[Chookster]

Just curiosity, in my head I have thought my future progress through in what I am doing and as I don't like waste and cockerals are often hard to get rid of I decided that it would be a possibility of having to eat some of my birds.  And then i had this moment of looking at the bird and thinking could I? At some point i may have to but as i get older i seem to be less inclined to want to kill an animal. Maybe i shouldn't think about it, just do it if need arises? Well anyway, I was interested to know how many of you just get on with it and what percentage prefer their birds as pets or selling on etc

[woodside farm]

When I first started keeping chickens, I bought the finishing pellets for my cockerels, cost a fortune and didn't taste too good, but I have not tried the cobs or hubbards which are supposed to be good.

Michelle xx

[poppies]

When we first started keeping poultry I could'nt even think about eating our birds but as we started this to be more self sufficient had to get over this, at first oh did it , but we buy in table birds and take them back to be done only cost £1.50 each and as they are packaged up the same as the one's from the farmer's market you dont feel the same as if you did it yourself.

I mainly  have chickens I breed from to sell on, and a few  kept purely as pets, some you get attached to and cant sell  -  marge is a maran greedy and a bit of a bully beating up the cockerals if they step out of place she lives with a little red silkie the only one to hatch from ebay eggs

[GrannieAnnie]

Hubbards are lovely!  Most are if reared right.  It's just that most cockerels are bred for table so don't have much meat on them.      Ignore that bit, I'm going nuts!

My Brian is a licensed poultry slaughterman, so he has no problems killing.  We rear our chickens and turkeys and sell the surplus

[Chookster]

we buy in table birds and take them back to be done only cost £1.50 each and as they are packaged up the same as the one's from the farmer's market

So how do you take the birds? Alive and they do it? Do you take them to a butcher or farmer (or hitman )? I guess it's all done the best way. So is that all plucked and giblet stuff removed too?

[purplebat]

I'm vegetarian so I guess that answers that one! But hubby and my boys aren't and they could never eat one of our birds, mind you maybe that's just what they tell me?

[poppies]

we buy in table birds and take them back to be done only cost £1.50 each and as they are packaged up the same as the one's from the farmer's market

So how do you take the birds? Alive and they do it? Do you take them to a butcher or farmer (or hitman )? I guess it's all done the best way. So is that all plucked and giblet stuff removed too?

it's a farm we take them alive on a sunday and pick them up on the wed all plucked and dressed with a neat little bag of giblets,, they proccess their own poultry for farmer's markets etc, they put a  ticket on with the weight  it also prints the price they would charge some of them are about £15 so you save a lot of money, we also do turkey's,  ducks and geese the same way

[GrannieAnnie]

How much do they charge you to do your turkeys Poppies?

[poppies]

How much do they charge you to do your turkeys Poppies?

Hi
   £5 for turkey's and geese

[animal mad]

i have been thinking about rearing my own for me too, not really sure at the moment, is there anyone out there or rears turkeys for Christmas, in the south somerset area.

[GrannieAnnie]

How much do they charge you to do your turkeys Poppies?

Hi
   £5 for turkey's and geese

Thanks for that Poppies.  My Brian did some turkeys and geese for a lady last year and the idiot only charged her £3.50, not sure what he charged for the chickens, but when we brought them home (yes we went and collected them with a 40+ mile round trip), they were ridden with lice and I had to pluck them!  YUK!  My girls have never had lice!

[Kate and her Ducks]

Wish there was someone round here I could give mine to. Hate doing it but really only way to deal with drakes I can't rehome and I do love duck meat. Nice to eat something you know has had a good life but wish I could find someone else to do the dirty work!

[GrannieAnnie]

Bit far for Brian, Liverpool, Kate!!!!   

[Kate and her Ducks]

I know!

Maybe you could come on a Busman's holiday?!

How are those chicks getting on?

[GrannieAnnie]

I know!

Maybe you could come on a Busman's holiday?!

How are those chicks getting on?

As this is someone else's thread, let's just say I can't understand why Appenzellars are on anyone's rare breed list!!!!    I'll go update my baby thread!!!