Ever processed someone else's birds?

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orumpoultry

orumpoultry

Songster
7 Years
Jan 30, 2012
1,867
134
178
Trinity, TX
I just had one of my customers call me and ask if I would be interested in processing ( and keeping the meat from ) their twelve hens to make room for their new hens. Not sure how I feel about it. I mean I don't mind but processing birds is hard enough process... She lives almost an hour away and wants to just come out and see how it's done. She wants to see what the plucking process is all about, and also see how they're skinned. When she first brought it up two months ago I said sure, and didn't think twice about it. Now the time is here and I don't know how I feel about it.

Not so much that we mind company, but we just bought the place and I don't really want a lot of foot traffic in the new homestead. We're still cutting down trees and cleaning up a LOT of trash left from the previous owners. I don't want her getting the wrong message seeing our "trashy" new place. Since she's not a close friend and hasn't been on the many, many clean ups we've had getting this place whipped into shape the last few months. She hasn't been around to see the truck loads of junk we've hauled off. I'm proud of all the things we've accomplished. I'm excited about all the things we have left to do! One of the other things she wants is to see how our pens are set up, as she's looking to expand her flocks. We have several hoop coops and several semi-permanent chicken structures, so it would give her a chance to see different designs. But I am, by no means, not exactly ready to be giving tours. Half of my pens are still piles of lumber next to the shed thanks to the rain, haha. Haven't had a chance to set or build anything...

She also offered to have me go out there and do it, which I wouldn't mind either except what if I forget tools? What if I forget something important, like one of my processing knives? Maybe I'm just over thinking this. I could just take pictures of my pens and show her that way I suppose.... Conflicted.

Thoughts?
 
orumpoultry said:
I just had one of my customers call me and ask if I would be interested in processing ( and keeping the meat from ) their twelve hens to make room for their new hens. Not sure how I feel about it. I mean I don't mind but processing birds is hard enough process... She lives almost an hour away and wants to just come out and see how it's done. She wants to see what the plucking process is all about, and also see how they're skinned. When she first brought it up two months ago I said sure, and didn't think twice about it. Now the time is here and I don't know how I feel about it.

Not so much that we mind company, but we just bought the place and I don't really want a lot of foot traffic in the new homestead. We're still cutting down trees and cleaning up a LOT of trash left from the previous owners. I don't want her getting the wrong message seeing our "trashy" new place. Since she's not a close friend and hasn't been on the many, many clean ups we've had getting this place whipped into shape the last few months. She hasn't been around to see the truck loads of junk we've hauled off. I'm proud of all the things we've accomplished. I'm excited about all the things we have left to do! One of the other things she wants is to see how our pens are set up, as she's looking to expand her flocks. We have several hoop coops and several semi-permanent chicken structures, so it would give her a chance to see different designs. But I am, by no means, not exactly ready to be giving tours. Half of my pens are still piles of lumber next to the shed thanks to the rain, haha. Haven't had a chance to set or build anything...

She also offered to have me go out there and do it, which I wouldn't mind either except what if I forget tools? What if I forget something important, like one of my processing knives? Maybe I'm just over thinking this. I could just take pictures of my pens and show her that way I suppose.... Conflicted.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Well, from a biosecurity standpoint it is better to go to her and just take pics of your set up along. Then you don't have to worry about what she thinks and she can clean up the mess after processing!
 
I would probably just tell her that at this time, you are not really set up for processing birds due to the move and cleanup. That would probably be enough, but if she questions further, you could always suggest setting up a visit out to her IF that is feasible for you. Otherwise, you could just apologize and say that even though you said yes, it's just not going to work out right now.
 
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Chickerdoodle13 said:
I would probably just tell her that at this time, you are not really set up for processing birds due to the move and cleanup. That would probably be enough, but if she questions further, you could always suggest setting up a visit out to her IF that is feasible for you. Otherwise, you could just apologize and say that even though you said yes, it's just not going to work out right now.
Click to expand...

I think that is the best thing to do. It did seem like an ok thing when you said yes, it's also ok to change your mind or have other commitments come up.

It is my firm belief that people should be flexible when raising livestock.
 
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Or you could just spend less time worrying about what people think of your material possessions, and try to help out another human being that is trying to learn more about our hobby.
 
Taking time to process 12 birds is a huge time commitment, especially when you have so much on your plate. While you have offered assistance that would be greatly appreciated... 12 birds? Unless you are VERY fast at processing, that's a lot of time. At least it would be for me. And the biosecurity... huge issue. Why don't you offer to go and HELP her process 2 or 3 of her birds. Don't do it for her. Don't let her stand around and watch. Do have her roll up her sleeves and do the work. Tell her what equipment to have ready. Tell her how to set it up. She should be able to provide the basics. You can just show up with some of the basics that make it work for you. (? Killing cone, favorite knife) Then, after processing several birds, it's time for you to go home. She can process the rest when it's convenient for her. Part of owning chickens is putting on the big girl panties, and doing the difficult stuff as well as just the fun stuff. You can bring pics of your works in progress to share. Personally, I'd feel honored if you shared pics of the current state of your homestead, and dreams for it's development.
 
Aust1227 said:
Or you could just spend less time worrying about what people think of your material possessions, and try to help out another human being that is trying to learn more about our hobby.
Click to expand...

wow - how you managed to read that into what was posted is beyond me
hu.gif
 
Tomorrow she is bringing her birds to the butcher. Even at my fastest it would take me all day to do twelve birds...

I'm going to show her how to process a few of her hens and she's going to help. She's getting a plucker and a cone for the next go'round. I don't mind helping people, teaching them, but twelve birds is a lot. I'd have to house them for a few days and I just don't have a place to quarantine right now, not that many birds at least.

She's going to come next week and tour our set up, I've warned her about the mess were still working on cleaning up. She doesn't care, fwew. They've done homework, she has watched hours of videos. She just wants to do some hands on learning.

I know when I processed my first bird it was a total disaster. Poor Earl ended up half plucked half processed before we just gave up and froze what we figured out. Ten years later, I still look back on that and shake my head.
 

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