100 Broilers and Fermented Feed Project

[aoxa]

From listening to your experience, that makes me want to position the cone at eye level while I"m seating in a chair and have the head inches from the 5 gallon bucket so the blood can drain directly in it.

Sounds like a good plan in theory. I've never sat down doing it, but don't see why you couldn't.

By the end of processing day my feet are aching.

We call it Slaughterday. It always falls on a Saturday...

 

[Beekissed]

I'm still have issues with the shavings getting in the feed. I have a question for those of you who use FF and shavings. If it's time to refill the feeder and there is still a little bit of feed in the feeder and shavings are in the feeder as well, what do you do with the leftover feed that has shavings in it? Do you throw it out or do you mix it up with the new FF that you fill up the feeder with? Throwing the feed out is a total waste and seems to defeat the purpose of doing FF since FF helps with waste.. The shavings being mixed it with the FF is driving me nuts.

Just knock it out into the bedding and proceed. Believe me, it will not go to waste...they will scratch for it and glean it out of the bedding. If you'd like to make it easier for them,place a flat board or something similar nearby on which to knock out the old feed. Nothing goes to waste with meaty birds.

Have you elevated your feeder and placed wire over it so they cannot walk into it? This will help tremendously and you can even do some training while you are there and they are eating by knocking the ones trying to get into the feeder off of it...I've done it and while you are standing there they will pretty much stop that behavior if you are consistent.

Other than that, the shavings won't hurt the feed or them, so you could just leave them be and feed on top of them.

The blood froze too while we were doing everything because of the cold weather. I slipped in it a few times. The cone was up high because I want to see what I'm doing. The garbage can with bag to collect blood was maybe 2 feet bellow. Room for error for sure! ETA: by error I mean blood making a mess.

You could maybe tack or tape a trash bag at the base of the cone on three sides to form a funnel down into your trash can...it can contain most of the blood. I don't try to collect the blood because the rest of the chickens are all waiting at the base of the tree to drink it and so it gets used in that way.

I place my cone level with my chest so I don't have to lift heavy birds very high and the neck is at my waist level where my hands naturally hang so there won't be undue strain over a full day of processing...that lifting heavy birds over and over and hand work can get tedious after doing many in a row. Ergonomics are my thing~I've always loved a smooth flowing work place designed for less waste of motion.

From listening to your experience, that makes me want to position the cone at eye level while I"m seating in a chair and have the head inches from the 5 gallon bucket so the blood can drain directly in it.

You might want to rethink that....the first time a chicken flings blood into your eyes and hair and you can't step back because you are seated, you may decide that sitting in front of a twitching, flailing, bleeding stump is probably not the way to go.

 

[LindaB220]

From listening to your experience, that makes me want to position the cone at eye level while I"m seating in a chair and have the head inches from the 5 gallon bucket so the blood can drain directly in it.

Now this makes sense. I may try it this way.

 

[LindaB220]

Just knock it out into the bedding and proceed. Believe me, it will not go to waste...they will scratch for it and glean it out of the bedding. If you'd like to make it easier for them,place a flat board or something similar nearby on which to knock out the old feed. Nothing goes to waste with meaty birds.

Have you elevated your feeder and placed wire over it so they cannot walk into it? This will help tremendously and you can even do some training while you are there and they are eating by knocking the ones trying to get into the feeder off of it...I've done it and while you are standing there they will pretty much stop that behavior if you are consistent.

Other than that, the shavings won't hurt the feed or them, so you could just leave them be and feed on top of them.

You could maybe tack or tape a trash bag at the base of the cone on three sides to form a funnel down into your trash can...it can contain most of the blood. I don't try to collect the blood because the rest of the chickens are all waiting at the base of the tree to drink it and so it gets used in that way.

I place my cone level with my chest so I don't have to lift heavy birds very high and the neck is at my waist level where my hands naturally hang so there won't be undue strain over a full day of processing...that lifting heavy birds over and over and hand work can get tedious after doing many in a row. Ergonomics are my thing~I've always loved a smooth flowing work place designed for less waste of motion.


You might want to rethink that....the first time a chicken flings blood into your eyes and hair and you can't step back because you are seated, you may decide that sitting in front of a twitching, flailing, bleeding stump is probably not the way to go.

Then again. Maybe not.

 

[kuntrygirl]

 

Just knock it out into the bedding and proceed.  Believe me, it will not go to waste...they will scratch for it and glean it out of the bedding.  If you'd like to make it easier for them,place a flat board or something similar nearby on which to knock out the old feed.  Nothing goes to waste with meaty birds. 

Have you elevated your feeder and placed wire over it so they cannot walk into it? This will help tremendously and you can even do some training while you are there and they are eating by knocking the ones trying to get into the feeder off of it...I've done it and while you are standing there they will pretty much stop that behavior if you are consistent. 

