Well, the whole "can't catch those dang roos" problem is getting solved, one roo at a time. I was flopped on the couch late last night (couldn't sleep again) watching one of my favorite John Wayne movies and got a brilliant idea from it. I made myself a catch noose for chickens. Sorry about the really cruddy cellphone pictures. I caught 4 of the oldest roos (all over 2 years old) and dispatched them. Poor hens can't even lay an egg without a half dozen roos jumping on them. It's been long over due for doing something with them. 20 roos and 18 hens just doesnt cut it.
The pups were well behaved and barked plenty. How about those honkin huge ears on ole Jake! He looks like a dingo, big ears and long legs, must have some throwback blood in there somewhere! Griz was in the process of biting jake, funny how his head got fuzzed out of the picture.
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Good job on the noose and catching the roosters. Poor hens were outnumbered. Wouldn't 3 roosters be plenty for 18 hens? I admire your bravery in dispatching them.
ReplyDeleteWhere do they roost? Couldn't you just go visit them at night with a flashlight? I'm hoping it will be that easy. :)
ReplyDeleteThis will be my first year raising birds for meat. Hens from last year are pets & hand friendly. I'm hoping the chicks will be as tame and easy to catch.
I love the blog--so many interesting topics and helpful info. Chickens and a garden are my only "projects" but I really enjoy reading even the stuff I know I'll never be able to do. (One acre, and DH is not into farming.)
Amanda in ME
Hi Amanda! Eh, my problem with chickens is a financial one, no money to build a proper coop so they free range the farm and roost on the pole barn rafters, 10' up. They're hard to catch, even when you feed them.
Deletei heard something interesting not long ago...just a bit of trivia. during the days of the ben franklin five and dime store when along with the chocalate bunny and hard boiled eggs, lots of folks would get little chicks for their kids...did you know that most all of those chicks were roosters? yep, its a fact...my father in law owned his own benfranklin store and sure enough he had a whole slew of those baby chicks that did not sell. well he could'nt put them in the coop or barn yet so he rigged up a spot for them in the upstairs of the store. my sister in law said that by the time they were able to dispatch all of those chicks they were big mean smelly birds that no one wanted because they were all roosters. lol, now i know why my husband cannot stand chicken..he says he ate so much of it years ago that just the thought makes him sick.
ReplyDeleteLOL, thanks Anon, great story!
DeleteMust be that time, we have just done 5 here over in Western Australia. I say "we" but I mean the husband. I cannot bring myself to *do the deed*
ReplyDeleteOurs are usually easy to catch but I do like your noose thingy.
Barb.
You need to build yourself a chicken plucker. I got mine finished last month and I want to tell you what, it makes a heck of a difference. Now it is not such a chore to field dress all those roosters. Last week we did 15.
ReplyDeleteI should have posted about it but then I would have gotten all those hate emails on animal cruelty.
Too many roos = too many kangaroos here. It took me a couple of minutes to recognise my mistake in interpretation.
ReplyDeleteHilary