tamidon | Running ahead of avian flu

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I culled 8 out off my 11 hens today. I'm not sad about it, after they stop laying I usually cull and make stock out of them. I would have done this cull soonish, when it's not so cold, but avian flu is all around me. Reports coming in across MA and in the town next to me has 2 cases already. It's not possible to secure my run right now, and little birds run in and out all the time. I have left my bad ass rooster, Buster, and 3 hens to keep him company. I hope he makes it, he killed a hawk to protect his ladies once. Only 2 even had any proto eggs in them, they were over 2 years old and I was only getting 1 egg a day, it was time. Culling now, tho, means I can use them for food. If they got flu they would have to be cleaned out and somehow dealt with safely. Now I have 30# of hen in the freezer to use later.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

rmd

Re flu proximity: Yikes!

From:

gingicat

Sympathies on the need, and I'm sure they will be tasty. Haven't seen you in ages, but I'm pretty sure you still take good care of livestock.

From:

elusiveat

"I have left my bad ass rooster, Buster, and 3 hens to keep him company. I hope he makes it, he killed a hawk to protect his ladies once."

Waaaaaaat! That's amazing. I want more details.

From:

tamidon

Mark came in one morning and said there was a hawk trapped in a corner in the run, between the fence and a tree. Sure enough, the most pissed off hawk was trapped there. I called Animal Control, and she came and helped me get the hawk out. During this Buster the rooster was about 20' away, pacing back and forth with all the hens behind him. Later I get a call from the AC who said the hawk didn't have any broken bones, but there were 3-4 lacerations on his chest that she thought were from Buster. So, kudos to him, no freezer camp. A month later there was another hawk in the coop, but this one was dead.