Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Too hot to butcher

If it wasn't 108 outside, I'd butcher a few of these guys and gals... Mainly because...the young-ins have started laying! Whoo hoo! This week, I've gathered 4 pullet eggs. They are a little small, but they're layin'!

The older girls just have quit. Out of 15 hens, I've been getting 2-3 eggs a day. Well, I was until it got so dang blamed hot. They've given up almost completely on laying. But now, the young gals, who can tolerate the heat slightly better--or are too young and dumb to know that they can "shut her down" during the heat--are laying.

Which means that I'll soon need to cull the flock.

I was ready to cull last night...those "free" seven roosters who came with my 25 pullets this past spring are really making me mad. They're horny. They're aggressive. They pick on one poor rooster all the time. They're horny. They won't leave the hens alone, and, did I mention that they are horny?

I've had enough of their shenanigans and am willing to butcher, but it's just too hot.

The light birds are my 3 year old hens. The darker ones are the youngsters. That big guy in the middle is the King. He has 2 inch spurs and does try to keep those other young whipper-snappers in line, but he's just one guy and has decided that it's too hot to chase the boys around. Just call him "Rosco P. Coltrain." He's doin' his best, but the odds are against him! He's not getting culled cause he's the nicest Rooster I've ever had. He's begging me to do something about those delinquents...I will, I will...

Just not till it cools down...like November.





3 comments:

Dirt Road Quilter said...

LOL! It's too hot to do much of anything! DH and I have been taking refuge by swimming in the storage tanks when we're out checking water. It's hard to muster the energy for much of anything else. If you have an excess of eggs, can you sell them?

Shelljo said...

When I get an excess of eggs, I usually give some to my Mom (who's 50 miles away) or to some of Kev's co-workers.

We were at the farm the other day and thought about getting in the stock tank to cool off...but THAT water was much too cold! I've thought about your drought as well, and have worried about y'all "down south" too!

Dirt Road Quilter said...

Have y'all had any rain yet? Sure hope so! Still dry here, but starting to see a drop or two. My SIL in San Angelo, Tx said they got 4" yesterday and it's raining buckets again this morning. Didn't have your e-mail so thought I'd drop you a line this way. Had a cross stitch question for you too. desertrancher@gmail.com