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I like to spatchcock the smaller ones. You cut down each side of the backbone with good shears and then flip it over and smash down the breast until the bone breaks and it lays flat. Then you cook it with the legs turned out, all flat-like. There are videos on YouTube. To halve one, I'd...

Skimming is the standard method. Personally, I've taken to bringing the chicken to a rapid boil, and then dumping that, rinsing it off, and then starting the stock as normal. Less scummy, and apparently was an old timey method I read somewhere.

In my experience, when skinning older birds, the worst bit is on the back just above and over the hips, I always use the filet knife through there because if I He-Man it and pull it off, it will rip and then I have to filet without a good edge to hold.

I have an off-brand, Kitchener it's called. I have not had any trouble with bruising or with skin tearing, but the skin is all about your scald. I like to keep mine between 145-150. For me, if I get to 160, I'll start having trouble. No bruising here. I've done big and small DP birds and 11...

Yeah, skinning still takes effort, it's just a different effort lol. I prefer to use my plucker, but setting that and the scalder up and down is more work than skinning.

Yeah, I tried making a cone out of a jug, mine are just too big and they flip themselves out of it. I've done the slitting plenty, I just really don't like it :idunno Honestly, I don't feel like the ones I do with the broomstick don't bleed out well enough, so that's what I do for the most part.

I feel like it gets easier in that I am practiced and skilled now, but it's still a heavy task. I really prefer the broomstick method too, I dislike slitting.

Yes, that's exactly it. I have to tap into the excitement of doing a job well and being responsible for my animals and providing food to get into that headspace. Because nobody (normal) really enjoys killing things. I had 4 Black Sexlink cockerels that really needed to be done a few years...

Yeah, I'm not a frou-frou huggy/feely/emotional type about my birds, but it's emotionally draining in a way. I have to be in the right mood to process, because if I'm not, things just don't go well at all and I get frustrated.

Set up and clean up are just the worst. It's like, I want to do enough birds to make all of this effort worth it, but at the same time I don't want to be out here doing birds all day long when I know I have to clean and tear down all the STUFF to boot... When I got the Cornish X last year I...

From my experience, I would suggest doing 3 at a time more than once before you decide. The first time is a bit overwhelming - everything is new, you're not sure you're doing it right, it seems hard, it takes awhile to finish, etc. But then if you wait a few days and do it again, it's a bit...

I totally brought the horse savvy to rooster handling too :lau I rarely ever have a problem, so when I do it's fairly clear that the bird in question may not need to breed on or keep his head. I always move in the pens very purposefully, I go exactly where I want to go, and if that means the...

My Barred Rocks almost never crow before 12 weeks. Usually not before 14, and it's not unusual for them to just be starting to pipe up shortly after 16. But, they're a very slow maturing bird (they're standard-bred, not hatchery). The Barred color in particular is bred to be very slow...

So he'll be just under 16 weeks, give or take which day you do him. Do report back on how much he weighs :)

To be fair, the water bath pot is handy nonetheless. We usually do the water for sterilizing the jars in it. And you can't beat a huge old pot for big batches of sauces or broth at times. Of course, if you have limited space, that's a consideration.

And beware, there are guides out there for canning in Instant Pots and the generics, but it is NOT safe, no matter who claims it is.

I'd far prefer to can my broth too, but ugh what an ordeal. Make it, strain it, chill it, defat it, heat it back up again, sterilize jars, fill, can. I will probably at some point, but not yet.

Our stores are very unreliable with stocking of it. I can usually (but not always) find sodium free beef broth, but rarely ever chicken. I save the backs and necks when I butcher and vacuum seal them together in bags, and use those to make stock then freeze in portions. I don't have the...

Same, my mother has kidney failure and I work very hard to eliminate sodium wherever possible. Chicken meat and broth are both big contributors.

I can't remember the numbers offhand right now, but when I picked up some Cornish X for $1/each when they were about 3 weeks old, I remember doing the math and working out that they would be costing me just less than store-bought, and was happy with that. So it's not a ton more than store...