Keeping hens and ducks chat.

SisterAnna

edwink wrote: »

"Chickens" are the ones you eat and "hens" lay eggs


Sorry couldn't resist

Well I never knew that!


Happy New Year to everyone on here.

Pyxis

Does anyone use the term pullet any more?

If so, what age range would one come into?


Also, can you get capons? I think I heard that caponisation was no longer permitted, but am not sure.
I heard that capon meat is tastier than chicken, but wouldn't know, natch.

suki1964

A pullet is a young hen , before they can lay

Caponising can be done yourself still. It’s removing the testicles from a rooster which makes them more docile

Canonising was a way of controlling the amount of cockerels you had. I had three cockerels hatch last year so they ended up dispatched at 4 months before they had time to fully mature. They were edible with slow cooking.

Pyxis

suki1964 wrote: »

A pullet is a young hen , before they can lay

Caponising can be done yourself still. It’s removing the testicles from a rooster which makes them more docile

Canonising was a way of controlling the amount of cockerels you had. I had three cockerels hatch last year so they ended up dispatched at 4 months before they had time to fully mature. They were edible with slow cooking.

Saintly cockerels? :rotfl:

(Sorry, couldn't resist. )



How is it done?

suki1964

Google it

Basically removing the gonads makes for a more subtle meat at an older age

The chickens you buy in the supermarket are six weeks old if bred in the uk. That’s why they are so flabby and tasteless My 4 month old Roos had drumsticks on them that would put a turkey to shame

Unfortunately because I chose egg laying breeds, very little meat and needs a slow cook, not fit for roasting but a capon you can

Beckyy

edwink wrote: »

Glad you managed to see the vet with your hen and that she will have an antibiotic injection. Just wondering why she is having her injection tomorrow?

I went to the mini local surgery branch which is closer, thinking it might be less stressful for her but they didn't have the AB needed there.

We're treating with Noroclav - broad spectrum pencillin based. She had an injection yesterday of 0.5ml and I've 4 more 0.5ml doses to give at home, one injection each day. The poor girl will not be keen on me by the end of the week! I'm taking a photo each day to see any differences. She seems happy in herself otherwise and the swelling looked a tiny bit better today, easy enough to give the injection too - much more so than catching her now!

edwink

Beckyy wrote: »

I went to the mini local surgery branch which is closer, thinking it might be less stressful for her but they didn't have the AB needed there.

We're treating with Noroclav - broad spectrum pencillin based. She had an injection yesterday of 0.5ml and I've 4 more 0.5ml doses to give at home, one injection each day. The poor girl will not be keen on me by the end of the week! I'm taking a photo each day to see any differences. She seems happy in herself otherwise and the swelling looked a tiny bit better today, easy enough to give the injection too - much more so than catching her now!

Thanks for the update. Fingers crossed the injections do the job. Bless her. Good luck with catching her first

Edwink

Pyxis

Tiglath has started a blog about her impending smallholding move/adventure.............


https://kentishadventure.com

edwink

Pyxis wrote: »

Tiglath has started a blog about her impending smallholding move/adventure.............

https://kentishadventure.com

Thank you so much for this info Pyxis

Edwink

edwink

Tiglath wrote: »

What is a reasonable number of chickens to start with? We're moving to a smallholding next month with an acre of land including 3 spacious chicken runs (and a pigrun). We're thinking 5 or so rescues in one of the runs - is that a good number to put together? I appreciate they'll be strangers to each other, and we're busy learning our chicken lore before we take that step, so we want to start small until we become more confident. We may put geese in the orchard as the current owner has 7 or 8 which seem perfectly happy in amongst the fruit trees. Anyone keep geese?

Hi Tiglath

Pyxis has kindly posted info of your new blog on this thread. Just wanted to wish you every success and good luck with your new adventure.

We live a semi self sufficient lifestyle at home. It is hard work at times but well worth it and very rewarding.

Enjoy yourself.

Edwink