Meat bird problems

[Inor]

We have been having a horrible time this year getting birds. Mrs Inor is responsible for ordering all of our egg chickens and turkeys. I am responsible for ordering meat chickens. Under normal circumstances, Mrs Inor uses two hatcheries for her orders:

Cackle - https://www.cacklehatchery.com/

or

Stromberg's - https://www.strombergschickens.com/

I will only order our meat chickens from Freedom Ranger Hatchery - https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/shop/product/freedom-ranger-chickens/

Last winter, when Mrs Inor wanted to order the Turkeys, none of those three had anything and were not accepting back orders. So she went with another company called Valley Hatchery. The Valley people said they could not even ship until July 19th (last week). So she placed the order for 10 turkey poults and 5 egg chicks. We always raise the turkeys with a couple egg chickens, even if we do not need more egg chickens, because young poults are too dumb to remember how to drink water and the chicks need to show them how for the first week or so.

The birds arrived last week. First off, Valley hatchery did not send ANY extra turkeys. Most reputable hatcheries will usually include 1 or 2 extra in case any die in transit or in the first few days. Two of the chicks were obviously less than a couple hours old when they shipped them because they were not even big enough to survive the trip. The turkey poults also are not looking too good. We have already lost 2 and I am thinking we might lose 1 or 2 more before they get big enough to make it. When Mrs Inor called them today, they immediately hung up on her! So if any of ya'll are in the market to buy birds, DO NOT use Valley Hatchery UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!!! (She only used them this time because none of the other three had anything available.)

While I was preparing this post, I thought I should also get our order in for fall meat chickens from the Freedom Ranger people. Normally, I order about now for delivery around Labor Day. The soonest they can ship is 10/15! That pushes butchering out to the end of January. I'm not sure if it is even worth doing a fall batch of meat chickens this year; we may be better off not doing a fall batch and starting the spring batch earlier than usual and butchering in March/April rather than our usual June.

I don't know what the hell is going on with meat birds right now, but it is not good at all!

[1skrewsloose]

You'd think they would step up production due to so many being culled due to bird flu. No idea how long it takes to uptick production.

[Slippy]

Everything is getting worse before it gets worser...

[MountainGirl]

Is it possible for you to establish a permanent flock?
Likely that would be more work/headache for y'all, but still...

[Ricekila]

Is it possible for you to establish a permanent flock?
Likely that would be more work/headache for y'all, but still...

And just where the fuck have you've been young lady ?

I thought the squirrels got you again -- L

[MountainGirl]

And just where the fuck tave you've been young lady ?

I thought the squirrels got you again -- L

LOL not squirrels. M'head was sideways for a bit, mostly better now. :)

[Ricekila]

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/v667/RICEKILA/Smillies/.highres/hide.gif?width=180&height=180&fit=bounds (https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/v667/RICEKILA/Smillies/.highres/hide.gif?width=180&height=180&fit=bounds)

[Mad Trapper]

Been a long time since my parents raised chickens for eggs and the pot. I confess I forgot most of what I knew.

I remember them hatching their own chicks and a few cocky roosters. My cousins are still raising for eggs and I take any surpluses they have.

This thread got me to thinking about "meat birds"? Capons? Or just broiler breeds?

Anyway found a good PDF about do it yourself capons from Sears Roebuck 1922 File is too big but you can download it.

https://chickenandchicksinfo.com/how-to-caponize-a-rooster/

[Inor]

Is it possible for you to establish a permanent flock?
Likely that would be more work/headache for y'all, but still...

We more-or-less already have with egg chickens. Meat chickens are a little trickier if we want to continue with the Freedom Ranger breed. The Freedom Ranger "breed" is a cross between 4 different breeds and you cannot just breed a Freedom Ranger hen with a Freedom Ranger rooster and get a Freedom Ranger chick. Why? I don't know, but they come out all fucked up. So for now, it is just easier, cheaper and better to just buy the chicks and call it good.

If we switch breeds that is an option. But the Freedom Rangers are the first breed I have discovered where I actually look forward to eating the meat. Usually chicken is one of those meals that I eat to fill the gaps but do not look forward to it. These actually taste good.

[Mad Trapper]

Um, capons? Bigger, meatier.......


I had to help my cousin make Angus steers this spring, first time on that. nice beef coming soon.

[Inor]

Um, capons? Bigger, meatier.......


I had to help my cousin make Angus steers this spring, first time on that. nice beef coming soon.

We live in cattle country. I can just imagine that conversation unfolding with our friends and neighbors...

"Hey Randy, can you and your boys come over and give us a hand tomorrow?"

"Sure. What are we doing?"

"Castrating roosters."

"Amy, hold my beer while I beat some sense into Inor"! :smashfreak:

[Mad Trapper]

We live in cattle country. I can just imagine that conversation unfolding with our friends and neighbors...

"Hey Randy, can you and your boys come over and give us a hand tomorrow?"

"Sure. What are we doing?"

"Castrating roosters."

