Bee~ Journal of then...

[Beekissed]

No such thing on this journal...there are no hi-jacks, just pleasant turns in the conversation! I like to have a sittin' on the front porch feel to my journal and your info was certainly in line with the current discussion. Even if it isn't, that's just the way conversations go sometimes and it relieves the boredom, doesn't it?

We had a similar discussion on my OT thread on BYC and concluded that no matter what the breed, extreme weather conditions shouldn't affect them and, if it does unto death, the bird probably already had underlying health problems...heart condition, liver or kidney failure, etc.

I've had a few birds drop off the roost in the middle of the night during a cold snap and if one just looked at that as the determining factor, they would think it was the cold. Upon further inspection, though, these birds had purple combs and wattles, indicating a probable heart condition. Upon opening them up, they did indeed have clots in the arteries around the heart. These were mostly Black Star hens from the hatchery and they were a little over a year old....I've never gotten the breed again.

For most any animal that dies under heat stress or just plain stress, it could simply mean they were in an impaired state anyway...sort of like the meat birds. They are born with chronic diarrhea and this pretty much continues throughout their lives. If those electrolytes are not replaced somehow, they are on a constant state of dehydration and muscle failure~including the heart~and any increased activity or increase in environmental stressors can tip them over the edge. Ever notice how much they drink compared to your other chickens? Just drinking the water isn't enough to replace those electrolytes. Could be why so many folks think it's quite common and acceptable to have a 5% - 15% mortality rate in their meat birds.

 

[Gypsi]

Well, I'm going with black australorps, (noting Bee's comments on the BO's) and between my friend and I we can order enough to get free shipping (she's taking 40, I am getting 10, or 35 and 15 if I get my other coop built by then.) I didn't get many eggs through the heat, except the last week of july when I cleaned all the wax moth larva out of the beehive and fed them to my hens. Got 6 eggs a day for 3 days. (that's before my other BR hen died). And I've got 3 americauna hens and one americauna roo that are too young to lay yet, so hopefully I'll do ok. And they will too. Everyone is moving in under the elm tree when the heat gets too hot, by then the new coop should be built and the gates on that lot built and secure. I have to secure it to keep the possums out of the bees anyway, I'll be trapping possums. Not sure what to do with them, but I sure have a boat load around here.

(I totally hijacked Bee's thread. I do have my own neglected journal page.. you sure you don't mind Bee?)

Gypsi

 

[Beekissed]

I love visitors!!! Keeps me from talking to myself and the dog.... I think the BAs are a great choice and one I'll be making when I get a newer flock going. You really can't beat them for a good backyard chicken....sweet, pretty, producing and hardy. Sometimes one will even go broody and make a fine mother.

 

[Gypsi]

Alright Bee, you're my mentor on this. I have my little red hens separate from my americaunas. Went out to feed and noticed Americaunas were all in the run, eating, while the bossy older hens were out. i've got the day off, no truck, decent weather and the dogs crated, and on order for 10 or 15 Black Australorps.

I do not have an enormously sharp knife, but I do have a really sharp box cutter. I saved a bleach bottle to make a killing cone, and I have a tree I can attach it to. I have freezer space but no pressure cooker, no canning jars. Have a 2 burner hot plate I can set up outdoors to boil water to make plucking easier. Going to find your instructions on how to process hens. I think I will exempt my barred rock, (even though she's loose). But the production reds aren't letting my young birds eat enough, and the young ones are close to point of lay.

Wish me luck. Or drop me a note with a link. I'll pop in here in a minute. Need to give my dogs a rest stop and take 2 or 3 branches off my young oak first.

Gypsi

 

[Beekissed]

Gypsi, I see where your processing went well! Congratulations! It gets easier the more you do it and pretty soon you'll be an old hand at it and nothing much will surprise you. I did note that you were still having some shell problems even though you are offering supplemental calcium. When my hens are that bad, I just put the oyster shell right in their daily layer ration and they manage to eat quite a bit of it. I also try to increase protein and will sometimes crack their older eggs right into their ration and stir it a little...best source of protein I can offer without buying something else, ya know?

