Chickens are ponderous creatures, so relaxing to sit and watch, yet so ravenous. Ive actually seen mine kill and eat mice. [emoji15]
Chickens!
- Thread starter aksavanaman
- Start date
Well, Mrs. Zuckerman had her first two chickens hatch yesterday. We have about 3 more that is still in the incubator that still have a few more days left before they're ready because they were laid a few days later than these two.
The first chick didn't make it long after hatching but I wasn't sure if it was going to make it as long as it did. It just wasn't acting right trying to break the egg. All it did for the longest was just make a little air hole, but that was about as much as it was able to do on its' own.
The 2nd chick however, came about 1:30 last night and within about 10 hours of cracking the egg, it was flopping and rolling and chirping around everywhere in the incubator making its' grand entrance to this big old world.
It's already eating and drinking this evening in the makeshift brooder we have set up temporarily in a cardboard box under a heat lamp.
Since it is so noisy, it's name is either Mr. or Ms. Pippington. I guess it'll be a few weeks before we'll be able to tell whether it is a Mister or Miss.
The first chick didn't make it long after hatching but I wasn't sure if it was going to make it as long as it did. It just wasn't acting right trying to break the egg. All it did for the longest was just make a little air hole, but that was about as much as it was able to do on its' own.
The 2nd chick however, came about 1:30 last night and within about 10 hours of cracking the egg, it was flopping and rolling and chirping around everywhere in the incubator making its' grand entrance to this big old world.
It's already eating and drinking this evening in the makeshift brooder we have set up temporarily in a cardboard box under a heat lamp.
Since it is so noisy, it's name is either Mr. or Ms. Pippington. I guess it'll be a few weeks before we'll be able to tell whether it is a Mister or Miss.
Nice John!
You're gonna be surrounded by chicks in no time...
You're gonna be surrounded by chicks in no time...
I think todays' going to be a good day for chickens around here.
I believe our first chick is going to be a rooster. Mostly by his actions. He's pretty wild and rambunctious. And he's already starting to get some of his wing feathers despite not being a week old yet. Since we don't really want any more roosters, if it turns out that it is, we are going to give it to one of my buddies or maybe my Uncle if they want to make a coop for it.
In other news, we have two more trying to hatch as I type this.
And one of our neighbors has had a (free roaming) hen that she said we could have if we could catch it. But I had no desire of chasing them around, so I've been patient and she has been coming down to our coop when I feed them and has taken an interest in Kernel Sanders anyway, so today my wife said to keep our chickens in the coop and leave the runner door open so the hen can go inside on her own (which I admit was a really good idea) and sure enough, within an hour the white hen was in the coop and I snuck up behind her and closed the door. Since she's more of a salt and pepper color, I think I'm going to name her "sugar".
Here's a quick picture of her and the rooster. I think that love may be in the air (LOL).
I believe our first chick is going to be a rooster. Mostly by his actions. He's pretty wild and rambunctious. And he's already starting to get some of his wing feathers despite not being a week old yet. Since we don't really want any more roosters, if it turns out that it is, we are going to give it to one of my buddies or maybe my Uncle if they want to make a coop for it.
In other news, we have two more trying to hatch as I type this.
And one of our neighbors has had a (free roaming) hen that she said we could have if we could catch it. But I had no desire of chasing them around, so I've been patient and she has been coming down to our coop when I feed them and has taken an interest in Kernel Sanders anyway, so today my wife said to keep our chickens in the coop and leave the runner door open so the hen can go inside on her own (which I admit was a really good idea) and sure enough, within an hour the white hen was in the coop and I snuck up behind her and closed the door. Since she's more of a salt and pepper color, I think I'm going to name her "sugar".
Here's a quick picture of her and the rooster. I think that love may be in the air (LOL).
I actually call him Kernel most of the time. And I know, the way I spell it is more like a "kernel" of food, rather than Colonel. That was mostly a tongue in cheek play on words.
KFC was founded in Corbin, KY which is two counties over from me. I think our old KFC building here was the 3rd one ever built, though has since been torn down and now belongs to Papa Johns' Pizza (also started in KY). I believe the KFC in Middlesboro KY (Bell County) was the 2nd KFC restaurant built. I have eaten at all 3. The original is more like a little gas station old fashioned diner.
We have a new KFC building and location now that was erected after PepsiCo bought them in the 90's I think. Taco Bell and KFC are now in adjacent lots (also owned by the same company now).
But with all of that aside, I always name food animals after food. It kinda keeps things in check so they don't become pets.
When I was growing up, our hogs' name was Bacon.
True story.
