Obviously new to the chicken world

M

mobilus

Member
I ran across this on craigslist...I guess these folks don't know the value of a hen.
Willing to trade 3 Roosters for 3 Hens

Reply to: sale-586221889@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-02-25, 11:26AM CST


I have 3 Roosters that I would like to trade for 3 Laying hens. Rhode Island Reds perferably. Please call 817-599-XXXX.
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  • Location: Weatherford,Tx.
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PostingID: 586221889




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Okay, I'll admit it. I don't know chickens either. Why is this a bad deal?
 
Because roosters usually end up in the crock pot, if they're raised at all. Most roosters are sorted out and "recycled" or incinerated at many large operations.

If you want fertilized eggs, meaning you plan on hatching out chicks, one rooster will service a dozen hens. If you keep hens only for the egg production, you don't need a rooster at all.

So, hens are definitely more valuable than roosters.

Now, if your mother-in-law's travel trailer is parked out close to the chicken pen, and she likes to sleep in, well...roosters can make the environment lively. This is my case, and I'd never admit the humor I get from listening to her complain. It might even shorten her visits.:yum:
 
Y'know, I bet this guy 'got a good deal' on 3 'chickens', didnt figure they were roosters, and wondered why they werent laying :yum:
 
Okay, I figured it was something like that but never knew for sure. Thanks for the explanation. :thumb:
 
Mobilus,

So, when we buy chicken at the store, (such as 10 pounds of thighs), they are all from hens? No rooster thighs in that package? I had never thought about it till now... Seems like a waste to get rid of 50% of the birds right off the bat and not do anything with them. They don't do that with turkeys do they? I drive by chicken houses all the time but don't know anything about them.
 
Mobilius,

I like how he even states he wants rhoad island reds...and laying....
Is everyone in Texas like that???

Redbug,

Those thighs are probably male, but from a "meat bird" breed. MOdern chicken breeds have been genetically engineered to grow bigger faster with less "inputs"(ie food) at the expense of flavor and ease of keeping

Laying hens are only good for Mcnuggets or the stewpot.

My brother gave me two genetic freaks he found somewhere and they grew so fat they just about exploded. It was scary, if you dont slaughter them at 5 months or so they die anyway.

My wife chooses hertitage breeds which are alot more interesting.
 
Redbug, I'll have to check into the gender of the thighs...

What I know about modern chicken production can fit into a thimble, but I have a few cousins in the business back in Alabama to query when I need info. There are different production facilities...my cousins are in the fertilized egg production end. They get the hens full-grown, from folks that raise them to about 20 weeks, and I'm pretty sure they only keep them about 12 weeks (about the time they start slowing down a little)...then they go to processors and the meat ends up in the Campbells chicken soup you had for lunch.

The chicken house is then cleaned out. The egg conveyors and nexting boxes are winched into the air, and crews come in with CUTs or Bobcats and remove the wood chips. I don't think it is allowed anymore, but those wood chips were mixed with cattle feed and "recycled" along with any waste products...that was back in the 70s, if I remember right. I digress...anyway, after the facility is sanitized, the new chickens arrive and the cycle starts anew.
 
MObilius,

I think a certian percentage of that sawdust and poo is still mixed with cattle grain. They can't mix cattle or sheep by products anymore thanks to mad cow concerns, but chicken "stuff" is still OK.
 
shinnlinger said:
Mobilius,

I like how he even states he wants rhoad island reds...and laying....
Is everyone in Texas like that???

Redbug,

Those thighs are probably male, but from a "meat bird" breed. MOdern chicken breeds have been genetically engineered to grow bigger faster with less "inputs"(ie food) at the expense of flavor and ease of keeping

Laying hens are only good for Mcnuggets or the stewpot.

My brother gave me two genetic freaks he found somewhere and they grew so fat they just about exploded. It was scary, if you dont slaughter them at 5 months or so they die anyway.

My wife chooses hertitage breeds which are alot more interesting.
Click to expand...
I just got some of my new chicks for this year. Pic doesn't show all of them, but have (so far) 36 Rhode Island Reds and 10 Barred Plymouth Rocks. All these will be for laying.
 

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Good pic. So, this means you don't keep them year after year. Do you eat them sometime before winter and start out fresh each year?
 
Last year was our first year with chickens, and we started out with about 25. After we found out which one of our 5 rescue dogs loved the chicks, but not in the true "loving since", we had lost about 5. Our resident Owl got a couple more, and I ran over one with the tractor. :hide: (We free range them).

So, we needed to build back up to where we started, plus with our experience we felt more comfortable with a few more this year.
She's more of an animal lover nut than I am, :pat: so when the chickens get to old to lay they will probably go into a resident geriatrics center.:yum: :yum:


Don't get me wrong, I love animals.........but Judy was president of the local humane society for several years and saw way too many animals put down. So we don't.
 
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Nicahawk said:
She's more of an animal lover nut than I am, :pat: so when the chickens get to old to lay they will probably go into a resident geriatrics center.:yum: :yum:
Click to expand...

First thing, don't let her give them names. That's the start of turning them into pets instead of a meal :poke:
 
I agree with Jim, don't name them. If you have to, call them "nuggets" or "ann dumplings", "pot pie", or "baked", or "fried", or...

Whoa, starting to sound like Bubba talking about shrimp.
 
Nica,

We got about 40 2 years back and recently got another load. Our plan is to reload every year and keep them for two years (in seperate pens) so we are always in eggs, Definatly research artificial lighting to keep them laying.

BUt be careful, a chicken can live over 20 years, but only lay eggs for 2 years (if you are lucky). My wife is ambivilent at best about culling the flock, so When a fox started taking our older hens this past fall I didn't fix the fence for a while, and when a neighbors dog got ahold of one, I didn't go to balistic.

One women came in the yard a year or so back apologizing for running over a chicken (we used to free range until wife got sick of stepping in poo) Anywhoo, she had been talking on her cell phone and had hit a chicken out in the road. I didn't care about the chicken, I wanted to know who her carrier was, no one I know gets cell phone reception anywhere near here. I am not important enough to need a cell phone, but I thought it is was impressive that she was able to use hers.
 
add in sunday's paper here - someone was wanting to trade a rooster for 2 dozen eggs. Didn't even specify if he wanted fertilized or not...
 
Erik said:
add in sunday's paper here - someone was wanting to trade a rooster for 2 dozen eggs. Didn't even specify if he wanted fertilized or not...
Click to expand...

If he wants fertilized my manure pit is almost full. He can have all he wants and I'll load it for him :shitHitsFan:
 
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