Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Nah I'm not too sure I'll be free ranging any of the GPs. I've got 8 free range Chickens in the backyard and I've read that they rip shreds off of GPs!

Yeah, Certainly a great reuse material. I reckon it'll do the trick

Top work!

Love the hutches, they look great.
One thing to bear in mind though is that they apparently need some amount of daylight daily.
Not sure how true it is though since people do keep them indoors?
You might just tempt me to join in the adventure...

Thanks Bodgy! Good point about the sunlight, I've just done a bit of research with regards to this. Most websites recommend keeping them indoors to avoid direct sunlight due to temperature fluctuations. I'm going to keep mine outside under the car port and see how it goes.

Go on, join in mate

Ahh, okay, must have just been one site that gave me that idea.
Go with the majority I say, if people raise them without daily sun exposure with success I'd believe them for sure.

I'm fighting the urge, people already think I'm on the stranger end of the sliding scale for eccentricity...
Getting a group of local 'enthusiasts' together to swap genetic stock would be a great idea though.
Pretty sure my family and friends would react negatively if I farmed them.
Could use a cover story perhaps... tell them that that I'm breeding them for profit and cuddles. pmsl
But they know me and wouldn't be fooled for long. (or at all).
Even raising pigeons for meat would go down like a lead balloon, Guinea Pigs for meat would horrify them.
People are way too easily disturbed sadly.
Pretty sure my hunting activities even raised eyebrows. But did that stop them eating the venison?
I'd have a PETA style raid in no time to liberate the tasty morsels.

Hahaha! Completely understand! I on the other hand I'm quite known for crazy ideas and most of my friends and family are aware that I've bred rats and mice for profit in the past so I have a good cover story slowly but surely I'll let some of them in on the whole thing... or maybe not.

Hmm, I could claim to have reptile keeping contacts who are willing to buy them as feeders.
No plans for it yet but I've been pondering this for years already and it's tempting me again since you started this thread.
I've spoken to enough people about it over that time that they'd be onto me quicksmart though I suspect.
Made that "just like chicken but better because you get four drumsticks" joke way too many times to get away with it.

Haha,
I used that one on my wife yesterday!

well we're not quite at guinea pigs yet, still need to by a male breeder... but heres a rooster from today (my first time killing a bird!)

Glad you've updated the thread, I've been wondering how the Guinea pigs were going.
When we slaughtered and dressed chickens at school (sounds strange I know, we did shooting as sport as seniors too) one trick we were shown was to hold the chicken in the left hand (for right handed people) by both legs and also both wings tips, for a firm flap free grip.
Then to hold the head there were two nails driven partly into a timber block spaced apart about the same distance as the chook's neck.
All you have to do it place the head on one side of the nails and gently pull back with your left hand to secure the head then chop. It's nice quick, no fuss method and we had quite a few to get through.
If you keep hold of the chook (feet and wings) it can't flap and it's death throes are heaps shorter since there is more resistance I guess.
How did he cook up?

How long did it take to dress out of curiosity? And how did you do it?
Looks like a nice bird. Lots of corn in the diet? :-)
Let us all know how dinner turned out!


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A lot of adults don't. This is a big problem. I am nearly 40 and just introducing myself to it now. Trying to educate the rest of the family and friends also. This is being written by a former vegan. A really sick one...

Can we get back to the slippers idea? Lets just say I might be interested in this (although it would mean I would be dining alone), I'd really like to use the skin. Any idea how difficult this would be? Cause it would make an awesome patchwork quilt/floor rug. Waste not want not and all that.

Regarding the bill Mollison method of cooking, it reminds me of teppinyaki prawn heads. Except there is no description about gutting. Do they eat the guts too or pick them out as they go?


I personally would be happier seeing the GPs on the ground in a tractor type scenario so they are able to eat grass. Through mesh. I'm really keen to hear about the flavour. I'm thinking in a small backyard scenario, you could run GPS in the tractor followed by quail in a kind of polyface farming variant?

After reading this thread I'm determined to do quail. What's the best/biggest breed, sorry for hijacking. I see lots of ads for king quail.

Regarding GPs for meat, might pay you to visit at Peruvian club and speaking to some of the customers at the bar about where to find a nice large GP breeder. I'm sure someone will know someone. Don't they chop their legs off and stick them in their eyes to serve?

Can't wait til yr first harvest. Can you hurry it up a little?

Hey guys, sorry for the late reply!

Bodgy, thanks for the advice mate!

Katmac, it took me about an hour to dress it (gutting and all) but it was my first attempt. i reckon after some practise i could get it done in around 10-15mins. de-feathering was the most time consuming.

It cooked up great! a little tough, but delicious nonetheless!

Colours, i know, ive been a little slack on the GP front, hoping to get a male breeder by next weekend!
Regarding the quail, ive personally gone for Cournix Quail aka Japanese Quail, they are up there with the fastest hatching and growing Quail. Easy to raise and breed!

[quote="katmac"]How long did it take to dress out of curiosity? And how did you do it?
Looks like a nice bird. Lots of corn in the diet? :-)
Let us all know how dinner turned out!

Here is a quick vid...