The Great Chicken Adventure: Week 15

The flock is down one chicken - to 32 birds. But don't worry, the skunk didn't get it, the chopping block did. The much famed Bernie is now happily residing in our deep freeze. He was fighting really bad with the others, he had ripped a piece of another roosters comb right off, and it was bleeding badly. So I said enough of that, I caged him up without food or water (in order for the bowels to be empty at butchering time). The next night we did him in. A chicken doesn't take long to butcher, probably 1/2hr of work then it has to chill for a couple of hours. We were lucky that he didn't have any pin feathers, it was easy plucking. Someday Ill make a post on butchering chickens, but Im by no means an expert. Ive done them before which helped it go quicker. I guess I was emotionally detached from the situation since Bernie was fighting with the others and he really needed to go. Ive got the others almost off their grower feed, Id rather have them just on scratch when we butcher. They still have a 25% grower diet until the feed is gone, which should be this week. They have been enjoying all the garden scraps I give them. Usually a good scoop of grass and the scraps from whatever produce Im processing in the day. Berry culls, bean ends, etc. I can probably expect to start getting eggs from the hens in about a month, which is incredibly exciting for me! I haven't been playing with the chickens much, but the day Bernie had taken a piece out of the other roosters head, I took that poor victim to the garden with me and he was the best companion. He sat under the shade of the beans for a good 15 minutes, then he came right close to me and helped me with the weeding. He would take little snips off the pigweeds. He came when I called him and he didn't leave the garden at all. Maybe he'll be the one I keep to service the flock, he's so nice. But I suppose Rob was nice too - not anymore. Yesterday I caught him with a mouth full of feathers - I guess he'll be the next to go..

 Chicken in the garden

 Racing stripe taking flight

 The nest boxes