October 29, 201510 yr Still working on getting this right, but iI feel that these two are much better then the first ones iI made.... Partially because iI made a bending jig. They're not quite identical, iI let one cool a bit before finishing the big bend.... And it didn't fit into my forge anymore.
January 21, 201610 yr Xavier, are you using a real crook for a template? if you want it to be truly functional I would suggest adding a leg crook to the other end. That way you have a neck crook on one end and leg on the other.
March 15, 201610 yr Author Sorry, I've been away for a while. No, I'm not using a template. I just got a little mig welder,I was debating welding a thinner rod to the leg to help stabilize it though. I haven't been in the forge all winter, so who knows, maybe they will look completely different whenI get it started up again.
March 15, 201610 yr We bend 1/2 round cold with just a couple of pieces of pipe welded to the table. Takes a half acre to swing the rod but each one comes out the same. Weld a 90* (L) to the bottom so you can step on it and push it into the ground.
March 15, 201610 yr LOL! Figures that when a Shepard and a Blacksmith are talking about a shepards hook they are most definitely NOT talking about the same thing... What are those for? Hanging bird feeders and potted plants? I was actually thinking of a shepards crook. Used to catch sheep. I use one when catching my sheep.
March 15, 201610 yr Author Lol Makes sense. Yeah, they're for bird feeders andplants and whatever else you want to hang in the middle of nowhere. Would steel make a good sheep catcher? The wife andI have been talking about getting some sleep, so this could be helpful to know for other purposes.
March 15, 201610 yr Only the working ends. The shaft should be light and flexible. The ends would need to be thin but still have strength.
March 15, 201610 yr Yup tons of people selling "Shepherds Crooks" but have never seen a leg hook or neck hook in use. I particularly like to look at Bishops' Croziers which are supposed to be stylized shepherd's' crooks...
March 15, 201610 yr When I worked as a shepherd, we used an aluminum crook with a funky bend that could be used on either necks or ankles. It also had the advantage of being very lightweight, and thus quick of handling. I suspect a steel hook might be a bit on the heavy side.
March 15, 201610 yr Picture of a traditional UK shepherds leg crook, These were competition pieces at one of the shows on the National Blacksmiths Competition circuit here in the UK
March 15, 201610 yr John, I really like the shape on those hooks. Nice. xavier, we had a guy at our local forge council demonstrate a simple jig he'd made for these hooks, using a car brake part (whose proper name is escaping me, think flat plate with a raised piece in the middle). Anyway, he basically just welded a stop onto it to catch the scrolled end, then pulled the hook around - easy, please. Jigs are definitely a plus in my book!
March 16, 201610 yr A thin steel hook works well for catching chickens by the legs in the open. Works best with three or for young'uns to drive the chickens.
March 16, 201610 yr John, those are exactly what I was thinking of. To be honest I'm glad I came across this thread, it has given me an idea for another project. I need a leg hook.
March 16, 201610 yr 40 minutes ago, Nobody Special said: A thin steel hook works well for catching chickens by the legs in the open. Works best with three or for young'uns to drive the chickens. Grandad used coat hanger. He was kind of sneaky, They never knew they were on the way to dinner until it was too late.
March 16, 201610 yr My grandmother didn't bother catching them. Back in the days that she kept chickens, she'd step out on the back stoop and blow their heads off with a pearl handled .38. She eventually stopped when her little farmhouse became part of suburbia. Something about repeated visits from people calling the police. (not illegal there, yet apparantly disconcerting...) I don't do it that way, it makes the feathers harder to get off.
March 26, 201610 yr On 3/16/2016 at 10:12 AM, Nobody Special said: On 3/16/2016 at 10:12 AM, Nobody Special said: My grandmother didn't bother catching them. Back in the days that she kept chickens, she'd step out on the back stoop and blow their heads off with a pearl handled .38 When I was growing up, it was a "rite of passage" when GrandMa called on you to help collect the chickens for Sunday dinner. She always had a lot more roosters that she needed, and was constantly "culling" them. When you had become sufficiently proficient with your .22 rifle, she'd take you out to the chicken yard fence, and point out the roosters that she wanted. It was up to you to shoot them in the head, without creating a big disturbance. Since both my cousins and I routinely burned thru a box of .22 bullets every day, the chickens never paid any attention to the sound of gunfire. .
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.