Recent content by miken56

Use a water heater, preferably one with foam insulation (Marathon). I use an 80 gal from landfill, cut down about a third of the way, use the standard element and thermostat with either 110v 0r 220v. Start night before and holds temp well for 60 to 80 birds at a time, maybe more.

Yes, I have been using my same water heater for the last seven years with both 110 and 220. I think the volume of water and the foam insulation are the biggest keys to success.

Are you talking about an old hen/rooster to make a stock for soup or what? So many different things to do from the boiling for several hours. Yummy!

My thoughts on fat be it chicken(smaltz), duck, pork(lard), or cow(butter) are all natural, not processed, homogenized, hydrogenated, etc. I feel when they are altered to make them more appealing, longer lasting on store shelves is where problems start.

You really don't cut through it, you expose it and run your fingers along the bone and cartilage then lift it out. Come to think of it this may only work with younger chickens, not old hens etc.

I don't know where I saw it but I take out the backbone with poultry shears (sometimes before eviscerating, sometimes after) Then spread them open to reveal the breast bone. If you take a knife and just slightly cut the cartilage right where the wishbone meets the breastbone. Then push down on...

Butchering some tomorrow at 7 weeks looks like the Cornish x will go 5-6 pounds dressed but the red broilers wont even go 3 pounds maybe a touch over. Well I have feed for another 3 weeks see if that will let them catch up

Well a little update on this thread. The red broilers do seem to forage more than previous batches of CornishX. :) A hawk killed one of each at 4.5 weeks and the red broiler dressed out at 1# and the Cornish cross at 2# :(:) It may have been that I had them on grass at 2 weeks old and they...

My DW makes a chicken a-la-king in pint jars for a ready to use quick meal alone, over noodles or rice, or just out of the jar YUMMY

I asked this about a month ago. I ended up getting 50 Red Broilers and 50 Cornish Cross- all males. Delivery in first part of August--We will see:):(:hmm

One year I got some broilers from another hatchery and they were small at 8 weeks (maybe 2# average less per bird). I raise 100 on the edge of town here (100 because that is what eats about 1000# minimum order for bulk feed from our mill) that is why I only want them around for 8 weeks because...

Hoover Hatchery has what they call a "Red Broiler" that looks very close to their "Cornish Cross Broiler" Question is does anybody have experience with these (other hatcheries may have something similar). I like the overall physique (according to the picture) and the idea of a little better...

I agree with Hufflefluff on this. I raise Cornish cross (I get 100 because my thinking is "Go big or go home", something my wife and I don't always see eye to eye on LOL) because I raise them in a small town and don't need crowing roosters. I used to get them in the spring (April 1st) to beat...

As an add on to this thread when you have the backbone out you can just cut about a half inch deep on the front cartilage by the wish bone and the grab each half and spread apart. This exposes the keel bone and it and the cartilage will pull out (some easier than others). Sometimes just...

I did this today and it works great! I have chefs choice professional shears and have done maybe 200 chickens with them. Only difference is i cut the backbone out and then clean them out.