KFC was founded in Corbin, KY which is two counties over from me. I think our old KFC building here was the 3rd one ever built, though has since been torn down and now belongs to Papa Johns' Pizza (also started in KY). I believe the KFC in Middlesboro KY (Bell County) was the 2nd KFC restaurant built. I have eaten at all 3. The original is more like a little gas station old fashioned diner.
We have a new KFC building and location now that was erected after PepsiCo bought them in the 90's I think. Taco Bell and KFC are now in adjacent lots (also owned by the same company now).
But with all of that aside, I always name food animals after food. It kinda keeps things in check so they don't become pets.
When I was growing up, our hogs' name was Bacon.
True story.
Ranch Dog
.410
I have a neighbor that has a small place, about 10 acres, sandwiched between me and the highways. He has a horses and I let him turn several of them out each day on my ranch. Back in September, one of his roosters made the journey from his yard with the horses and took up residence in our yard. I told my neighbor about him and he said I could keep him if I wanted so I decided to see what he wanted to do and that was to stay.
He is a pretty cool bird, a New Hampshire Red, so naturally we call him Red. He was roosting in a low huisache tree at night I was was worried about a bobcat, coyote, or owl grabbing him, so I went out and took him off the limb and but him in the garage side of our barn. Now each night he claims his secure spot and I don't worry about him disappearing.
He has become my running buddy while around the house. If I'm out working, he is there with me. I have a Red Heeler and the two of them have become a pair that spend the day together.
He is a pretty cool bird, a New Hampshire Red, so naturally we call him Red. He was roosting in a low huisache tree at night I was was worried about a bobcat, coyote, or owl grabbing him, so I went out and took him off the limb and but him in the garage side of our barn. Now each night he claims his secure spot and I don't worry about him disappearing.
He has become my running buddy while around the house. If I'm out working, he is there with me. I have a Red Heeler and the two of them have become a pair that spend the day together.
Some "spring chickens".
They're still setting on 9 more eggs between both of them, but after candling them, I don't think 3 of those 9 were fertilized or going to form and when I check them again, if I don't see a change, I'll have to cull those 3.
They're still setting on 9 more eggs between both of them, but after candling them, I don't think 3 of those 9 were fertilized or going to form and when I check them again, if I don't see a change, I'll have to cull those 3.
Good lookin chicks ya got there sir. Ive always loved seeing the new ones. Will you be keeping them seperated from the rest of the flock? All of my birds are free range so i put the babies under heat lamps to raise after hatching, until their big enough to defend themselves against the rest. The other chickens will kill the babies if given the opportunity.
Nope.
I only have the 3 large ones. 2 hens and a Rooster.
The hens are keeping Kernel Sanders in check.
I have taken some other extra precautions though. The coop is about 2 feet off the ground with a ramp going up to it.
I have had to put wood over the bottom of the coop door to keep them from falling out until they get some wing feathers while still being big enough to let the grown ones go through it.
I only have the 3 large ones. 2 hens and a Rooster.
The hens are keeping Kernel Sanders in check.
I have taken some other extra precautions though. The coop is about 2 feet off the ground with a ramp going up to it.
I have had to put wood over the bottom of the coop door to keep them from falling out until they get some wing feathers while still being big enough to let the grown ones go through it.
hombre243
.30-06
I think todays' going to be a good day for chickens around here.
I believe our first chick is going to be a rooster. Mostly by his actions. He's pretty wild and rambunctious. And he's already starting to get some of his wing feathers despite not being a week old yet. Since we don't really want any more roosters, if it turns out that it is, we are going to give it to one of my buddies or maybe my Uncle if they want to make a coop for it.
In other news, we have two more trying to hatch as I type this.
And one of our neighbors has had a (free roaming) hen that she said we could have if we could catch it. But I had no desire of chasing them around, so I've been patient and she has been coming down to our coop when I feed them and has taken an interest in Kernel Sanders anyway, so today my wife said to keep our chickens in the coop and leave the runner door open so the hen can go inside on her own (which I admit was a really good idea) and sure enough, within an hour the white hen was in the coop and I snuck up behind her and closed the door. Since she's more of a salt and pepper color, I think I'm going to name her "sugar".
Here's a quick picture of her and the rooster. I think that love may be in the air (LOL).
I built one house for one chick and it cost me everything I had. She laid too many rotten eggs so I got rid of the chick and I am now living happily every after.
@aksavanaman I'm only just seeing this, great coop, I love the pic with your daughter! How are they liking it?
We aren't breeding any birds this year since having lost both our prized blue coppers. We have a couple more roosters, and we still have black copper hens, but we aren't interested in hatching anything from them again. We've had only limited success with the black coppers.
