A new routine during dog feeding time....

[JulieSherris]

So in the last few weeks, the birds have discovered that we have a 3pm ritual called 'feeding the dogs'... this obviously means that they too, have to get a look-in.....

Good job our boys are patient!!

[Milims]

That made me smile! We have a similar thing at our place - as soon as you open the back door the chickens make for the cat food!

[Millymollymandy]

Ha ha brilliant photo Julie. Love the bemused dogs and the turkey just strolling around.

[JulieSherris]

Haha!! We raised 3 white Ednas for christmas, the female of the trio is jointed & in the freezer.... the male is still whole & in the freezer & the first Edna to get the chop is but a dim & distant memory...ahhh.... bootiful!

So after Xmas, I decided that we should have another trio & raise our own ednas for next chrimbo - so we got George, who was surplus to requirements & then I asked for 2 hens to join him for my birthday pressie.
George came to us after being penned - he now is lord & master of all he surveys & struts his stuff proudly! He doesn't do much else just yet... just struts & shoots his mouth off.... all mouth, no trousers!

Actually, I'm quite surprised that although we have roosters, hens, turkeys, guineas, ducks & muscovies, they all get along just fine & all are let out into the garden every day. At night, the main flock go back to the big house, the turkeys are herded back to their shed (they never remember where they live!) and then Mama Cass & her mini-chicks go back to their nursery hutch.

We charged the camera up yesterday & had a walk around the garden with it...results on a slideshow below!

http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t62/ ... cd67ac.pbw

[Millymollymandy]

Julie you're a nutter! How on earth do you remember all their names, and aren't you supposed to not do that when you're gonna eat them? I love the piccies, thanks for showing us! Must be bedlam trying to do any work in the garden though!

[JulieSherris]

MMM, the names are easy.... and I usually say g'morning to them all as they run outta the big house as well!

The mini chicks are for the table, but saying that, the xmas ednas all had nicknames as well - there was fat-face, no-tail & stroppy, but it must just be me... once I have the traffic cone & my equipment ready, I have no qualms about doing the deed. It's rubbing off on little Leah too - she's here for the weekend & whilst shopping today, I ask what she wants for sunday's dinner... the reply? 'Can't we chop a mini chick & have roast chicken?'
The answer for this week, was no - but I've told her that next week we can, when Granddad & Mum are here for dinner as well. So now she's decided that she's coming on Saturday to help pull out the feathers.....

[Millymollymandy]

Did you notice the Three Susies, Susie?

Julie - did you know how to kill them before you moved to Ireland or did you learn how since being there? And what do you do with all the eggs?

[JulieSherris]

My first dealings with a traffic cone, plucking & generally processing a bird was when I did the first turkey for christmas!
I was fully prepared to pluck & process, but I (stupidly) thought that Andy was going to despatch.... which didn't happen at all, so I did it when he was at work.
He came home, saw the turkey all ready for the oven & had the balls to ask me where I had got it from!!

Anyway, it's established now that I am the official chopper of the family & he's since admitted that he doesn't think he can do it at all! Wuss.....

As for the eggs MMM, I make a few quiches each week - Gail gets one, whether she wants it or not!!
Some go to work with Andy & are sold, then there's the incubator & Leah's absolute love for boiled duck eggs.... oh, and I sent some over to my youngest daughter & then I sent some to the MIL wrapped in bubble wrap & in pringles tubes!!

[Millymollymandy]

Bravo Julie, that's quite amazing. Had you learnt what to do from anyone or from books/internet?

Not sure what the traffic cone involves, is it chopping heads off that way?

I'm a complete wuss and so is my OH, who of course did once upon a time pronounce that he could do 'IT' when we first thought about getting chooks. Of course once he'd met them it was a different story!

[Rosendula]

We're both wussies I think. I would like to get brave enough to be able to do it myself, but as an ex-veggie I don't know if I have the guts. We did discuss what we will do when the time comes (we've only got 3 pullets and had them for 9 days!). Fortunately, Richard has a friend who used to keep geese for the table - he did the deed himself, and his wife prepared them for the oven. We're banking on getting rid of two at a time and suggesting to him that he and his wife do both birds, then keep one for themselves. Only time will tell if we have the guts to even do that

[Millymollymandy]

Well Rosie some people can do it even if they only have a few laying hens, but I do think it's probably easier for those with larger flocks because only having a few hens it really doesn't take long to get attached to them and know their individual personalites, and then the thought of eating one of your friends is somewhat offputting!

[JulieSherris]

I found a great site on the net comlete with step by step piccies - I liberated a brand new traffic cone just after the floods in November, Then I cut it into 2 pieces & both hang from the milking machine bars in our derelict cottage - the smaller end is for the chooks, the larger base is for the turkeys..... the birds go in head first & it stops them from flapping around - a well placed turkey wing can break your cheekbone just at the wrong time!
The heads hand down from the cone & the birds are actually very calm. I got a pink stanley knife to cut the jugulars - again, I took advice to let the birds bleed out - it's very nearly the halal method, & I never leave the birds to 'hang' - I process straight away & then leave them to brine overnight before cooking the following day.

I *think* that if the birds are NOT bled, then that is what can make them quite 'gamey' - talking to a couple of folks who do their own birds a lot, they have complained that the meat is dark or strong - but they go for either the head chop or breaking the necks & let them hang, so I will stick to my method, seeing as how it works for us.

The long term plan is to have our main flock for the eggs & the offspring for the table - any members of the main flock that might need to be shown the door later on will be for the slow pot, I think!!
Definitely not bad for a nearly 50yr old townie!!

[Millymollymandy]

I can't do blood and all our neighbours do it your way Julie which I don't want to know about!

I am in awe and total admiration though!

I've been smacked by chook wings a lot recently (looking after my bumblefoot hen) and they really sting your face. Nope wouldn't fancy it from a turkey!

[Thomzo]

I was taught to break the neck and then bleed.

And you should always starve for 12 hours beforehand so there's no food in the crop (which can attract maggots if you do hang). Best to do the deed first thing in the morning that way they will have slept and not missed their breakfast.

Sorry - edited to add that the photos are great, Julie. Thanks for sharing them.

Zoe