# Chick/chicken Update.



## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

And today after I pulled the dead half off.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Thanks for the update. You are a brave soul to do all the butchering. I just don't think I would have the stomach for it. I am so glad your pretty polish girl survived whatever happened to her toe. It must have been very worrisome along the way.

My ladies are three months old as of Tuesday. This is our first weekend of cold weather coming. There may be a dusting of snow tonight. I switched their waterer to a galvanized one with a heater base under it. They were all tucked in already when I got home. It gets dark too early now.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> Thanks for the update. You are a brave soul to do all the butchering. I just don't think I would have the stomach for it. I am so glad your pretty polish girl survived whatever happened to her toe. It must have been very worrisome along the way.
> 
> 
> 
> My ladies are three months old as of Tuesday. This is our first weekend of cold weather coming. There may be a dusting of snow tonight. I switched their waterer to a galvanized one with a heater base under it. They were all tucked in already when I got home. It gets dark too early now.



Thank you ?, I really don't think it is all that gross (as long as you know how to process with out puncturing the colon ?) but I guess I can see how the blood and guts would Ick someone out ?. 

Wow, snow already! I guess that makes sense where you live. We have just barely started getting cold whether, and by cold I mean 68-70 one day the next day back into the 80's, so nothing near how cold you are. I am sure your girls will do good in the cold, they are a good cold hardy breed especially with those cheek poofs (do they have beards too?) and pea combs. Are you adding in scratch to their food portion during the winter? That's what I used to do but now I just do it all the time to save on feed costs.


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## jenniferandtonks (Nov 17, 2014)

ours get sent to the deed-doer guy. actually, it's not just a guy but a whole assembly line operation on a mennonite farm, it's mostly college-aged kids, each one has their own station and they have the fancier equipment than what would be practical for what mom and i will realistically eat in a year (though, may grow out a few extras if we decide to go to raw diet when we get a dog again). it's about $3 per bird to have them done as a "whole bird". the turn around time is pretty quick as well. definitely well worth it for us in the convenience it affords. when we know we're taking boys in, we pull them before the others get fed to help ensure things are cleaner if there is an oops!. prior to my head-whammy incident, i could probably have handled the parts other than the kill, that's the part that does me in the most esp. if it doesn't go right on the first try. i know that hesitation would also increase the odds of it not going right.

eta- jealous of your white crested blue. would love to have some some day but can't have all the things at once and i'm committed to my lavender orpington project. though, we do keep some assorted hens in the table eggs only pen(s) so might be able to sneak in a few at some point.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Wish we had one of them deed doer guys! That would be nice. Even though it is a lot of work I don't mind doing it. A plucker machine would be nice though. That is the worst and most time consuming part! 

I really do like the WCB Polish, I didn't care what color polish I got as long as I got some female ones that didn't die! I have been trying forever to get a polish! I have to admit that I do like the golden laced ones a bit more, I think they are prettier and have better topknots. I'm sure you could squeeze a WCB polish in your flock somewhere . Lavender Orpington's!! Awesome! Do you have any pictures of them I would love to see some. I have always dreamed getting one or two of those. But at $36 per female chick they have not made it into my shopping cart yet ?.


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## jenniferandtonks (Nov 17, 2014)

i about died when i saw the $36/ chick price tag on the lavenders when looking on one of the hatchery sites. with the lavenders, it's best to get from a breeder. i got my chicks from the gal who is reported to be the developer of the color for $6/ chick straight run though, we did have to pick them up. the timing worked out okay because i was able to combine the trip with picking up my next stud bunny. so, instead of 3 hrs. up and back from each, we did 3 hrs. up, 1 hr. over, and 3 hrs. back. 3 hrs. with your hand in the box to keep the chicks quiet is a long time but worth it. there are a handful of orpington groups on facebook where you can find someone close to you with orps of all kinds of colors. you may also be able to get hooked up with some for a more reasonable price if someone in your area runs a poultry swap. we're lucky to have a farm that hosts one twice a year that's about 1/2 hr. up the road. i may be able to pick up some nice polish there when i'm ready... one of our australorp hens is 4 1/2 y.o. otoh, we're inheriting 5 auracauna hens and their chicken tractor from a friend who can no longer care for them in a few minutes (mom called to say they were on the road).

here's the facebook page i have that has photos of my lavenders (i posted most of the black split pics from this summer on my personal page and haven't transferred any to the poultry page): https://www.facebook.com/SilkenTreasuresFeathers


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

They are very pretty! Thanks for sharing the link.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

I love your chickens! I too have processed many a chicken in my day (when I lived with my parents). It's a lifestyle thing. If we eat meat, someone somewhere does it, might as well be us doing it in a humane way after a happy chicken life.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you. Yes even though it is a lot of work I do prefer knowing where my food came from, that is was treated well, and thanked for its sacrifice. And the taste is awesome! Way better than the salt and dyed filled meat you get from the store. Unfortunately the one I kept is no longer walking and we are gonna butcher her today. She has had a nice few days though, she has been inside and been given plenty of love and goodies.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I meant to say earlier that it isn't blood and guts that would bother me. Like the pictures of the toe injury and the fallen off necrotic piece were no big deal to me to look at. I also do plenty of dissecting with my students. What I would not be able to do is cut the heads off animals to whom I had given names and raised from hatching. I guess when you have broilers and you know they are going to "move on" in eight weeks you don't get so attached to them.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> I meant to say earlier that it isn't blood and guts that would bother me. Like the pictures of the toe injury and the fallen off necrotic piece were no big deal to me to look at. I also do plenty of dissecting with my students. What I would not be able to do is cut the heads off animals to whom I had given names and raised from hatching. I guess when you have broilers and you know they are going to "move on" in eight weeks you don't get so attached to them.



Yes I think it is different with the broilers.Like you said you don't get attached that much. Also it's easier because you can tell if they continue on to long they will be miserable and in pain like the hen I am doing today. Now if it were one of my layers, HELL NO! I could not and would not do it. Heck one time someone left the gate open and our hens got out in the front yard. Most of them just stayed there but one wandered around the neighborhood and got attacked by a dog/dogs. She was alive but her leg had been ripped almost off and there was a puncture into her body cavity. I could not kill her myself and ended up taking her to the vet to be put to sleep.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

WOW! That Polish Lace is gorgeous! I'm very familiar with birds losing toes! In my Cockatiel and Parakeet aviaries it was very common, as when you get an aggressive bird in the aviary, they would usually go for other bird's feet, so many times I had to 'quick stop' toes and if the wound was bad the toe just fell off!! Had a few two or three toed birds!!! As long as they could perch they were fine! I would usually have to get rid of the offender if I knew who it was because lots of times that same bird would be responsible for pecking new fledglings to death!!! Bird Wars!!!!!UGH!


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