Recent content by MJWarner

What began 3 years ago as a small backyard flock of chickens has laughingly grown into what I call my chicken operation. It began with somewhere around 11-13 girls and one rooster, Carson, (more on him later), and I currently have 27 laying hens. Then there are the 3 roosters, Carson (be...

Has anyone suggested Stoney Gemma Crystal Diamond

Mine is dusty white. More accurately, white with a heavy coating of coop dust.

Thanks everyone for your input. I will ice the birds, then stick them on my pvc drying contraption (copied from a design via utube "living traditions homestead" channel... I am not smart enough to have come up with that on my own.) Then dab with clean towel to dry after dripping stops, and bag &...

I'm planning on setting them up to drain in a "beercan" chicken orientation, until no liquid is drip/draining from them before I bag, hopefully this will help. If I still end up with a puddle inside, I can chalk it up as a learning experience, cut off the bags, dry the birds, and redo the bag...

Very helpful, thanks!

We are getting set to process our first time, 3 roos that were hatched and raised by broodys this past year. Feeling confident about everything in the process, bar one item. After the gutting and such, our plan is to chill them in ice and a bit of water, cavities packed in ice, for about an...

So Mary's eggs failed to pip, and I removed all but three, because there was just no getting her to quit. And I really didn't want her first attempt to end in failure. That's when we hatched our own plan. Friday is when our local Rural King receives new chicks, we went late Friday, around 7 pm...

Well, placed Mary, eggs/nest, food and water into dog cage for lockdown. Mostly so that chicks don't get crushed by our other hens entering her box to lay their eggs. They have been doing this every day since Mary got her original clutch. Initially Mary was left/right pacing against the bars...

RIP little Scotch Tape. Mary must have shifted late afternoon yesterday, and the weight was too much. His shell cracked longways, and he bled out. I cleaned up Mary's nest, and placed her back. She hadn't gone willingly on her own, and I was thinking that the messy egg may have broke her brood...

This morning, Mary was as ever predictable with her daily routine. But at 12:45, she threw me a curve ball when I discovered her off her nest for a second time, and scratching around the yard, frolicking with the other hens, and just enjoying life. "Wait Lady, you got work to do!" As I have a...

I'm actually concerned that Mary's weight may cause the egg to crack and break, but I think I've done what I can to give him/her a chance.

August 5th. -ish. (I know it's a tad variable, in most cases)

Well, the drama never ends. When Mary left her nest this morning, I ran out with the newly arrived ovascope to candle all her eggs. I found our barred rock, Rosemund, in Mary's nest, so I reached in, extracted her, and put her into another nest. Apparently, as I lifted her out, one of her claws...

Normally, I am a person who would bristle at even the thought of needing to have "my hand held" to learn new skills, or travel outside my known comfort zone. But I can not state how wonderful the members of this forum are, how reassuring and comforting it is to know that I have mentors right...