Butchering Bantams....too small to process?

Jhs51684

Songster
8 Years
Mar 29, 2015
61
48
131
Pittsburgh, PA
I have Old English Game Bantams. I would like to try a new breed next year and wanted to know if I can process Old English Game Bantams. They're very small and this would be my first time butchering. Will their size make it difficult, and are OEG Bantams even acceptable meat birds? Below is a picture. Thanks
700
 
You can process bantams, I butcher mine similar to how one would butcher quail or partridge. That said, it would be more worthwhile to sell them, as they look to be good quality and as females could probably fetch at least $15 a bird.

If you decide to go through with butchering, ditch the traditional plucking method. Waste of time on a little bird. You want to skin them. Kill the bird, cut off the head, cut off the feet at the hock joint, and cut through the wing web and cut off the wings at the elbow joint. Split the skin down the breast and peel it off the bird. It's not something that can really be described, you'll be able to figure out how to peel as you go. Cut the tail off so it comes off with the skin, and then cut the skin away to leave about a 1 inch radius of skin/feathers around the vent. Detach the crop and esophagus/trachea from the neck, cut the neck off (reserve for stock if you wish), then go back to the bottom and cut a slit about 1-2 inches above the vent. Eviscerate, pull the crop down through the body, scrape the lungs. You may find eggs inside the bird, any that are fully formed and waiting in the oviduct can be cut out and are fine to eat. My dogs like to eat the partial yolks inside the bird. After that's done, wash it with water, dry it thoroughly, and bag it. Let it rest for 2-3 days in the fridge and then you can cook it.
 
Ditto with selling them. You would not get much to eat off of them if you butchered them anyways, while you could make money off them if you sold them. They are pretty little girls, lots of other people would appreciate them. It would be a shame to kill them for such scant flesh.
 
All I can think is it's going to be a bear to try to reach in and gut those little things if you have big hands. I'm a good sized woman and even gutting my egg laying breed cockerels is a tight fit. My sons can't fit their hands inside some of the birds.

Otherwise ditto on Queen Misha. folks butcher quail and other small birds, it just depends on your time. I'd also look into selling any females before butchering.
 

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