Buying eggs and raising chicks

[Clodagh]

I was just going to grow mine on and put them in the freezer? Given I’m a meat eater seems about the most ethical way to have roast chicken?!
If Jesus is a cockerel I might struggle though ?

Very ethical but unless they are a meat breed, or an old fashioned dual purpose like a Sussex you feed them and feed them and they never put any meat on. I have raised meat birds from day olds, that was good (Ross Cobbs) they were truly disgusting birds but happy when alive. They only had about 6 feathers each and that was free ranging with a hen.

 

[Clodagh]

A friend breasts out her bantam cocks at six months and just uses that bit, like doing a pheasant.

 

[ihatework]

Very ethical but unless they are a meat breed, or an old fashioned dual purpose like a Sussex you feed them and feed them and they never put any meat on. I have raised meat birds from day olds, that was good (Ross Cobbs) they were truly disgusting birds but happy when alive. They only had about 6 feathers each and that was free ranging with a hen.

Yes I had wanted POL but lockdown stopped that so I had shipped light Sussex eggs so any hens I could keep and any boys I could eat. That didn’t go to plan then ?

 

[Clodagh]

Yes I had wanted POL but lockdown stopped that so I had shipped light Sussex eggs so any hens I could keep and any boys I could eat. That didn’t go to plan then ?

No more hatched?

 

[ihatework]

No more hatched?

No ? no movement or sound. I assume the naughty spanner won’t be getting roast chicken scraps

 

[D66]

We have grown on cocks for eating, they lived together without females present until they start crowing, doesn't seem to be any fighting. OH deals with them efficiently and they come into the kitchen oven ready. There is never a huge amount of meat but they make a great coq au vin which freezes well.
Once we had Ross Cobbs, they were meatier but were all ready at the same time which made prep rather onerous and filled the freezer.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

We used to eat our boys and once I incubated a batch of Ixworth eggs just for meat - sods law the only one that hatched was a girl! We only ate the boys once they crowed but I never go use to the idea of culling, I hated doing it and had to have a glass of something strong afterwards, culling chicks was even worse. I cried several times. In the beginning a friend's husband 'did' them for me and he once refused to cull one of my Buff Sussex saying it was a nice bird - he was right - it won at Kent County Show.

 

[whirlwind]

Anyone recommend a decent incubator for a small hatch? Mine appears to have died and won’t reach temperature anymore

 

[Clodagh]

The small cheap ones are crap, IMO. Brinsea are always reliable, so I hear. I have a MS 35 which I love and worship, but it was a lot of money. (And looks as though it came from MFI in the 1980s).

 

[D66]

Echo what Clodagh said. Our first one was a cheap basic model the next was fully automated with humidifier. Compare the price against buying 20 point of lay hens.
We have a good incubator and still bought our last 6 hens POL!

 

[Evie91]

How exciting. I started my flock with some young birds surplus to my neighbours requirements- so might be worth asking round.I had one cockerel, later had broody hens and out of eleven hatched chicks, ten survived and only one was a cockerel, spitting image of his Dad but much much nicer temperament. Lived together for two years until there was a huge fight and I had the Dad culled (he was a horrible bird). Hens hatching, looking after their chicks is just the best thing to watch- so that would be my suggestion but means you need to source broody hen and cockerel so maybe POL would be easier!