Chickens on the homestead

[Hinotori]

I've talked with hubby about making a plucker. He just tells me to spend the $25 that the county extension office charges to rent the whole poultry processing setup for a weekend. That includes killing cones and the barrel plucker.

I just dread trying to get silkie feathers off of everything. When I have normal feathered birds it would be great.

 

[CrealCritter]

Cockerel taking a bath prior to a show...never bothered to fight the whole process, stood in front of a blow dryer for an hour with his eyes closed in pleasure. Took that long and STILL didn't get him dry!
View attachment 4699

He looks mad

 

[NH Homesteader]

I would be mad if anyone put a chicken in my sink!

If you all were closer I would let you use my processing equipment. We have a full industrial processing trailer. Don't use it as much as we have in the past, it just sits there most of the time.

 

[Hinotori]

Lol. I wash chickens in my sink. I just clean it afterwards.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh no way. I've never washed a (live) chicken... Ever. I am so creeped out by chickens, and whenever I touch one I feel like I'm covered in salmonella until I wash my hands thoroughly.

I have chicken issues... If it wasn't for my husband I'd be a straight up goat farmer lol!

 

[Hinotori]

Silkies do best if washed a week before show then kept caged. They are too good at getting dirty

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh I worry about those other germs too! Lol I know my chickens are pretty clean but they're chickens!

Yeah silkies.. They're good at dirt!

Side note- can I ask a chicken health question here? I have a hen with one swollen toe. The rest of her foot is fine, no limping, no bumblefoot signs, good appetite, etc. What are the chances it's something other than bumblefoot? We don't do intensive chicken doctoring here. Sorry chicken, she was due for the stew pot 2 years ago but we saved her because she was pretty (yeah... I know)...

 

[Hinotori]

And we have a roof on one of the silkie pens. The white clamps just keep the tarp tight. I put a strip of wide gorilla tape down the middle to reinforce it since that wears the fastest in my experience. I set extra grommets so it ties every foot and moves less.

Leia decided to weight test the edge where the cats like to lay.

I got poles up for the front this evening. No picture of that, it was too dark when I finished. Just need to adjust it, tape and grommet the tarp, then put it up.

It will be 10x20 total.

 

[Swede]

@sumi, hope you don't mind me being nosy but I saw on your profile some rooster called "Xavier". I would love to see pics of him!

 

[Beekissed]

Oh I worry about those other germs too! Lol I know my chickens are pretty clean but they're chickens!

Yeah silkies.. They're good at dirt!

Side note- can I ask a chicken health question here? I have a hen with one swollen toe. The rest of her foot is fine, no limping, no bumblefoot signs, good appetite, etc. What are the chances it's something other than bumblefoot? We don't do intensive chicken doctoring here. Sorry chicken, she was due for the stew pot 2 years ago but we saved her because she was pretty (yeah... I know)...

I agree with Hinotori on the epsom salt soak and then I'd follow that up with a good castor oil massage of that foot and see what happens.