If you have a meat grinder, you can rest those birds a few days, debone and put them right into the meat grinder and freeze the burger or use it right away in some recipe. It sure does keep the flavor from cooking out from the long, slow stewing one normally has to do with old birds. Fresh ground is already tenderized and can be just browned in a pan and used in stir fry, burritos, etc.

 

[Gypsi]

Well, bee, I don't have a grinder. I let them chill in water withacv in the fridge for 24 hours, then
Bagged and froze them. I have a crock pot and long work days coming. I froze them whole, so I. Figured
On just thawing one And putting it in crock with herbs and veggies before work on a long work day. Could
Add some wine or fruit juice . Will that help?

Gypsi

 

[Beekissed]

Sure will! And you could always can them! That makes for tender chicken too. I'll be waiting to see what you do and how they turned out.

I've even marinated and grilled some older gals in with some 5 mo. old roos and no one could really tell the difference except the size. It was all snatched up and eaten and I barely got a taste.... They were to die for, or so I was told....

 

[Beekissed]

Went a little crazy yesterday and decided to consider getting a partner for Jake. Going to be getting more chickens soon and, though I know Jake can guard them against any wild pred, he lacks the drive it takes to keep out his own kind...dogs. Lucy, who had to be put down last year, was my boss dog and Jake has always been her subordinate. I'd hoped he would get more aggressive in that area since she's been gone but he just ain't a dog fighter, he's a lover.

Called about a free to good home dog~as all of mine have been~and discussed his merits with his current owner. Of course, upon arriving at the house, I found that the owner had lied through her tooth....yes, literally, her tooth.

Well-behaved~jumped up on me as soon as I entered the home and continued to run in circles, barking and jumping uncontrollably though she tried ineffectually to tame him.
85 lbs but not overweight~the dog had to take three steps back and spraddle his legs to have a seat. He was a barrel with legs! I thought he would have a heart attack as he was "behaving" all over me.
Obedience School Grad~ Took him 4 mo. to graduate and he can only sit...sometimes.

Leash Trained...my 45 lb. niece can walk him with ease! I remembered this comment as the behemoth pulled me down the street and broke on of my fingernails in the process.

His name is Luke~ four years being called Luke and he never even turns his head when anyone, the owner or I, called his name. The dog wouldn't look in my eyes, avoided my gaze even when I tried to get him to focus on my face. The word "Luke" could have been "taxes" for all he noticed or cared.

Now, before you wonder why I'm so picky about a free dog, I'll just tell you that I have standards about my free stuff. It has to be something I can actually USE or I don't drag it home. This dog was useless to his owner and would have been the waste of a good bullet to me.

So...I think I'll just partner Jake up with the shotgun for now, as finding dogs like the dogs I've owned is a rare thing. The Bat had to eliminate a stray just the other day and I will continue to do so. Hate to get down to killing dogs but I won't tolerate the loss of money invested in birds. The only other recourse is electric netting, which may be in the offing if we can't keep the strays to a count of zero.

 

[Denim Deb]

I wouldn't take a dog like that either. I'm picky about free stuff too. It does me no good if I can't use it.

 

[Gypsi]

check shelters, and BE PICKY. But while my rott mix is occasionally a nuisance and often a klutz, I can leave him loose in the house and know he won't touch the cat chow. ( and I know he loves cat chow)

He has no interest in my hens, GREAT interest in possums. I pulled him off death row at 18 months, he didn't know sit, but he was house-broken. My german shepherd border collie helped me train him. When Bronx got out of hand, Spike put his paw between Bronx's shoulder blades and told him who was boss. Bronx is 3 years old now. Spike is getting old on me, he's 8. So I have a 1 year old nuisance, she will improve with age I hope. Gentle Leader collar is a plus. She is the only one I wouldn't trust with loose hens.

Gypsi