101 Ways to Kill

[RoosterML]

I use the carotid artery cut. Right below the jaw bone and hanging upside down in a cone over a feed trough full of pine shavings. Me and 2 other people do 60-70 in a day a couple times a year that way. I think I'm reluctant to try any other method because we have a good system down. We can butcher that amount of birds at a rate of 3.5 minutes per bird so I know it can work quickly if you do it correctly - takes a bit of practice though. If only butchering a couple at a time, it could be worth it to try a few different methods to see which works best for you and then you know for next time.

Just so we are clear you are dispatching a birds every 3-4 minutes. Not butchering. If so dang your fast!!

 

[Vacman]

I can't do it! I guess that's why I decided to get egg layers rather than meat birds. I would make a lousy farmer! LOL I guess I envy those of you who can!

 

[RoosterML]

I can't do it! I guess that's why I decided to get egg layers rather than meat birds. I would make a lousy farmer! LOL I guess I envy those of you who can!

Question for you. What will you do if you have a sick or suffering bird?

 

[Vacman]

Well, I have put dogs to sleep to prevent their suffering when the end was inevitable, but this is different in my mind. I'm not a vegetarian so I guess butchering isn't the issue. It's just that I can't seem to be able to pull the trigger myself. I haven't had issues with sick and suffering birds yet, although I did have one hen that got attacked and injured, but recovered on her own. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

 

[iwltfum]

Just so we are clear you are dispatching a birds every 3-4 minutes. Not butchering. If so dang your fast!!

Yes, butchering. Our work time is roughly 4 hours not including set up and clean up. That comes to about 3.5 minutes per bird. Granted, we work three stations, one person to a station so technically we are only dispatching one every 3-4 minutes, but with everything staggered and once everyone gets into a rhythm with their own task, it goes quickly.
Stations are:
1) collect from the trailer, make the kill cut, deliver to scald/pluck station
2) scald, pluck, remove feet and head, deliver to evisceration station
3)eviscerate and put in chill water

We do two at a time also so that basically doubles the amount we can do in a certain period of time.

 

[Kirkwooder]

I raise a couple hundred meat birds a year. I send them to a processor. They charge $2 a bird and I don't need to deal with the mess.

 

[RoosterML]

Yes, butchering. Our work time is roughly 4 hours not including set up and clean up. That comes to about 3.5 minutes per bird. Granted, we work three stations, one person to a station so technically we are only dispatching 3-4 per minute, but with everything staggered and once everyone gets into a rhythm with their own task, it goes quickly.
Stations are:
1) collect from the trailer, make the kill cut, deliver to scald/pluck station
2) scald, pluck, remove feet and head, deliver to evisceration station
3)eviscerate and put in chill water

Nice, that’s great time. We usually have a small gathering on processing day so maybe if I wasn’t drinking and talking so much I could move it along alittle faster. I hate the setup and brake down/cleanup.

 

[RoosterML]

I raise a couple hundred meat birds a year. I send them to a processor. They charge $2 a bird and I don't need to deal with the mess.

That’s a great price. I guess I just enjoy the hands on approach. Are your birds for resale using usda processor? If so that is really good.

 

[Vacman]

I raise a couple hundred meat birds a year. I send them to a processor. They charge $2 a bird and I don't need to deal with the mess.

My son does that as well with an Amish family doing the butchering. I could probably handle that system. He used to pay $1/bird which was a bargain. I believe it's gone up now.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Yes, we fill our freezer first, but sell the vast majority of the birds. I do Turkeys for Thanksgiving too.

The Processor is a Mennonite family and they will unload 100 birds and an hour and a half later give me back the most beautifully processed birds.

When I started going there they only charged $1.10 a bird. My dad told me that he thought that was too much. I offered to pay him to do it instead, he road with me to take them over.