[Food] Production - Poultry (was Backyard Chickens)

[Ebyss]

Ducks are one of the finest birds to eat, my personal favourite. I don't cook much duck, it's expensive to buy, but I plan to in the future when the farm is up and running. If you can, go to a good chinese restaurant and have crispy roast duck. Delicious!

Recipes.. well, I'll have a good look through my books. Tbh, I think duck is a tricky bird to cook well, but my God is it worth it. (I'm not a fan of game type meats, too sweet and "gamey" (lol ) for me, but duck's not at all like that).

[Ludi]

They average one egg per day during peak laying period in spring and early summer, tapering off during fall and winter, and gradually laying fewer as they age. Well kept home chickens will lay for five years, commercial chickens are usually "retired" after a year and a half, I believe.

[Ludi]

We actually split the flock when we got 100 one year because the higher order were actually causing bloodloss and even a few deaths on the low end of the pecking order.

Natural flock size is much smaller, around 25 or fewer to each flock.

If you get picking bad enough to cause fatality, the birds are too crowded.

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

A coop with lop sided chickens would be another source of entertainment too! if you cut all the flight feathers it has the same effect but not the entertainment value!

[katkinkate]

You cruel bastards!

[Tanada]

A coop with lop sided chickens would be another source of entertainment too! if you cut all the flight feathers it has the same effect but not the entertainment value!

I dunno if I can agree to that, I have seen a duck with all its flight feathers trimmed evenly manage to escape a 6 foot fence. He wasn't able to fly far mind you, but he did clear the fence before he came back down.

When they are lopsided they never get more than a couple feet up before they come back down.

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

I stand corrected. Gonna have to try it too. I can see how that would work better. too funny!

[CarlinsDarlin]

I found another potential source of customers for my eggs - the local hospital. I have two relatives who work there currently, and one has offered to not only ask if other employees would like to buy eggs, but post a sign on the employee bulletin board for those who might work other shifts. I'm hoping I'll end up with some regular customers this way. My relative (aunt) lives about a half mile from here, and said she'll even take orders for eggs and deliver them to the hospital for me . I've got feelers out with others too. Trying to improve my marketing before the babies all start laying at once, burying me under eggs .
Kathy

[Pops]

Which of course brings us to storing eggs.

Waterglass can be used if you have a stable cool place. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9684/egg.html

Personally I like boiled then pickled eggs.


BTW, there is quite a bit of pigweed (?) coming up with the ryegrass on the garden plot and I’ve been moving the pen daily across it. The birds love the pigweed and clip the ryegrass down from about 18” to 3 or 4 in a day. After I move the pen the weeds are gone and the rye comes back stronger than ever – and I’m feeding lots less grain.

[Tanada]

Don't forget if need be eggs will keep 18 days at room temperature, so long as they have not been refridgerated. That is how a hen can lay a nest full of eggs before sitting on them to hatch a whole brood at once.

[smallpoxgirl]

Don't forget if need be eggs will keep 18 days at room temperature, so long as they have not been refridgerated. That is how a hen can lay a nest full of eggs before sitting on them to hatch a whole brood at once.

They'll store at room temp a lot longer than that. I almost never put mine in the fridge. Have kept um for months that way. After a while they'll dry out and kinda shrink inside. You can prevent that by rubbing a little vegetable oil on the shell.

[Tanada]

Don't forget if need be eggs will keep 18 days at room temperature, so long as they have not been refridgerated. That is how a hen can lay a nest full of eggs before sitting on them to hatch a whole brood at once.

They'll store at room temp a lot longer than that. I almost never put mine in the fridge. Have kept um for months that way. After a while they'll dry out and kinda shrink inside. You can prevent that by rubbing a little vegetable oil on the shell.

How do you keep them from getting infected by decay bacteria for so long?

[smallpoxgirl]

How do you keep them from getting infected by decay bacteria for so long?

Haven't found that to be a particular problem. I mean they're designed to sit under a chicken's butt for a couple of months without spoiling.

[CarlinsDarlin]

Thanks for the great storage tips everyone! These have all been most helpful. I'll have to try several starting tomorrow unless I end up with a customer or two lol. The ladies are certainly producing enough to pay for their food these days (I have 12 doz ready to sell now) - but the customers have slowed for some reason. My guess is because it's warmer weather, and many people don't like big breakfasts when its warm.

