Learned something new today that helps stock the freezer
#51
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Outer Space
Posts: 9,319
Originally Posted by Rachelcb80
Originally Posted by Candace
My mother has about 15-20 cows and they slaughter several every year. I could do this (send them off, they're way too big). But if I had just one cow, I know I'd bond to it and wouldn't be able to do it...same as the chickens. If I had a whole flock it would be o.k. to cull the group, but since I only have 2 you begin to notice personality traits etc. I think that's the key to NOT having an emotional attachment. If you have enough of them around, and don't name them or treat them as pets you don't get emotionally attached.
#52
Originally Posted by Candace
I have Lucky(because my dog bit her as a chick and she lived) and Alice. Alice, I wouldn't have such a hard time culling. She's a brat. But, we pick them up to pet and play with. With meat birds on acreage, I'd be like you and not get close. Do you also collect their eggs? I'm assuming you only let a certain amount incubate or stay with the mothers? What breed of bird do you raise?
Broody and Broonella are annoying and I almost added them to the freezer batch yesterday, but something told me just to leave them. They are constanly broody and will fight you like crazy when you're trying to get the eggs. They're loud too. But they have character and don't take much feed to keep. :)
#55
Originally Posted by ceegee
My friend has chickens and she shares her eggs with me. She has a chicken that lays green eggs. Now I know where the idea for "Green Eggs and Ham" came from
ceegee
ceegee
#56
Originally Posted by JS
If I raised any kind of animal I could not eventually kill it or eat it. Guess I would not make a good farmer.
My husband and son have named them "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday"
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#58
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Outer Space
Posts: 9,319
Originally Posted by Rachelcb80
Originally Posted by Candace
I have Lucky(because my dog bit her as a chick and she lived) and Alice. Alice, I wouldn't have such a hard time culling. She's a brat. But, we pick them up to pet and play with. With meat birds on acreage, I'd be like you and not get close. Do you also collect their eggs? I'm assuming you only let a certain amount incubate or stay with the mothers? What breed of bird do you raise?
Broody and Broonella are annoying and I almost added them to the freezer batch yesterday, but something told me just to leave them. They are constanly broody and will fight you like crazy when you're trying to get the eggs. They're loud too. But they have character and don't take much feed to keep. :)
#59
Originally Posted by quiltnchik
Originally Posted by JS
If I raised any kind of animal I could not eventually kill it or eat it. Guess I would not make a good farmer.
I'm also an animal lover like none other, and that's why I'm able to raise my own animals for food. The living conditions and treatment of commercially raised animals is horrible. They're (the animals) giving the biggest sacrifice in the end for us, I think we owe it to them to give them the best we can while they're here.
#60
Originally Posted by Candace
My R.R. Alice likes to charge me when I walk around and will sometimes peck at my legs. So, I have to show her who's boss. She could go into the soup pot and I wouldn't cry. They're less than a year old but produce an egg every day! You're right they're not broody at all. I've got a Chickens for Dummies Book that highlights all the breeds. We picked R.R. because of the amount of eggs they produce. There are other breeds that grow bigger, quicker that are best for meat. I've never seen the B.O. here that you're talking about. I think we may add one or two more to the flock but we have a tad under 1/2 acre so we can't go crazy. I wish we weren't attached because when they get to be 10 years old and not producing, we're going to miss the eggs for sure!
In the warmer months I get an egg a day from each hen. That's 56 eggs a week! I definitely have a surplus in the spring and summer. But they're starting to lay about an egg every other day now, so 4 or 5 eggs is what I'm getting now. I've been known to run out of eggs in the winter. We're a family of 5 so it takes quite a few eggs for breakfast. :)
Buff Orpington rooster on right
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