tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post9060709177648621411..comments2023-10-21T16:38:35.007-05:00Comments on Thoughts from Frank and Fern: Exploring ChickensFrank and Fernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-65090729858872507572013-11-20T20:31:30.524-06:002013-11-20T20:31:30.524-06:00I had relatives raise Cochins primarily for show. ...I had relatives raise Cochins primarily for show. On occasion, they have used them for sitters. Otherwise, all of my experience has been with full-sized dual purpose chickens. Fern and I have tried multiple ways of processing older birds, older being one year old, and have not been happy with any of the results. I know if times were hard, this situation would be different. It's up to you if your birds aren't laying, then it may be time for new birds. <br /><br />I guess the most humane way to get rid of an older chicken is to take it to a chicken swap. Some people are peculiar, they don't really care about eggs. They just enjoy the site of chickens running around their yard. If they ask about egg production, I find that honesty is always the best policy. <br /><br />Or you can take a 22, dispatch each bird and dispose of them in an appropriate way. If I read your comment correctly about wild scavengers, we never feed anything to a wild animal that we don't expect them to come back and seek more. In other words, it's a very bad practice to feed wild animals. On occasion, when I cannot get a bird to go back into the pen at dark, I would shoot the bird and dispose of it, because I don't want any predator problems.<br /><br />FrankFrank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-62087294928321506542013-11-20T20:21:30.660-06:002013-11-20T20:21:30.660-06:00Depending on when you are planning on making your ...Depending on when you are planning on making your move, I would be giving thought to chicken house location and breeds now. Reason bein', you don't want to be downwind from your chicken house. And if you're going to drill a well, you want it far enough away from the chicken house. So start planning now. Location is very important.<br /><br />Thanks for reading and please continue. Let us know how the move goes. And remember, there is no perfect chicken.<br /><br />FrankFrank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-15578076834611881462013-11-20T20:15:27.078-06:002013-11-20T20:15:27.078-06:00Okay, T. Just for you. If I were going to choose o...Okay, T. Just for you. If I were going to choose one bird to live with the rest of my life, it would be a Buff Orpington or a Partridge Rock or a Speckled Sussex or .......<br /><br />FrankFrank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-6836292198718028722013-11-20T20:12:50.761-06:002013-11-20T20:12:50.761-06:00Thank you for reading and thank you for the commen...Thank you for reading and thank you for the comment. Be careful buying chickens locally. If the bird is an adult, you don't always know what quality it is. If you can buy from someone that has an established flock, this might be a good way to go. An example, every year or two, I will switch to a new breed of bird and get rid of perfectly good two year old hens. So they are out there. Here is an old saying, "Buyer beware."<br /><br />FrankFrank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-88801738869776643212013-11-20T20:08:43.820-06:002013-11-20T20:08:43.820-06:00No, we have not been to the American Livestock Bre...No, we have not been to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy site, but we will check it out. We've always stayed with the dual purpose breeds. We change breeds every couple of years just because we want to. Something to consider in your research, is whether or not you want a bird that will sit. Not this next time, but soon, we will be talking about breeds.<br /><br />Thanks for the comments and thanks for reading.<br /><br />FrankFrank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-50188853685184096312013-11-20T14:52:29.416-06:002013-11-20T14:52:29.416-06:00If one doesn't have the where-with-all to pre-...If one doesn't have the where-with-all to pre-tenderze a chicken (lol), how old is too old to process one? (I have never fully processed one. I have put down roosters with a hatchet, giving up those 5 roosters to the wild scavengers- didn't have much meat on their bones for being a year old and I figured the work involved would land me with rawhide quality and no quantity of meat anyway).I was given a flock of 8 chickens 2 years ago that were already 2, I now have 7 non-laying 4-year old hens and their rooster that I am considering processing in the spring. They are beautiful large cochins - but pick them up and they feel like... maybe mostly feather! Laureli https://www.blogger.com/profile/03648493780017930693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-71307366075008776682013-11-20T07:01:25.490-06:002013-11-20T07:01:25.490-06:00I am looking forward to you inputs since we are de...I am looking forward to you inputs since we are developing a retirement homestead north of Durant.2KootsCoophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06177341805650807120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-2908625378515031302013-11-19T22:36:35.835-06:002013-11-19T22:36:35.835-06:00Come on Frank ..... I'm in SW Missouri and it&...Come on Frank ..... I'm in SW Missouri and it's close enough to your part of the world ... So spill the right ones for us?.... Thanks "T"Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07209447774530249455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-41734576186085639672013-11-19T19:39:59.702-06:002013-11-19T19:39:59.702-06:00In northwest Georgia we get several freezes every ...In northwest Georgia we get several freezes every winter month - although this year it has started a little early. Daytime temps usually jump right back up to the 50s & 60s, only ocasionally staying in the 40s. As soon as I finish the fall planting (there were no food plants growing here when I bought 8 mos. ago), the coop will be going up and I'll start buying chickens both locally and from a hatchery. I'm looking forward to hearing your experiences and having my own!Starlady NW GAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-56158601176194405382013-11-19T15:36:08.590-06:002013-11-19T15:36:08.590-06:002x4 chicken tenderizer.....I had one too! Ralph an...2x4 chicken tenderizer.....I had one too! Ralph and I have done hours of research into breeds.We have found out a lot but we are looking forward to your blog. We don't think you can really ever have too much information. We Like the multi purpose breeds. Eggs, bug control and meat. We also consider rare breeds bred and developed here in the USA if possible. While we currently live in town we are working on getting land. <br /><br />Have you been to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy site? Looking forward to your next installment.Fionahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05348495575211204989noreply@blogger.com