Coop remodel...again... pic heavy...no chick pics Steve ;) UPDATED

[canesisters]

Monty, has anyone warned you yet about chicks dust bathing??? And the 'chicken bliss'?

Never heard of either cane. Please enlighten me.

Your layers will appreciate a place to dust bathe (don't know if the CX will care). Just a litter box with some dry sand will work for now. Some people add ashes, or DE, or just about anything that is 'dusty'. Given a chance, they will dig their own - in flower beds, driveway gravel, a dry spot in the middle of the yard...
When I put my chicks outside in the 'playpen' for the first time, I poured a little DE in a corner in case they wanted to try dusting. One of them went over, tasted a little, scratched around it a little, and then finally scratched IN it. She immediately fell over flopping and kicking, rolling onto her side and then her back!! With her wings waving madly and her legs going like she was running across the yard!! I was alarmed to say the least. Before I could fish her out she suddenly went completely still - her wings out, her legs stretched, her neck at an odd angle, her eyes closed....
I thought I had done something TERRIBLY wrong and killed her. I panicked all the others by crawling up in the pen to get to her - when I grabbed her limp body, she jerked and squawked - I had woken her up from what was apparently a GREAT nap.
I asked about this on BYC and was told this is called 'chicken bliss' - the stupor they go into after a particularly good dust bath.
Now that I know it's not a seizure of some sort, I like watching my girls in their turtle pool dust bath.

 

[897tgigvib]

Cane, better double check your local and state laws! Anything that causes such bliss is likely to be illegal some way or another!

If it is not illegal, make sure none of the legislators know about it!!!

 

[baymule]

Monty I butchered 9 roos recently and it was not bad. I didn't do this beautiful job of it, because they were just going into a stew pot, so I wasn't worried about it. You will want to do a much better job with your CX, so here is a step by step tutorial from BYC and a link for shrink bags to put them in.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1...-eviscerating-cutting-up-your-chicken-graphic

http://poultryshrinkbags.blogspot.com/
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-packaging/shrink-bag

Good luck and save me a drumstick!!

 

[bj taylor]

bay, did you buy your cone or make one? if you made it, how did you do that?

 

[MontyJ]

Cane, I guess I did know about chicken bliss! That's the same way I act in the garden when spring arrives!! I didn't know there was a name for it though. I suddenly feel this strange bonding with the chicks...like we are one with the dirt...woah! Marshall, is this what the 60's felt like??

I'll get some DE into the run as soon as I can. The CX would like it. They are already trying to dust bath in the bedding. They are making quite a mess of it too. I'm not wasting time or money to let them dust bath though. Their days are numbered.

Bob, I wouldn't dare trust chicken wire to protect the chicks from predators. They are not allowed outside without supervision. The door is locked tight at night. This is only temporary to allow them to go outside for awhile each day. The actual run will be much better. Spoiler alert...there is another build thread coming soon.

Thanks for the link Bay. That's about how I figured it would go. I have processed alot of different animals, just never a chicken. I still need to find a lung scraper though. I could probably make one in the barn if it comes to that. The only part I dread is all the plucking. I don't have the materials for a plucker and can't justify buying them for 26 chickens. We are going to split the processing up over a few days though, so it won't be too bad this time.

 

[journey11]

Oooh, I'm gonna have to try those shrink bags! I hate wrapping chickens in plastic wrap then freezer paper...such a pain in the rear!

A lung scraper is a nice tool to have, but really it's not too hard to get them out with your fingers. I turn my hand a little sideways and run my fingertips down in the creases between the ribs and they come out in one piece. They are just really soft and fall apart really easily otherwise.

ETA: Monty, I saw a gadget the other day that you pop into your drill and then clamp the drill to a table and it has the little plucker fingers spin to take the feathers off for you. We're thinking of getting one. My DH is so fast with his bare hands, about 4 mins. per bird, we thought too maybe if he wears rubber dishwashing gloves they might come off even faster. If you get some heavy wire and tie it off on a tree branch or something, then wrap it around the bird's legs and hang it upside down, that really helps too, so you have both hands free to pluck.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

for a simple killing cone if you happen to have a big box hardware store nearby. look for an orange traffic cone and cut the top off so the chicken's head can go through the hole.

 

[MontyJ]

Oooh, I'm gonna have to try those shrink bags! I hate wrapping chickens in plastic wrap then freezer paper...such a pain in the rear!

A lung scraper is a nice tool to have, but really it's not too hard to get them out with your fingers. I turn my hand a little sideways and run my fingertips down in the creases between the ribs and they come out in one piece. They are just really soft and fall apart really easily otherwise.

ETA: Monty, I saw a gadget the other day that you pop into your drill and then clamp the drill to a table and it has the little plucker fingers spin to take the feathers off for you. We're thinking of getting one. My DH is so fast with his bare hands, about 4 mins. per bird, we thought too maybe if he wears rubber dishwashing gloves they might come off even faster. If you get some heavy wire and tie it off on a tree branch or something, then wrap it around the bird's legs and hang it upside down, that really helps too, so you have both hands free to pluck.

I saw the shrink bags, but DW has the new foodsaver. Would it work as well?

I have fairly large hands so I don't know how well I could do it your way Journey. DW has very small hands, maybe she would do it....Just asked her...That's a big NO. So, I guess I'll make a scraper. I also saw the drill type plucker. I don't think my drill would work. It's low RPM, but very high torque. I could probably by an el-cheapo Black & Decker with high RPMs. I also have an old dryer with a good motor (I think, it's sitting outside waiting to go to the recycle place). I could monster garage something with that. Of course, 4 minutes a bird isn't bad by hand! Maybe I'll be proficient at it as well.

DW just informed me that I have to kill, gut and cut off the feet. She will try to help pluck :/ I guess I can't complain. She has taken over the chickens care almost completely. I do help with feeding and watering, but I haven't even cleaned a brooder or coop since we got these birds. I'll give DW this, she learns fast. I told her what they need and she makes sure it's done. Those chickens are getting excellent care.

 

[lesa]

I have never bothered with the plucking... we just skin ours. Since mine are old birds- they just end up in the pot anyway.

 

[journey11]

I have fairly large hands so I don't know how well I could do it your way Journey. DW has very small hands, maybe she would do it....Just asked her...That's a big NO. So, I guess I'll make a scraper.

That gave me a good chuckle. Yeah, smaller hands would probably work out better.

The plucking is probably my least favorite part (that and cutting the heads off). I get annoyed with all those wet feathers clinging to me!