Well I'm down to the 3 hens as I finally had to give the female duck a ride to the neighbor's reservoir where she can live with bout 10 others.

 There has never been a rooster in the coop but that didn't stop one of the hens.  I had not seen her out in bout 7-8 days and had not picked up any eggs for same time,,,?? Well, this Am,I looked in coop and there she was setting on some eggs,,,? I moved her out of coop and she was setting on 12 eggs, felt of the eggs and they were all "warm" and she kept wantin back into the coop! I know the eggs had not been fertilized, but somehow her maternal instincts were getting there. I cracked one of the eggs but no sign of any chickie parts,,,,,? Figured the eggs would NOT develop and prolly not any good for eating,I removed em and got rid of them.. Thinkin I'ma NOW gonna get a young Rooster to full fill the three hen's maternal desires,,,,???

Domestic chicks of the ones I had never went the full 21 days anyway.

If there is any question on the eggs see if they float in cool water.

Floaters bad, sinkers good. There is an air bubble on the big end, take that into account. 

Get some wooden eggs to sit on and take the good ones everyday. They make those. Don't wash them either when you put them in the fridge, they last longer.

 Chit, Fixer,,,,,I had to laugh at the one bout the teenage boy,,,brings back SOOoooo many memories They used to call me ,,,,,,UMmmm,,,never mind,,!!

 Well, I just got back and that dang hen is setting on the eggs they all laid since yesterday,,!!  I remembered the wife had bought some wooden eggs for something and I fount them and fixin to do an exchange with that hen. I' glad you mentioned bout the cleanin tho, cause I always "test" em and clean em in a pan of cold water to see if any float,,,none so far. Thanks for the heads up,,,,

One day my sister went over to take care of the chickens, and Mr. Rooster was hanging by his feet from the clothesline.  Neighbor MAN had to do the morning chicken care....

TOOOO Funny,,,TBone,,,Had a good laugh on that one!!!

 When I was growin up on the farm, we had lots of chickies and sold the eggs as well had a chickie Rooster slaughter bout every three months or so,,,,

 I usually had to start a big fire under the 55 gallon barrel half full of water. When hot enough, my Dad would take the roosters by the neck and flip em around a couple of times and their necks would tear off. After floppin around for a few, he would take em by the legs and dip em in the boiling water a time or two and give em to us boys and Mother to start plucking them stinking feathers,!! That was the part I Hated

I was going to town one day and he asked to ride along to do some errands. One of his errands was he needed something at Tractor Supply. When we got in there, they had a bunch of baby chicks. He was looking them over, when I suggested that, since he already had laying chickens, that he might be able to use one of my daughter's incubators (at my house) to hatch his own eggs. Always thrifty($$$), he thought it was a great idea. When I asked him if had roosters, he said no. I replied that I needed to explain some things to him! (I thought the clerk was going to wet her pants when I was telling him!)

he must have figured it out. He had two kids when he built my garage in 2011. He now has 7 !!!

Anyway after the chicken soak turn that bad boy on throw the chicken in. 30 seconds flat that bird was a slick as a baby's butt save a few tail feathers. Can't soak a chicken to hot or too long because the fat will get too hot and the skin will tear. Then onto the gutting table and into the cold water till vacuum packing. Had a good system going. 

Killing them I had a couple of road cones that I cut to fit and shove them in there and cut their throat and let them bleed out. They close their eyes then so you know no one is home anymore. Duck on the other hand especially a Muscovy Drake will look you right in the eye. I changed that technique, kind of gave me the willies.

Anyway later I found a guy that had a manufactured stainless steel one for essentially nothing and sold the whizbang for $600. Still have the latest one but haven't used it in years. 

steve(ill) wrote: Joe... when i was dating wife 40 years ago, she lived on a farm.. Mom and dad were doing the 55 gallon drum / chicken ordeal one day when i stopped by... Didnt volunteer to help !!!

  Yeah, Steve,,like most kids, I kinda liked building the fire and gettin her Good and HOT but Dad would get on my case if too hot!! Them wet feathers is not too good, tho,,, Caan't figure as I LOVE chicken any way it is cooked,,,,!!

 Hey Fixer,,I seen one of them feather pluckers somewhere but can't remember where but it did work many wonderfuls,,,just chunk them chickiesm in there and spin em a few and they come out like a baby's butt,,,

I laugh bout them ducks as the female duck always would turn her head and look at me with the one eye for the longest,,,,another reason I had to give her a "ride" to the neighbor's reservoir,,,,,

 THAT DANG HEN,,,,,!!!! I went to all the trouble of looking for them wooden painted eggs the wife had hid out and,,,,and,,, NOW she won't go into the coop to lay on the wood eggs,,,,

 Well,,I'm too much of a "Softie", I guess,,,I do not plan on harvesting any of them hens,,I mean, I LIKE chickie meat but it gotta be someone elses,,,,,,,,

 I think I must of pissed her off real good when I used the hoe to dragged her off them 12 eggs and she kept wantin to go back and lay on em, clucking all the time,,,,

If I crapped a football I would get bitchy too.