"Amy, hold my beer while I beat some sense into Inor"! :smashfreak:

This spring.

It was my first time helping "making steers". Spring and wet/muddy shit all over and trying to herd/sort out the boys from the girls ~75 of them. I can say I didn't fall down. Learned how those cow "head holder" contraptions worked. Sure never want one of those rubber bands on my nuts.

The capon thing seems to be a lost art. I can't remember grandparents or Father doing it. I do know farmers were a lot more hands on and do it yourself. I suspect now days the regulators/Vets would be up in arms if You did it yourself?

The PDF I mentioned suggested taking a dead bird or two to practice the procedure. Makes sense, sort of like vet/medical school.

I remember taking animals apart in biology class. And started skinning and dressing fur fish and game before I was a teenager.

Being able to start with the animal and make it into food is a valuable skill not many can still do, present company excepted. I was lucky to have a good mentor when I got my first deer, being only 13. He was an old sage and farmer, made it seem simple. At this age I'm pretty good with processing animals. Veterinary skills are still lacking.

[Prepared One]

Man, after reading this thread on chickens it sure seem to be a lot of work. We only eat chicken occasionally so it wouldn't be worth the squeeze for MG and I. We thought about egg chickens for a while because we both love eggs, but there are so many people here that sell eggs right out of their house it's easier to run down the street and get them there. Plus we like supporting our local farmers and ranchers before the big chain stores.

[BucketBack]

The EX & neighbor had yard buzzards all over. Now Grimey has 3 roosters, and broken legs on MeatChickens. Neighbor trapped 14 possum, like the one that tried to enter following the dogs in. 4 'coons, and sees 14 deer each morning.

Sounds like nothing has changed, except I don't live there anymore. The guy is a disabled Veteran and likes venison, so I'll shoot'em and hang'em high.

I didn't want to hear about the mess or neighbors or noise or ???? before. Now it's on him. I can't wait to hear about it at the Post..

Most of the birds come from Family Farm and Home

[Sparkyprep]

Have you tried Murry McMurry?

[Inor]

This spring.

It was my first time helping "making steers". Spring and wet/muddy shit all over and trying to herd/sort out the boys from the girls ~75 of them. I can say I didn't fall down. Learned how those cow "head holder" contraptions worked. Sure never want one of those rubber bands on my nuts.


Fun as hell isn't it? I LOVE spring round ups! We do not use the rubber bands to castrate them. We try to get the calves when they are as young as possible, before their nuts come down. They are much smaller and easier to manhandle. Then it is just a slice on the scrotum and reach in and grab the nuts, pull them out, cut 'em off and put some of the quikclot powder on it to stop the bleeding.

Fall round ups are not nearly as much fun, but they still don't suck.

When we first started helping at the ranch, they used an old-school vet to preg-test the cows in the fall. He would test by sticking his whole arm up their ass (all the way up to his shoulder) to feel for the calf. He had a stroke and can no longer do it. I never tried it but I am thinking it would be extremely uncomfortable because the cow is also jumping around inside the squeeze at the same time you have your arm up her ass. The new vet just uses an ultrasound. That is not nearly as cool, but it is a lot faster.

Working at the ranch is miserably hard work but it is also extremely rewarding. I LOVE doing that stuff!

[Inor]

Have you tried Murry McMurry?

We have not. We looked at them when we bought our first batch of egg chickens but the reviews on them seemed to be all over the map. Mrs Inor went with Cackle and she was happy with them.

I went with Freedom Ranger for our meat chickens because I was out in Harrisburg, PA on business and actually went there and met them. They are a whole group of small family run hatcheries mostly Amish. They are really nice folks and I think their chickens are made from Kevlar because they are damn near bulletproof. We have bought over 400 meat chicks from them the last few years and only ever had one die. They are a little more expensive than some others but I'm okay with paying a bit more just because they are so good to deal with.

[shootbrownelk]

This spring.

It was my first time helping "making steers". Spring and wet/muddy shit all over and trying to herd/sort out the boys from the girls ~75 of them. I can say I didn't fall down. Learned how those cow "head holder" contraptions worked. Sure never want one of those rubber bands on my nuts.

The capon thing seems to be a lost art. I can't remember grandparents or Father doing it. I do know farmers were a lot more hands on and do it yourself. I suspect now days the regulators/Vets would be up in arms if You did it yourself?

The PDF I mentioned suggested taking a dead bird or two to practice the procedure. Makes sense, sort of like vet/medical school.

I remember taking animals apart in biology class. And started skinning and dressing fur fish and game before I was a teenager.

Being able to start with the animal and make it into food is a valuable skill not many can still do, present company excepted. I was lucky to have a good mentor when I got my first deer, being only 13. He was an old sage and farmer, made it seem simple. At this age I'm pretty good with processing animals. Veterinary skills are still lacking.

Funny that you mentioned "Fur-Fish and Game". I'm wearing one of their T-shirts right now. Damned good magazine too, they've been around forever.

[BucketBack]

I subscribed in the 70's when I was a swamp creature in my 12' boat