Sneaky sheep, dispatching roosters, and other fun adventures

So Monday morning we found that our sheep had decided to chew on a chicken coop latch and 3 roosters and a hen got out.

After chasing them for 10 minutes, it became obvious that the last thing they wanted to do was go back inside THAT run. They had only been in that run for a few days. I guess they liked the other one better. Go figure.

So hubby decided that we needed to harvest them about a month early. The hen was one who hadn't laid an egg for about 2 months. She and the 3 roosters were eating rent free. (the rent being egg laying). The roosters were a Rhode Island Red/Pinnon Hatch cross. They were not Pure (for my hatching egg scheme) so they were destined for the freezer.

Hubby got out his pellet gun. Dad gave that to him last year when we harvested the turkeys. why is it that harvesting food around here has tragedy involved?

Anyway, a pellet to the head and the turkeys were gone. It took about 10 seconds of flapping, but it was quickly over.

Well, this time the roosters and hen were out running around. so hubby had to be a 'hunter' of sorts to get this guys.

His first shot took down the most flighty bird (my suggestion) and we thought it was over pretty quickly.

It took about 5 shots to get the next guy. Hubby thinks the target is off on the pellet gun.

****warning do not read on unless you are up to graphic descriptions that will have you slightly disgusted****

Imagine our surprise when after the 2nd bird stops doing the flop of death, the first bird sits up and starts looking around.

Hubby didn't believe me when I told him the first bird was still alive.

Anyway, I'll skip all the awful details.

The short story is that the first 2 birds were very hardy and had to be shot point blank a few times. I feel very awful about this and we are rethinking the whole pellet gun option. We may use the cone method and 'pithing'.

The 3rd bird went down with one pellet (thank goodness). I don't think we could have taken any more.

The 4th bird ran into the neighbors yard. we thought never to be seen again.

We found him last night (1 day later) and hubby took him down with 1 shot after he got home from work.

so that takes care of 4 non-producing birds from my flock.

That leaves me with 16 hens and 1 rooster. 5 of those hens aren't laying yet. 2 Ameracaunas are 6 months old and better start soon or they will be dinner. the other 3 are not old enough yet.

In the other coop I've got 2 roosters and 4 hens (from my own stock!). None are pure bred, but all could be kept or sold as laying hens in the spring. The 2 roosters will be dinner at some point.

I've also got about 28 eggs in a incubator right now. They are supposed to hatch tomorrow. But this morning I woke up to a partially cracked egg. It was dripping a sort of bloody yolk mixture. but more cracks keep appearing, so I guess it may hatch after all.

YAY!

Lets just hope I get more than one bird from this hatch. They are destined to be sold as laying hens for $15 each in the spring. Hopefully that will help pay for feed and the new coop I have hubby building for me right now.

I've started keeping a notebook and recording all money going out and coming in on the chicken business.

If it doesn't make money, I'll sell my stock and just keep a small flock of 3-5 birds. The rooster will either be eaten or sold.

I really hope it doesn't come to that. I'd love to be able to do more to contribute to the household.

(and help pay for my sheep)

Where did the time go?

I love John Denver music. It has so many memories.

Here's an update on everyone.

Hubby almost got laid off at work. He was able to avoid it again, but they announce a layoff about every 18 months or so.. we're thinking about the possibility of another job. But not very seriously. Mostly we are thinking of ways to save money and make more money.

C is in Kindergarten. She loves school and loves riding home on the bus. The other day I was helping out in her classroom and was there until it was time to go home. so naturally she would be coming home with me. Well as soon as she heard this plan she started crying and saying she wanted to ride the bus home. Crazy kid. I finally was able to bribe her with a trip to McDonalds (that didn't happen, but that is a different story).

A is in Preschool. I help out there 1/2 the time for 1/2 off tuition. She loves it. She has gotten better at sitting still and focusing. She also is minding better. When she started she had a hard time focusing. It is still a problem, but not nearly as bad. She will sit still for story time and circle time. When everyone is in groups, she does a good job staying in her group. But it's not strange to find her group hopping.

I'm still going strong. I'm trying to get ready for a craft fair in 2 weeks. I've been making wool crafts and everything else I can think of. I've got gourds, indian corn, hair bows and wool felted bags.

Nothing is quite finished yet. I suppose I should focus on that next!

So onto my other business proposition.

Eggs, Chickens, and Hatching eggs.

1 dozen regular eggs can bring in $2.

1 dozen hatching eggs can bring from $4-5 .

Needless to say I'm trying to gear up to be able to to the hatching eggs.

I just don't have the space I need.

I think I'm trying to do to much. Hubby is building me a 3rd chicken coop, but I can easily justify a 4th.

I've also got about 28 eggs in an incubator that I will raise until they are pullets and sell for $15 each. The roosters will stick around for about 4 months and then hit the freezer.

Its all about being self reliant. But if I ditched the rooster idea I could have more room for other chickens.

My problem is that the breed that will be the most popular is the rhode island reds. In order to gather the hatching eggs they have to be in their own separate coop. So thats one coop down. Also, they have to have a dedicated rooster. There goes my only rooster.

The other coop is for the misc hens. They are for eating eggs. I had thought to sell their eggs cheaper but there are a lot of people out there with broody hens in the spring who don't want to get a rooster and don't want to spend an extra dollar for Rhode Island Red hatching eggs. But the new problem is that the rooster is in coop #1. so I guess I need another rooster?

Anyway, coop #3 is the problem. I've been using it for the roosters, but in a few weeks I'm going to have a ton of baby chicks (I hope) and I'm not sure where they will go after the brooder. Hubby is going to harvest some non-laying chickens in about a month. Maybe the 3 extra roosters will have to be harvested early.

I guess it could work out. I'm still working things out.

Is it just me ? Every time I eat something with pumpkin and spices I get the worst heartburn. It's awful.

Anyway, I'm officially the crazy chicken lady. Not so crazy though if I can bring money in with it.

Right now the only money going out is the money for feed. That will be expensive over the winter. But I have a lady who has a small hatchery operation who is after my RIR hatching eggs even during the winter. So I may be able to pay for their feed like that.

The only problem I have right now though is the fact that I seem to be trading her eggs for chicks (More RIR for my hatching eggs scheme). 1 doz eggs for 1 sexed bird (guaranteed hen). I think it could work though. I just have to treat it like a business and keep books.

Lets do that here.

Right now they are going through 1 bag of scratch grains and 1 bag of layer feed every 2 weeks. That comes to $50/month (with a $5 off coupon).

So far they are not bringing any moolah in. Except for the 1 doz eggs I sold to the hatching eggs lady, but do those really count since I'll be bartering for new hens with that?

I'll be posting an ad on Craigslist to sell fresh eggs tonight.

Sorry for the rambling chicken post.