Crawfish

[Mergie Master]

I don't know who cotton top is but I do know you getter plan a crawfish boil wayyyy in advance if you expect to have enough to eat. Better do creek sweeps all day on your days off.

That how kids catch crawfish, we've all turned rocks as kids but we grew up. If you really want to catch crawbugs you have to sink traps. In a good hole you can catch enough overnight to feed a good sized group of people.

[Whackumstackum]

Da hell are you seeing nice weather?

Best you don't even worry about the weather or any crawfish or your neighbor will kick that ass.......

[Baggy]

Thanks Mergie. I've got good well water, so I'm good on that front. I'm not far from 96 haven't seen meal cake in years. You know the name of the place?

[Mergie Master]

Thanks Mergie. I've got good well water, so I'm good on that front. I'm not far from 96 haven't seen meal cake in years. You know the name of the place?

I don't remember, it's been several years. I'll run down there tomorrow and get the name, I'll also check to see if they have any meal cake. I remember when I was there last time they told me they got it out of Mississippi.

There used to be a big cottonseed mill in South Greenwood, torn down now. There was one in 96 too, it's still standing but no longer in operation. It sits beside and kind of behind the Mexican restaurant on 34 just out of town. I've heard my dad talk about going to buy meal at the one in Greenwood with my granddaddy. They rode down there on the mule wagon to buy a load of meal. He said he had seen those guys that work there on their lunch break take cold biscuits from home, make a hole in them with their finger and pour the hole full of meal for their lunch. He also said he'd eat it by the handfuls on the way home. I think it had molasses mixed in it. Grandad bought it for the cows to eat. It was cheap feed.

[Baggy]

I heard similar tales from my grandmother about what I'm assuming is the same place. She was born in South Georgia, but grew up at the brick house in Epworth. Heard lots of tales from that place.

[bigtimeduckhunter]

I don't remember, it's been several years. I'll run down there tomorrow and get the name, I'll also check to see if they have any meal cake. I remember when I was there last time they told me they got it out of Mississippi.

There used to be a big cottonseed mill in South Greenwood, torn down now. There was one in 96 too, it's still standing but no longer in operation. It sits beside and kind of behind the Mexican restaurant on 34 just out of town. I've heard my dad talk about going to buy meal at the one in Greenwood with my granddaddy. They rode down there on the mule wagon to buy a load of meal. He said he had seen those guys that work there on their lunch break take cold biscuits from home, make a hole in them with their finger and pour the hole full of meal for their lunch. He also said he'd eat it by the handfuls on the way home. I think it had molasses mixed in it. Grandad bought it for the cows to eat. It was cheap feed.

It is cheap but one of the best cattle feeds available. If I remember correctly it has 40+% protein. We've fed it for years, a lot of dairies still use it regularly.

[DuvnDux]

To purge them, cover with clean water and pour a box of salt over them. Add a little more water to help dissolve the salt. They will start spitting and shitting and turn the water muddy. Rinse with clean water and repeat. I learned this from Warren Coco (Go Devi) and it works wonders.

[Hosscat]

Someone over in Calhoun Falls makes cakes still and they even ship.

And yes dairies do add cotton seed hulls to mixed rations because it is cheap. I handled a lot of it when I worked at a dairy. I can't imagine eating it myself though.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[fuzzy]

I am not a fan of the salt purge method. In my opinion, it causes a higher mortality rate. My preference is purging in fresh water for a day or two.

[fuzzy]

This is my setup for purging. I use to purge them in a 120 quart cooler, but redid my setup the first of this year.


20180301_103158.jpg

[CurLee]

Jumping off the hay mow into a dump truck load of cotton seed was a highlight of growing up in a dairy farm.

[DuvnDux]

I am not a fan of the salt purge method. In my opinion, it causes a higher mortality rate. My preference is purging in fresh water for a day or two.

I’ve never had a problem losing any in the salt bath but I only leave it for a short time.

[ccleroy]

Me either, I always salt bath mine an hour or so prior to soaking. 2-3 changes of water with salt just to be sure.

[willyworm]

This is my setup for purging. I use to purge them in a 120 quart cooler, but redid my setup the first of this year.


20180301_103158.jpg

When you do that do you drop in any food source for em? Or are they essentially self sustaining thru the purging process?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[wskinner]

When you do that do you drop in any food source for em? Or are they essentially self sustaining thru the purging process?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

The point of purging is to clean out their digestive tract, so that’s a no on feeding.

[willyworm]

Makes sense. Just never caught my own for a soiree or anything, so never needed to do the purging thing before. Figured I'd ask just to fill my curiosity. We always get ours from Hawthornes here in Sumter so I reckon they've always done that for us. Not really sure honestly.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[goosebegone]

Anyone ever caught the mud bugs near Charleston? And is there a difference from the ones you catch here and the ones in Louisiana?

[willyworm]

I'm sure the migratory ones have hybridized the locals.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk