advised me, I’m not free ranging. I’m moving their large tractor once a day.

They are NOT THE SAME CHICKENS. It’s amazing. When I go into the tractor they’re swarming me, all over my feet, chirping and acting like a bunch of wild hooligans. They’re actually likable. I should probably have treated the Color Yield chickens the same way, but they weren’t quite the little piggies the CX were so they did okay anyway.

About butchering the quail, I think I saw a video where they spatchcocked the quail (cut out the backbone with poultry shears) and then, when it was opened up, removed the entrails. I tried to find it but couldn’t. It might have been cut—for some reason YouTube can’t figure out how they feel about the butchering videos and just whimsically removes one but leaves another one up.

Thank you for all of this!! This is extremely helpful!!

Although I have heard several stories lately of the CX being extremely friendly and that makes me a little nervous.... I think it would be harder for me to off such sweet, friendly birds.

 

[CindyinSD]

Thank you for all of this!! This is extremely helpful!!

Although I have heard several stories lately of the CX being extremely friendly and that makes me a little nervous.... I think it would be harder for me to off such sweet, friendly birds.

I don’t think it’s gonna be a problem for me. I may keep a smaller hen or three for breeding, but bottom line, I bought them for meat. I don’t want to eat industrial meat, so by butchering them myself as painlessly as possible and giving these birds a good, pleasant life, I’m reducing the market for inhumanely produced meat by that little bit. I really feel like that’s more important than a little momentary emotional discomfort I experience in killing the birds. If I could find some stranger to do it for me (doubtful), I wouldn’t. I want my birds treated respectfully and with kindness and the only way to be sure of that is to do it myself. So... that’s me. Anyone else’s mileage will vary. We all do what we can.

 

[RUNuts]

Spatchcocked is easy. Skin or pluck. Cut out backbone. Use backbone for broth. Feed bones to chickens.

I like keeping the birds whole and minimize bone splinters. One time and it ruins it for ever.

@BantyChooks when you said not able to get your hands into the cavities, do you stretch them at all? I pull the breastbone away from the backbone in order to get my big, fat hands into the small spaces. They stretch. After cooking, you can't tell the difference. I do this on large fowl also.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I don’t think it’s gonna be a problem for me. I may keep a smaller hen or three for breeding, but bottom line, I bought them for meat. I don’t want to eat industrial meat, so by butchering them myself as painlessly as possible and giving these birds a good, pleasant life, I’m reducing the market for inhumanely produced meat by that little bit. I really feel like that’s more important than a little momentary emotional discomfort I experience in killing the birds. If I could find some stranger to do it for me (doubtful), I wouldn’t. I want my birds treated respectfully and with kindness and the only way to be sure of that is to do it myself. So... that’s me. Anyone else’s mileage will vary. We all do what we can.

Hmm those are all really good points and you’re right about all of it, it’s definitely way more humane which is part of why I want to do it eventually, and of course if I got them I would theoretically know that they were intended for meat but idk... I just get like way too easily attached haha not sure I could kill an animal raised even if I knew that was the sole reason for raising it and ESPECIALLY if it was super friendly because it would probably make me feel bad for killing it. My hens are pets so if I discovered a meat bird had personality and was charming and all that too, I think all bets would be off but at least with the CX it would be cruel to keep them alive too long because of the health issues so I would have that going for me at least and would be able to do it then probably. But if I had some rangers or heritage breed birds or something, I might just let them all live. heck, I’ve thought of letting all the quail live when I get them lol probably won’t though and will sell or maybe suck it up and butcher but still. I cried so much when I lost one of my hens this week but then again I only cried for a day or so, maybe two, and got over it and am now fine, and I loved her a lot and had her almost 4 years, so I guess I could probably do meat birds.

 

[mixedUPturk]

My final numbers are in! I got 9/10 of the buttons and 100% of the 13 cots! Really pleased overall! button #10 was a very late quitter

<more pics incoming>

 

[mixedUPturk]

Talk about ants and shoes if the men in white coats come you aint seen me!