Other than that, the shavings won't hurt the feed or them, so you could just leave them be and feed on top of them. 

You could maybe tack or tape a trash bag at the base of the cone on three sides to form a funnel down into your trash can...it can contain most of the blood.   I don't try to collect the blood because the rest of the chickens are all waiting at the base of the tree to drink it and so it gets used in that way. 

I place my cone level with my chest so I don't have to lift heavy birds very high and the neck is at my waist level where my hands naturally hang so there won't be undue strain over a full day of processing...that lifting heavy birds over and over and hand work can get tedious after doing many in a row.  Ergonomics are my thing~I've always loved a smooth flowing work place designed for less waste of motion. 


You might want to rethink that....the first time a chicken flings blood into your eyes and hair and you can't step back because you are seated, you may decide that sitting in front of a twitching, flailing, bleeding stump is probably not the way to go. 

Then again.  Maybe not. 

Too funny.

 

[aoxa]

Just knock it out into the bedding and proceed. Believe me, it will not go to waste...they will scratch for it and glean it out of the bedding. If you'd like to make it easier for them,place a flat board or something similar nearby on which to knock out the old feed. Nothing goes to waste with meaty birds.

Have you elevated your feeder and placed wire over it so they cannot walk into it? This will help tremendously and you can even do some training while you are there and they are eating by knocking the ones trying to get into the feeder off of it...I've done it and while you are standing there they will pretty much stop that behavior if you are consistent.

Other than that, the shavings won't hurt the feed or them, so you could just leave them be and feed on top of them.

You could maybe tack or tape a trash bag at the base of the cone on three sides to form a funnel down into your trash can...it can contain most of the blood. I don't try to collect the blood because the rest of the chickens are all waiting at the base of the tree to drink it and so it gets used in that way.

I place my cone level with my chest so I don't have to lift heavy birds very high and the neck is at my waist level where my hands naturally hang so there won't be undue strain over a full day of processing...that lifting heavy birds over and over and hand work can get tedious after doing many in a row. Ergonomics are my thing~I've always loved a smooth flowing work place designed for less waste of motion.


You might want to rethink that....the first time a chicken flings blood into your eyes and hair and you can't step back because you are seated, you may decide that sitting in front of a twitching, flailing, bleeding stump is probably not the way to go.

That's what we do in the summer months when the trees are nice and full

Vampires those chickens...

 

[BCMaraniac]

That's what we do in the summer months when the trees are nice and full

Vampires those chickens...

Mine are like that. They love it when we forget to put water in the bucket to prevent clotting, and they get a big congealed red pancake.....let the squabbles begin when that happens!

 

[Beekissed]

Would you look at how traumatized those chickens are in that picture? Don't you know it's inhumane to let them watch you butcher the other chickens?

My chickens are so traumatized by it they wait by the processing table and compete for the tasty bits...crying and grieving all the while.

 

[foreverlearning]

Would you look at how traumatized those chickens are in that picture? Don't you know it's inhumane to let them watch you butcher the other chickens?

My chickens are so traumatized by it they wait by the processing table and compete for the tasty bits...crying and grieving all the while.

My laying flock tried to take off with the heads! I had to prop the bucket I was using under the table to keep them from knocking it over when they got in it for scraps.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Just knock it out into the bedding and proceed. Believe me, it will not go to waste...they will scratch for it and glean it out of the bedding. If you'd like to make it easier for them,place a flat board or something similar nearby on which to knock out the old feed. Nothing goes to waste with meaty birds. Have you elevated your feeder and placed wire over it so they cannot walk into it? This will help tremendously and you can even do some training while you are there and they are eating by knocking the ones trying to get into the feeder off of it...I've done it and while you are standing there they will pretty much stop that behavior if you are consistent. Other than that, the shavings won't hurt the feed or them, so you could just leave them be and feed on top of them. You could maybe tack or tape a trash bag at the base of the cone on three sides to form a funnel down into your trash can...it can contain most of the blood. I don't try to collect the blood because the rest of the chickens are all waiting at the base of the tree to drink it and so it gets used in that way. I place my cone level with my chest so I don't have to lift heavy birds very high and the neck is at my waist level where my hands naturally hang so there won't be undue strain over a full day of processing...that lifting heavy birds over and over and hand work can get tedious after doing many in a row. Ergonomics are my thing~I've always loved a smooth flowing work place designed for less waste of motion. You might want to rethink that....the first time a chicken flings blood into your eyes and hair and you can't step back because you are seated, you may decide that sitting in front of a twitching, flailing, bleeding stump is probably not the way to go.

That's what we do in the summer months when the trees are nice and full Vampires those chickens...

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!