cornish rocks

[Denim Deb]

I agree. I'll be waiting to here how it goes.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I have the 2 chickens alone together. They have ample space, but it is rather cold and I do have to assume her first 2 weeks of eggs might be half maran, until the new guy has been her only fella for a while.
Probably perfect timing, because by next month, I might get some kinda idea about starting a little chicken meat.
Now that the roo is here, he does look a bit massive. I didn't weigh him but he is very heavy and must be a head and half taller than a RIR. He stands a good bit over the hen and I was thinking about putting my cornish bantam pullet in with them, but its probably best I don't.
I am totally in love with my cornish bantams shape and imagine I am plucking her and dressing her for the table....she is just so short and small looking though, except she looks like she is full of muscles. I put the word out locally that I'm after a roo for her. Oh....I've always known that if I had a project of those going, I'd be just too happy to slaughter a couple a week. Its a strange fasination I have had about 18 or so years now....I see those things and I mentally am plucking. Nuts....thats the only breed that makes me actually wanna slaughter.
Anyways....Hopefully in a couple of weeks I can consider seeing what this little idea will give me, cuz I have put it together.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Hi everyone. The countdown begins. I loaded up the incubator 1/2 way with a combination of all I have and several eggs are from the cornish/rock project. She is a big hen, but I never realized she laid pullet size eggs. They really aren't big at all.
DS is totally in love with that project.
I guess good record keeping is the ticket. I know I won't get a bird ready for table in 6 to 8 weeks, but if I can do it in 12 to 14, I'll still be happy.

 

[Denim Deb]

My problem isn't getting them ready for the table by then, it's finding the time to butcher them!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

The only thing I have failed at is 2 rabbits I have, that no one in their right mind would have held onto. Its a long time I should have killed them. I'm too frugal to let too much time pass without slaughtering.
It isn't a pleasant thing for me, but I make myself do it. It might take a few hours for me to do 7 birds, esp if I'm working alone, but if I do that everyday for a while, then after a while, I really have a high profit farm project. I might be in the habit of putting a certain amount of food down, and when I've killed and killed, I see in the afternoons that the birds didn't finish all their food and I realize Its time to decrease their daily rations. Makes me happy, happy, happy.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have been reading the caponizing thread on BYC. I really love that idea, but I don't think DH would let me try it. Maybe I could find someone around the area to do it for me... probably not economical that way, but if it works like the say - big bodied birds that are tender, then I think I could sell him on the idea. It would be nice to be able to go out and kill a bird for supper whenever I needed it. And skip all the drama of an all day slaughter and all the freezer space requirements.
I made a chicken dish the other night with boneless skinless chicken breast from the store. The chicken was a little more chewy than usual, like you actually had to chew more than twice to break it down. I really liked the texture. DH - not so much; he said it was tough. Well, we could still cut it with our forks, so in my book it was not tough.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I have a caponizing kit. I have done the surgery on a few dead birds, but never with success. I always end up with torn testicles. Even a piece, left inside a living bird can result in a rooster; not a capon. I wouldn't mind learning the technique at all. I probably have about 5 young roos, right now I can try again on when I decide to kill them. I have read several publications with instructions on how to do this and the best one I have read, thus far is "Capons and Caponizing" by George Q. Dow. The tool he uses to catch the testes is different from the kit I have. I think, if and when, I decide to take another stab at it, I'll see if I can find something to improvise that tool.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

First hatch of my project. I will see if DS can help me post a pic. Its a little fuzzy butt, with enormous feet. Really need to keep this date in mind and keep some kind of record. But I can't really appreciate what a huge mess of them would cost to raise because I only have one hen to work with. Thinking about putting a couple of BR's with the WR hen. Whats saying it has to be a white??? But for whatever its worth, it has cornish rock feet on hatch day.

 

[wyoDreamer]

The value of a white bird is the clean looking carcass. Dark pin feathers can be a turn off for those sensitive folk out there.

 

[Hinotori]

You should see the sensitive people freak over the very thought of eating a silkie. The black skin and meat freak them all the way out.

Yes they do get grossed out by the spots from non-white feathers. I know a few people like that.