Scotty, get your poultry queen self in here

[creepyeyeball]

I'm obsessed with our new chickens. Like, I could watch them peck and scratch all day long. I'm scared I'm going to end up a crazy chicken lady.

We have six 2yo hens - 4 reds and 2 barred rocks. We're getting three eggs a day consistently. Is that good for 2 yos?

We're going to get more at the end of the week. The friend also has golden comet pullets, so we're thinking about getting two of those and maybe two more of the older hens. We have space for 12 comfortably.

What are your favorite breeds? Do you like raising ducks as much? Tell me all about ducks - do you raise them for eggs or just meat? Do you have a pond?

[scotty138]

First: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll187f27Pxg

If your chickens have been moved from the coop they are used to it may take a while for egg production to return. 3 eggs a day isn't bad for 6 hens, but it might get better as they adjust. My 2 year old hens do not lay in the winter so I try to get a few new chicks each year.

My reds are really good layers. My best egg layer is a white leghorn. She has laid an extra large egg almost every day since I got her 3 years ago, even in the winter. My friendliest chicken is a black sex-link. I have 12 different breeds right now and love them all for different reasons.

Ducks are messy. We started out with 15 and butchered 7 for meat. 8 is too many but now they have names and I can't butcher them. We usually get 6 eggs a day from the 7 females. They have a kiddy pool in their run to swim in. 1-2 ducks would be ideal and they get along with chickens really well. Duck eggs are very big and great for baking. 2 duck eggs = 3 chicken eggs. I love my ducks, just not the water mess.

[creepyeyeball]

My kids already named them. Big mistake. And I have a fondness for the two BRs named Rocksteady and Beebop. Butchering them will be hard one day!!

Do you do your own butchering?

[scotty138]

We grow 25 Cornish X every summer to butcher. DH does the actual butchering and I help pluck and package. DH did the ducks himself but had a hard time emotionally with that. This year we have 6 turkeys and we will take them somewhere for butchering because of their size. We feed all organic feed and try to cut costs elsewhere when possible.

[jags8]

I don't touch any of the birds (or any other animal) that DH hunts until they no longer look like a living creature. If meat didn't taste so good, I would be a vegetarian. Creeps me out to know I'm eating something that once had a heartbeat.

[creepyeyeball]

Aug 9, 2016 19:59:39 GMT -5 jags8 said:

I don't touch any of the birds (or any other animal) that DH hunts until they no longer look like a living creature. If meat didn't taste so good, I would be a vegetarian. Creeps me out to know I'm eating something that once had a heartbeat.

I'll never forget the first time DH went hunting and brought home s bunch of squirrels in a pot. He handed to me like, here you go. Uh uh. You make it look like something I can buy in the store and then I'll cook it for you.

I've come a long way in a decade. That's for sure!!

[creepyeyeball]

Aug 9, 2016 19:44:00 GMT -5 scotty138 said:

We grow 25 Cornish X every summer to butcher. DH does the actual butchering and I help pluck and package. DH did the ducks himself but had a hard time emotionally with that. This year we have 6 turkeys and we will take them somewhere for butchering because of their size. We feed all organic feed and try to cut costs elsewhere when possible.

I'm doing organic feed too. I calculated my eggs are costing me $3.90/dozen right now. Feed is expensive. Where do you get yours?

I will be doing our butchering. It's going to be so hard.