Since we can store a bunch... Anyone got good marketing advice? I dont mind storing them, but I dont want them to take over lol. I'll have 59 hens old enough to lay by the end of July or the beginning of August. I need to sell a LOT of eggs .
Kathy

[Tanada]

Thanks for the great storage tips everyone! These have all been most helpful. I'll have to try several starting tomorrow unless I end up with a customer or two lol. The ladies are certainly producing enough to pay for their food these days (I have 12 doz ready to sell now) - but the customers have slowed for some reason. My guess is because it's warmer weather, and many people don't like big breakfasts when its warm.

Since we can store a bunch... Anyone got good marketing advice? I dont mind storing them, but I dont want them to take over lol. I'll have 59 hens old enough to lay by the end of July or the beginning of August. I need to sell a LOT of eggs .
Kathy

Best idea I can come up with, get ahold of the local Salvation Army or homeless kitchen and donate any eggs that get to be too old for sale, at the same time they will be encouraged to get the word out for you. Also look for a local flea market/farmers market where you can spread the word. In the fall talk to the local person in charge of the school cafeteria and talk up 'organic eggs' for the school food programs.

[FarmCat]

I don't know anything about chickens firsthand YET, but here's an interesting factoid that I read in a book from my library. Chickens lay one egg approximately every 25 hours. Each day the egg arrives an hour later. They keep this up until the egg would arrive after dark, and then they take a day off. The theory is that this sequence clues a bird in as to when they have laid enough eggs to start brooding their clutch.

[CarlinsDarlin]

Tanada,
Thanks for the suggestions. I especially like the idea of selling to schools - one school in particular. My graduating class at my high school had 24 people - the largest in the history of the school to that time . It's a charming little country school where my nephew is now attending ABC Preschool. I'll give them a call tomorrow, to see if they'd be interested for the fall. (School's still in session till the end of this week).

FarmCat,
Interesting! Thanks for sharing .

Today I got another one of those goose-egg-sized eggs from one of my White Leghorns. That's the second one in as many weeks. The egg is literally so big I could not fit it into a Jumbo egg carton. I wish I knew which hen was laying those - I'd make sure I let some broody hen sit on a few and make sure that hen didnt end up in a stew pot when I cull them out later this year .

Kathy

[Tanada]

Tanada,
Thanks for the suggestions. I especially like the idea of selling to schools - one school in particular. My graduating class at my high school had 24 people - the largest in the history of the school to that time . It's a charming little country school where my nephew is now attending ABC Preschool. I'll give them a call tomorrow, to see if they'd be interested for the fall. (School's still in session till the end of this week).

FarmCat,
Interesting! Thanks for sharing .

Today I got another one of those goose-egg-sized eggs from one of my White Leghorns. That's the second one in as many weeks. The egg is literally so big I could not fit it into a Jumbo egg carton. I wish I knew which hen was laying those - I'd make sure I let some broody hen sit on a few and make sure that hen didnt end up in a stew pot when I cull them out later this year .

Kathy

I will bet you a virtual buck it is a double yolker!

We used to get then fairly often, we ate them ourselves because some people are freaked out by them. In essence one of your hens is making siamese eggs, if it were fertilized and allowed to proceed to hatching it would probably be deformed and/or a two headed chick.

Crack a few of the big ones to check before you decide she is a prime hen.

[smallpoxgirl]

In essence one of your hens is making siamese eggs, if it were fertilized and allowed to proceed to hatching it would probably be deformed and/or a two headed chick.

Crack a few of the big ones to check before you decide she is a prime hen.

Am I missing something? Think about what people would pay for two headed chickens!

[CarlinsDarlin]

Think about what people would pay for two headed chickens!

Smallpoxgirl,
(.. .as I clean the iced tea off the computer screen...) I literally laughed out loud when I read that I'm sure my husband thinks I'm nuts, now lol. Thanks.

Tanada,
Thanks for the good advice. I had thought they might be double yolkers, but it never occured to me that chicks from the eggs might be deformed.
Kathy