We may officially be homesteaders after tonight

[Hellion_1]

Nope

Killed three more tonight, so we are down to just hens now. We got another egg today.

How old where your roosters? I have 9 hens and 3 Roosters, and am wanting to slaughter the roosters. Not sure on how old they need to be. Mine are like 18 weeks old. Getting mean too!

Also on a side note, if you want another source of info, try the Foxfire book series. They will instruct you on anything from Canning, log home building, and maple syrup production.

 

[csaws]

Thanks Hellion we'll look into the books.

Ours we killed were bought in early March (20 weeks) and early April (about 16 weeks). We killed three of the twenty weekers and one sixteen weeker.

We ate one tonight as crock pot chicken and it wouldn't have stayed on the bone if it had to the meat was shredding just trying to get it out of the pot. I think the only thing that would make it better would be bacon wrapped around it.

As a side note we have now gotten six eggs from the hen(s) since Thursday.

We also canned 21 pint jars of pickles. We also froze about 5 bags of corn and three bags of Okra.

We are gonna start planting cold crops soon since the storms took out or corn we pulled it all and tilled the space for peas, more green beans and whatever else she feels like planting.

 

[agentl074]

Roosters have balls man We had some mean roosters....

 

[techres]

My wife is talking about getting some chickens for our back yard! We would need to fix up the fence, but I think she is serious as she has already been checking on the related city ordinances...

She has come so far.

 

[csaws]

We have been looking at fence and I think a 7x7 dog run like the one at rural king is the best deal. FYI.

 

[csaws]

Hellion have you ever checked out the foxfire magazine? Is it any good?

 

[Pale Rider]

Your avatar made me think of this, as a side note if ya don't already know rooster testicles are nearly the size of human males...fyi only.

and fruit flies have bigger sperm than just about any creature on earth... so big they only shoot one at a time... a have a power point I did for genetics class buried somewhere if anyone is interested

 

[Jed]

When I was in Boy Scouts we once had a contest. They threw a chicken over the fence with 4 boy scouts inside... two had pieces of string, one had a hatchet, and the others job was to catch the chicken.
We caught ours in just a few seconds... one string went around its feet and the other around its neck... then the axe came down hard and fast removing its head. It took us about 40 seconds to catch and kill the chicken... of course we had to clean it and pluck it {after a dip in boiling water} all in all the whole process was less than 5 min. We won the contest but not by much.
I can't imagine what you were doing for an hour and a half!!!

 

[jennybird]

Oh, I get it...You guys don't like flavor in your beef.

I DO!!!

and fruit flies have bigger sperm than just about any creature on earth... so big they only shoot one at a time... a have a power point I did for genetics class buried somewhere if anyone is interested

Oh goody. We like it when you share.

 

[csaws]

When I was in Boy Scouts we once had a contest. They threw a chicken over the fence with 4 boy scouts inside... two had pieces of string, one had a hatchet, and the others job was to catch the chicken.
We caught ours in just a few seconds... one string went around its feet and the other around its neck... then the axe came down hard and fast removing its head. It took us about 40 seconds to catch and kill the chicken... of course we had to clean it and pluck it {after a dip in boiling water} all in all the whole process was less than 5 min. We won the contest but not by much.
I can't imagine what you were doing for an hour and a half!!!

Being very careful not to f' up something I had never done before, and using all of my life lines... called father in law twice and was reading a book for directions. Oh yeah and I plucked all the feathers without boiling water dunk. It was a learning experience and the next night I did it in twenty minutes.

BTW I was the only one I didn't have a team...lmao.

 

[Mr.Hoppes]

Being very careful not to f' up something I had never done before, and using all of my life lines... called father in law twice and was reading a book for directions. Oh yeah and I plucked all the feathers without boiling water dunk. It was a learning experience and the next night I did it in twenty minutes.

BTW I was the only one I didn't have a team...lmao.

After boil plucking, we decided to dry pluck, seems easier ( TO ME ).
We are getting near that time again, rooster thinning time. I have my two senior roo's who will stay, but the rest of them are going to the deep freeze.
Homesteadingtoday.com is a good messgae board with lots of info and practical solutions to HSing difficulties. BTW eggs left out without being cleaned are good for a long time on the shelf. Ours go 10-14 days without refrigeration if kept as found. The washing removes a protective coating. There are float tests and candle tests to see if embro is formed. Youtube has videos I am sure.. LOL

 

[csaws]

rep'd for egg info, Thanks

 

[Mr.Hoppes]

Egg test video

YouTube - Holland Farm Presents: How to Test an Egg's Freshness.