I know I read someone saying once they're done laying they'll be eaten. That's always been my plan too, until we recently had 5 birds processed. The 5 were all around two years old. They laid eggs infrequently or were slow to get back to laying after a molt or after the snow and sub freezing weather moved out.
They're the toughest 5 birds we've ever tried to eat. All our birds free range. We have a coop but its only used for laying eggs. They don't even sleep in it. So they're out all day and night. They dodge hawks and whatever predators are around. The one big rooster even ran a hawk off as it came down low to grab one of the hens.
I suppose that's what they're very tough and dry. They would have to go in a crock pot all day or a pressure cooker.
Anyone have any recommendations for cooking the older tougher birds? Recipes?
Here are the blue coppers we've lost;
I've been told the birds weren't exactly correct, a couple issues with feathering, too much copper on the rooster (though we were told his father didn't have enough) and a couple people have said the shape of his chest is wrong.
I don't really care, we never showed them and I've never sold a bird or egg. We've hatched birds for other people, but we give everything away. We constantly give eggs away, to church, to the soup kitchen, to friends, to anyone who needs them.
I think we gave away three dozen last week alone.
We give egg laying chickens away too just to be helpful to others trying to start their own flocks.
We've been given so much, and we're so richly blessed, I can't see asking money for anything. We enjoy watching the chickens in the yard, it's relaxing, we have a good supply of fresh eggs. We also thoroughly enjoy giving away whatever we're able. The point is I don't really care about the critique by others of my birds.
We aren't breeding any birds this year since having lost both our prized blue coppers. We have a couple more roosters, and we still have black copper hens, but we aren't interested in hatching anything from them again. We've had only limited success with the black coppers.
I know I read someone saying once they're done laying they'll be eaten. That's always been my plan too, until we recently had 5 birds processed. The 5 were all around two years old. They laid eggs infrequently or were slow to get back to laying after a molt or after the snow and sub freezing weather moved out.
They're the toughest 5 birds we've ever tried to eat. All our birds free range. We have a coop but its only used for laying eggs. They don't even sleep in it. So they're out all day and night. They dodge hawks and whatever predators are around. The one big rooster even ran a hawk off as it came down low to grab one of the hens.
I suppose that's what they're very tough and dry. They would have to go in a crock pot all day or a pressure cooker.
Anyone have any recommendations for cooking the older tougher birds? Recipes?
Here are the blue coppers we've lost;
I've been told the birds weren't exactly correct, a couple issues with feathering, too much copper on the rooster (though we were told his father didn't have enough) and a couple people have said the shape of his chest is wrong.
I don't really care, we never showed them and I've never sold a bird or egg. We've hatched birds for other people, but we give everything away. We constantly give eggs away, to church, to the soup kitchen, to friends, to anyone who needs them.
I think we gave away three dozen last week alone.
We give egg laying chickens away too just to be helpful to others trying to start their own flocks.
We've been given so much, and we're so richly blessed, I can't see asking money for anything. We enjoy watching the chickens in the yard, it's relaxing, we have a good supply of fresh eggs. We also thoroughly enjoy giving away whatever we're able. The point is I don't really care about the critique by others of my birds.
hombre243
.30-06
I pressure can when i process chickens. The jars go on the shelf and wait patiently to be used for chicken and noodles, or soups. I usually do a quart or two of broth, to be used for cooking with. Mine have all generally been on the lean side, so not a whole lot of meat to work with on just one chicken.
Pickled eggs anyone?
I often save juice from pickles, and soak boiled eggs in it for a few days, I've not been eating many pickles lately so decided to try making my own pickle. Just browsed the net and found a recipe for refrigerator pickles. Made up the pickle and poured it over eggs instead of cucumbers. I've never done this before so no idea how it will turn out. I'll get back here in a week or so and if its satisfactory I'll post a link, or the recipe. I don't follow directions well though. So my measurements (or lack thereof) wouldn't match whats posted.
My Grandmother sold pickled eggs in her store when I was growing up. They went real good with sandwiches and stuff for lunch.
Or even by theirself.
She would just put the (obviously shelled) boiled eggs in the pickle juice from the pickled weinies and do it that way instead of (cucumber) pickle juice.
They're really good.
Fishers brand red hots (the pickled eggs are not hot at all and are rather tasty)
Or even by theirself.
She would just put the (obviously shelled) boiled eggs in the pickle juice from the pickled weinies and do it that way instead of (cucumber) pickle juice.
They're really good.
Fishers brand red hots (the pickled eggs are not hot at all and are rather tasty)