I love this for the "I need a cheap coop NOW" emergencies that we all sometimes have. Excellent disclaimers. I used a version of this to house an ornery rooster so we could butcher him at the same time as the rest of the birds without him beating them all up for the last few weeks. Thanks.
We raised McMurray Red Rangers last summer and were very happy with the breed (our first meat birds). We butchered the roosters at ~13 weeks and the hens at ~15 weeks for weights between 5-8 pounds. We could have let the hens get bigger but it was November, we process outside, and I didn't want...
Thank you! She was going so crazy I let her out for a few minutes. Instant silence and calm. I think she was bored! <img src="https://www.backyardchickens.com/image/id/9396857/width/400/flags/LL"></a>
I can't seem to get images into my posts-- this one is worth the click-through.
Hi, all,
De-lurking because my dear Emma Zitsie was grabbed twice by a fox this morning. My husband ran it off, and I've had her in a dog crate inside the house all day. She has some skin punctures but no apparent muscle involvement and no active bleeding, and she's getting more & more insistent...
I wanted to use this as a frame:
but the metal is pretty flimsy and I don't want sparks to fly every time I use the drill. Also, hip roofing on my first non-bookshelf project ever= bad idea. This is my current plan, front:
and side view:
The roof will extend front and back, and I know the...
...had to go to the ER, at which point she was in multi system failure. I understand wanting to save loved ones the suffering, but her family was so *angry* with her. They only had three weeks together after everyone found out, and she never saw her home again. It was terrible for everyone.
I...
Ours was kind of stringy even after brining for 24 hours and 5-6 hours in the crock pot. I think I'll try another breed for meat (not the cornish crosses. They freak me out).
This is very helpful! We used the crock pot and had a nice chicken stew. I don't think I want to raise meat chickens but straight-run dual-purpose chicks are starting to look good for next spring.....
I don't think brining made much difference. She was still kind of stringy, even after 24 hours in salt water and hours in the crock pot. Delicious though!
Scooter, that's what happened with ours! "THAT'S IT. YOU'RE SUPPER."
Thank you both!
I'm a nurse, so I think everything that doesn't come in a blue and white package that says "STERILE" on the outside is germy. Occupational hazard! I know the chicken itself isn't sterile. But I didn't want to do all this work and then find out that only some kinds of plastic...
I carefully reviewed the sticky links at the top, and feel that I had great information on the killing/eviscerating/food safety parts of the job, but I have a few more questions and can't find answers up there.
I know the chicken needs to "rest" a bit after slaughter to tenderize, but how...
We just culled a dark brahma for meanness, and though we don't have a scale she hefts about 4-5 pounds at 9 months old. The breast is not huge but the thighs and legs look pretty good!
Belated Merry Christmas and Happy Solstice, peeps! Wishing you all joy and peace this season.
I had a tough holiday in some ways-- I had to work Christmas Eve, and I am a hospice nurse, and I had a patient with the same kind of cancer my father has but much more advanced. My hospital has been...