Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Norma Sutton" <sweetspringfarm@gmail.com>]

Hi John,

I agree, although chickens can be cannibals by nature.  Some of them, once they get a taste of blood will kill even in free range ones, but it isn't nearly as often as in ones that are penned.  I do know that they are omnivores . . . I've watched mine chase down lizards and mice and pull them to shreads before eatting them.

Norma

 

On 2/24/07, John Smith <mikakigr@gmail.com> wrote:

Sorry, but the thought of feeding chickens with chicken meat reminded me of the Mad Cow scare where I seem to have read that something was caused by feeding cows feeds containing cow protein. Yes, I know that cows are totally herbivore whereas chickens are probably omnivores, but still I find it something of a perversion to force them into cannibalism, which does not usually happen in nature.

 

I'd be interested in anyone setting me right about these half remembered things or any other reactions.

 

John Smith

 

On 2/14/07, Harvey Ussery <huboxwood@earthlink.net > wrote:

> But I'm with Carrie: The stockpot is a much better place for a tough or
>> ornery old bird that's begging to be culled. And note she said "skin."
>> If I'm doing a proper slaughtering, I scald and pluck. But if I have
>> just one or two birds to cull on the run, it's much faster to just skin,
>> gut, and throw in the stockpot. But a better use of the stock-making
>> residues, Carrie, is--feed them to the flock. Ain't nothing they like
>> better than--chicken!
>>
>> ~Harvey in northern VA

> At the end there did you mean you feed chicken meat to chickens?  ~John

Remember the original question: Joanna was considering simply composting
a couple of cocks who had worn out their welcome at her place. I was
agreeing with Carrie: Better to put them in the stockpot. The main
"payoff" from an old bird on our place is the broth, not the meat.
(Actually, we pick the meat off the bones and eat it as well, but the
*real* contribution of the old bird, cock or hen, is that incomparable
broth.)

So I was suggesting to Joanna, in lieu of composting the birds to put
them thru the stockpot first then (if she didn't want to bother with the
meat) simply throw the rest to the birds. But even if the meat is used,
the skin, bones, and meat fragments left after straining the stock are
great treats for the flock. It's what we always do with ours.

~Harvey in northern VA
www.themodernhomestead.us



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