Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[Suechooks]

Yum yum!

Well we ate the first of our home-reared Hubbards yesterday! Delicious! I did have a few qualms deciding which ones to take for slaughter but ....... I got over it.
I think it was easier to take them to be "done" than having to do it myself - couldn't anyway but will definitely be rearing some more in the new year.

[RichmondHens]

Glad to hear he tasted good. We did the last two of the "middle batch" on Saturday, both of which my mother grabbed for her freezer when she visited yesterday!! Just six more to go who are a little younger and will be done end of Jan. I had 13 boys in the "middle" enclosure, it's very empty and quiet now. However it's good that they're gone as I need to use their house. The indian game shed got flooded on Fri/Sat (leaking roof) and I need to get the birds out of there as it's too damp for them and also so the roof can be mended. Now they can go in the house the cocks have vacated.

[Suechooks]

Its the first home-reared one for about thirty-odd years! I'd almost forgotten how good they taste though I have been buying some truly free-range birds for a while now.

[petal]

Well, its the big turkeys day today, he is 18 month old heritage breed(according to an american friend the prime age for killing but rarely done due to expense in rearing) i did um and ah over this one but he is the wrong breed for our norfolk black and has rearly wonky feet which passed on to one of his off spring this year- so....Cooking has to be slightly more careful with an older stag- brine and steam in apple juice i'm told- and legs will have to be coq au vin separately. Neighbour will be round any minute now with his gun.......i figured the broomstick method might not work.........

[RichmondHens]

Hope he goes quietly ......... but I think you are right to shoot him to make sure of a clean kill with such a big bird. We shot one of our bantam cocks (who had a chronic foot problem) as he was a pet and my husband said he didn't feel right doing him the normal way. I held him in my arms with his head away from me and we did it at night so he was dozy and it was all very quick. He was a white araucana cross, beautiful bird, and when we knew he was not going to get better we put him in with two cream legbar hens while he was still fit enough to tread them and we got four offspring, one cock three pullets. The cock is his spitting image except colour with the same jaunty attitude. I am now waiting for his daughters to start producing blue/green eggs!

[Nicos]

I'd be interested in hearing his dressed weight petal!

We used to get our Xmas meat from a specialized ( read 'expensive' there) many moons ago- and he had quite an elderly turkey which was utterly enormous- he could look over the stable door . I'd no idea they could get that tall!

(For our geese- we put a sock over their head before we chopped their heads off. They were really calm and clearly had no idea what was going to happen)

[petal]

Well, the deed is done and it was a very quick dispatch. He is plucked and hanging in chiller - I could barely lift him!!! I want a gun, it would be really useful for muscovies, which are a devil to kill.

[polo]

Well, today mini Polo and I dressed our christmas turkey! We got our turkey from a friend with a smallholding and when the offer of learning how to dress came through we were there like a shot. We did 7 turkey's all together (I did 2 and a half) and it was brill learning on the job so to speak.

All I need now is more space......

Polo

[petal]

Well, the turkey weighed in at 10kg dressed. and it was delicious, tender - we have vowed to always 'grow your own' from now on! Quite fancy raising a couple of geese next year.

[Corris]

Where do you get the little ones from to bring on?

[bearded bloke]

Sort of "fenced" in the rough ground between the chook run & the fruit cage (with a pallet wall held together with baler twine),giving them a bit more area to range about in





They are......

Middle right .... Colonel Sanders (bossy boots)

Top ............... Kentucky

Middle Left ...... Captain Beaky

Front ............. Miss Norway (lovely plumage)

[petal]

Where do you get the little ones from to bring on?

turkeys we breed ourselves-our buff orpington happily raises the poults! geese we will buy in some eggs to hatch in our incubator.
bearded bloke- they look lovely chickens and I love their names!

[Glutton4...]

We're having to set aside some 'prep' time this week; my Orps will be 29 weeks on Thursday, one of the boys has started crowing (well, He thinks he's crowing lol), and another one decided to attack me through the fence today. Bloomin' cheek, as I was only going in to feed them. The ungrateful little wotsits can now feed me!

[petal]

thats their lot then!
I am having a dilemma here- my teenage son has announced he is going to be an 'ethical' vegetarian- ok- i am trying to fit this in with our living on a smallholding- i have been looking at his protein replacements which all involve extensive air miles - not in line with our eco thinking- any suggestions/ and soya is so out of the question! (we are talking extremely annoying teenager that keeps finding various methods to irritate us!!!!!) I have also pointed out to him that milk is a big no no- calf shot for mothers milk as it has no value as veal etc......should I also point out that his fashion shoes are made of leather.....?

[Suechooks]

Buy him a goat and a walnut tree for his next birthday!