Processing Plan – according to plan (or not)?

[Derby18]

Processing Plan – according to plan (or not)?

This was plan A:

My plan was to have them off food for 24 hours, I was going to start tomorrow morning before they woke up (like 4:30 am) so I could just quietly pick the birds out one by one and bring them to the cone for a swift swipe with a scalpel. Well this morning when I went in the coop to give them a last meal and some fresh corn on the cob one of them slipped past me and there was no way I was going to get this free ranger back in the coop.

Should I go to plan B:

Get them back in the coop tonight at 7:00 pm pull food and start processing them at 7:00 am tomorrow so that would be 12 hours off feed and they will be wide awake.

This will be my first time and I will be alone (which is why I was hoping for the empty gut & sleepy birds). I have my nerve up now so a part of me wants to follow thru vs. waiting longer to go back to plan A which I would have to put it off for another week or two.

Also is it really important not to have bedding down when you pull the food? I usually have fresh shavings in my coop.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

12 hrs without food should be fine. Honestly I think when you start grabbing birds in the morning, they would still squauk and wake up the others. Just make sure they have plenty of water to wash everything out.
Just adding that when I pulled feed 24hrs before butchering my CornishX, they had grass in their gizzards meaning they were hungry enough to try to eat the "icky" green stuff growing out of the ground.

I wouldn't put it past them to eat shavings.

 

[RedneckRebel]

I would have mine in a cage of sort in my building, I would start on them as early as I could, I hang mine up from the feet and cut their heads off so the blood empties faster, the meat tastes better, plus it is more humane, I plan on butchering mine around July 10th or so, I have Cornish too, and they'll eat anything green, and bugs of all kinds, if you need any advice or tips, message me, I'm happy to offer all the advice I can

 

[Life is Good!]

Yes, having an empty crop makes dealing with the neck area much easier. But I'd rather have happier birds! So, ours got a smaller than usual 'dinner' at 4pm (typical) and we started processing at 8pm (after work and evening chores). Yes, there was food in the crops - but we've learned how to deal with that - just be careful, as the skin on the crop can tear easily - and if the contents get on the table, the contents end up on the bird too! Messy to clean up.....

Never withhold water. And with their appetite, I wouldn't put it past them to eat just about whatever fits in their beaks!

 

[daleeper]

You may already be started, I would move to plan b. If there is food in the crop, just be careful with it, clean up if one bursts. Don't worry about the bedding. There is usually wood chips in the gizzards when we clean them.