Recent content by sfessler

  1. sfessler

    Slit Throats or Decapitation? What should I do??

    Quote: Hard to do it wrong. Grab birds head in left hand with thumb under beak and fingers on top of head. Stretch bird to stop movement and skinny up the neck area where you will be slitting. Now you want to use your right hand to slit near the head but in the skinny part of the neck. There...
  2. sfessler

    Are those knives you can get from McMurrays, etc. JUNK?

    Go to walmart and buy a fish fillet knife. Super cheap, thin blade made of SS. Comes with a little sharpener too.
  3. sfessler

    our first processing experience--question

    I find the hardest part of the whole job to be locating and removing the crop. I found a trick though after about 8 birds. So you kill, bleed, behead, and then pluck. I use regular garden pruners to pop the head off after I believe the bird is dead. Then I cut the feet off. Then I flip the bird...
  4. sfessler

    Post your straight-run M/F ratio, let's see if hatcheries are honest

    25 "SLOW" cornish cross from Privett, straight run, 8 roosters and 17 hens. BTW, never order the slow ones as they are very slow. I am at 12.5 weeks and barely 4 lbs processed weight.
  5. sfessler

    Slitting vs Chopping

    I slit my first 10 this last weekend. The birds were calm and everything went smoothly, quietly, in a controlled manner with nearly no way to screw it up. Swinging an axe/hatchet leaves obvious chances for error that could result in a very unpleasant experience for all. I believe that the heart...
  6. sfessler

    McCleary Chicken Massacre! (a bit of blood)

    Quote: That's amazing! Which or what Conservation District? I wonder if they have that sort of stuff available up here.... The pierce county conservation district just acquired a setup like shown here. Rents for 20$ per day. How heavy were the dressed birds in the photos? I did my biggest...
  7. sfessler

    Weighing Live Birds

    Even easier, use your bathroom scale but weigh yourself alone first and then grab a chicken and get back on the scale. The difference is the bird's weight. I worry about trying to use a bathroom scale designed for weighing heavy objects and trying to weigh a 6 lb bird. Your working in the bottom...
  8. sfessler

    Turkey Processing in WA

    Quote: Have yet to find cheap feed in western WA. Still nearly 18$ for 50# of 20% flockraiser. Do you know something I don't? May be referring to my deal. I get 1k lbs freshly ground as needed for $350 in Monroe. Right now he is double checking the formula because he is not seeing the...
  9. sfessler

    CHICKEN & TURKEY PROCESSING in WA STATE!

    Quote: They won't, or at least I sure won't. That price is ridiculous regardless of the cost of a supermarket bird. Why not get the best of both worlds and raise your animals cheaply, healthy, and respectfully, and then butcher them yourself to save even more? My time is worth something and...
  10. sfessler

    CHICKEN & TURKEY PROCESSING in WA STATE!

    Interesting. Appears that they offer "processing" but what really does that include and at what cost? Let us know if you go that route. I live just up the road, well within a short drive anyways.
  11. sfessler

    When to start removing food from "slow" CX?

    I have 25 slow CX and started the 12/12 after 3 full weeks. None have died except one during the first three weeks due to being a defective critter that failed to grow. He got walked all over till I off'd him. I actually find the whole flock quite lovable with full foliage and attitudes after 8...
  12. sfessler

    Turkey Processing in WA

    Quote: Have yet to find cheap feed in western WA. Still nearly 18$ for 50# of 20% flockraiser. Do you know something I don't?
  13. sfessler

    Feed question

    My CX have just consumed their first 150 lbs and they are 6 weeks old. I pull feed at 10pm and put it back at 7am. They are the "slow" variety but seem to be quite large. Maybe I'm just getting a good conversion? The first 100 of the 150 was 24% turkey starter and the last 50# was 20% protein...
  14. sfessler

    Deed is Done!

    So you say a dunk, how long did you hold him in the 150 degree water for your feather results? I have a pretty good grip on everything except for time in the scald.
  15. sfessler

    Most cost effective protein levels?

    I just switched from a 24% starter at 18$/50# to a 20% at the same price. The 20% crumbles have way less fines in the bag for some reason and the birds love it. Consumption hasn't really gone up or down. I wouldn't pay mor efor the 24% as I don't see the growth rates changing which tells me...
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