NH Homesteader's journal

4 are dorking cockerels so should be decent table birds. The others are stew hens. I've never canned before but I want to try with them!
 
We've butchered Dorkings before. Ours were awesome table birds. They have a breast that goes on forever...long and full. I enjoyed them. I should get more. The few I have left are very old and I don't have a roo anymore... :( I forget - you have Silver Greys don't you?
 
I do have silver greys. Need to get more, only have one hen! Nice straight run, 6 roos and 2 hens. And one hen didn't make it. No chicken orders next year though, just turkeys. So it'll have to wait.

My husband wants to cross the dorkings with the cornishes to see what we get for table birds. They'll grow slow but should theoretically be delicious! We'll be doing a lot of hatching this year, hopefully enough to not have to do meat birds. We also have the orpingtons we might try to cross with something for a meatier bird. They're big birds.

Of course if I had my way we would quit the chicken business. But boy do I get in trouble when I mention that! Lol
 
So I think I posted on here last fall (I think?) when a bear stole our grain barrel? Yeah... DH just found it in the woods. Teeth marks and all! Lol!!!
 
The bears aren't so bad. I prefer them to the coyotes!

Ran errands for a good chunk of the day. DH tried to get the processing equipment cleaned up and set up for tomorrow. Got about halfway done and his dad and stepmom showed up (unannounced- what is with these people??) with presents for DD's birthday. That derailed half our day. And DH's friend who was coming to "help" did exactly nothing, or it would have been cleaned in time. So up bright and early and he can finish cleaning while the scalder heats up.

Have to go out and catch the cull hens and pen them tonight. I talked him into doing an extra one we hadn't planned on, she's old and not really laying and is starting to get nasty with the other birds. She raised 2 chicks this year but I have far better broodies. So 9 are going, and we'll have 19 left. 2 of which are cockerels but aren't big enough to butcher yet. They might have to learn to live with the big roo, or they'll be skun out over winter.

Think my gilt was in heat yesterday or today, so in 2 1/2 weeks she'll go visit our friend's boar for a few days. That'll give us early March babies, perfect time for selling piglets in May. That's when everyone wants them.
 
Gotta love them errand running days - but they do wear me out!

I know you'll be glad to get those extra chickens offa the feed bill. Happy butchering day!
 
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