Another Processing Day Done! W/link to pics **graphic**

[Jschaaff]

No, hunny...his leg is NOT supposed to look like that when you're done plucking!

We processed 20 more chickens yesterday! Instead of post pictures here, I am just linking my blog as it's posted there already. If you could leave your comments on this post though, on BYC, that would be great!

This was such a huge learning process this time! We were not completlely prepared...from not knowing how to use the plucker, to knives that weren't quite sharp enough..to a stove that kept catching fire...but we prevailed and put 20 chickens in the freezer!

Just thought we'd share our day!

http://misssplenda.blogspot.com/2011/10/chicken-processing-dayoctober.html


Thanks!
Jessa

 

[User105877]

Nice pic, looking good, lol. Nice to see people raise there own birds for harvest.

 

[JerBear]

We got to get a plucker! But, unless we are going to fry, we just skin then and safe the time.

Reminds me, I have to get a batch ready for the freezer and a bunch of wings ready for the Super Bowl!

And its nice to see someone sing chickens to their fullest!

Get blog also.

Jerry

 

[ladyride]

Go girl you rock !! I have followed your journey soo glad these made to camp kenmore. SHHH I think hubbies are grumpy on processing day . Ya'll did a fab job of documenting even a little fun. I am sure in a couple weeks when we do it I will need alcohol as well as this will be 1st time in 25+ years. We invested in a plucker as well not sure I am looking forward to all that work but sure am looking forward to eating the little buggers.
Enjoy your hard work

 

[Flash534]

Ok, got to say. Loved the blog !!!! Great day processing ! I got my wife to go for my dream and last year we bought 6.9 acres of dirt. We are now perimeter fenced, set a used double wide mobile home, installed our own septic, (yes up to code !)

Ran our own water and 250 ft. of underground power lines to the house. Was a busy spring. Ordered eggs. They froze during delivery. Ordered more eggs. Incubator malfunction. Baked em. Except for 1 chick that still hatched despite our incompetence. We named him Lucky, and bought him his own chick to keep him company. Cost of hatched chick, including eggs, incubator, supplies, shipping and misc. crap. About $400 bucks. Cost of the single chick to keep him company. $2.99 at TSC. I am a farming mega mastermind ! I'm not even going to talk about the cost of the first chicken tractor, or the larger coop. Bought more chicks, bought more eggs, bought more farm crap. Now we have about 20 happy healthy chickens of which half get an all expense paid trip to freezer camp !! Yay !! Lucky's wife lays about 5 eggs a week, I figure they are worth around $30 bucks each, (that's a nice omellete), but the new ladies are about to start laying also, so we should be close to the $5 an egg level soon. So using the side of my brain reserved for logic... I got more eggs to hatch. darn I love these stupid birds ! I love watching them, I love feeding them, and they do taste yummy.

We bought some Cornish cross, I felt like I was doing a mercy killing when we processed them. Poor dumb stupid tasty chickies.. Anyway, back to your blog. You guys did good. I thought my wife was going to crater when it came time to process our first crop of babies. But no. Came out a trooper. Kinda freaked out she played with the beating heart for awhile, but all in all she did ok. Anyways, (again) enjoyed your pics and commentary. Done rambling... Good job. lol

 

[Flash534]

Oh, and was curious. Was that wine on the rocks with a straw ? Just asking.

lol

 

[Flash534]

You may have posted in you blog, but how long to process the 20 meals? I mean chickens.... Sorry..

 

[Jschaaff]

Thank you all (especially you ladyride

) You'll do great with yours I'm sure, but the alcohol helps take the edge off for me

Make sure you really really really know how to work your plucker before the big day! I thought I had borrowed one you just dropped the chicken into, until hubby brought it home...then we were like...Um...what the heck? I texted the guy and he was sweet and walked me thru it. But, you have to hold the chicken so tight, with this particular plucker, that I wasn't strong enough, and I'm pretty tough (at least, I like to think

) so hubby had to do them all. He let go once and oh my, the chicken went thru the plucker and went flying at unknown speeds onto the ground, into a pile of chicken feathers. Live and learn

The learning is often the entertaining part!


Flash534, sounds like your lady did great!! Not sure how a still beating heart would bode for me, but haven't had that interesting experience yet! It took us about 15 minutes per bird, from culling, until they were in the ice bucket..but I also stopped to eat (an entire box) of mac and cheese...made another drink... we had those few coleman fires that set us back a few....but all told, without taking out for stuff like that, we were 5 hours solid, before clean up, so about 15/bird. Which is great, for us at least, because when we did it by hand, we were between 45 minutes and and hour, per bird.

Will definitely stick to the plucker from now on. The guy said if I hatch the quail for him (which I love doing, and my husband is thrilled becuz now I can't keep the babies lol) he'll me the plucker whenever I need it, for all the quail i can hatch!

Jessa

 

[ladyride]

Would have love to have seen the flying chicken

. Oh should I just call you Mrs Stewart ???

 

[halo]

Girl, you are the bomb! Im getting some Cornish X this week, and am going to try to pluck some of them when the time comes. I wont have the luxury of a plucker, tho.