Butchering your roosters!

[Parront]

Well, I did some more checking, and Umm, the featherman I saw was ,well, expensive. Great for a ton of birds. just not in my budget at this time. I'll have to do by hand or something much less expensive. Maybe a table top type plucker. around $400.00. Going to have to hatch and process more birds though. hum... Been interesting to watch several of the u-tube videos on how different folks do the deed. looking around at those various chicken pluckers has been interesting. Wish everyone the best in processing your birds.

For just a few birds hand plucking is a lot cheaper!

 

[Bonniebooboo]

For just a few birds hand plucking is a lot cheaper!

Yes it is much cheaper. Trying to do 12-16 in a day by myself, can be a ton of work though. So down to just 2-3 at a time by hand.

 

[Parront]

Yes it is much cheaper. Trying to do 12-16 in a day by myself, can be a ton of work though. So down to just 2-3 at a time by hand.

I hear you. The most I ever did in one day was 15 Cornish-X. It did take most of the day. There were 4 survivors, I just crapped out so they lived!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Just thawed out the last of our processed roos!
Bummer. We have seven standing by outside. Everyone wants hens when re home hatches. The roos build up quick. The neighboring farm will be glad this weekend when all the rooster conversations quite down!
These guys are going in the freezer if the governor don't call soon!

 

[Bonniebooboo]

Just thawed out the last of our processed roos!
Bummer. We have seven standing by outside. Everyone wants hens when re home hatches. The roos build up quick. The neighboring farm will be glad this weekend when all the rooster conversations quite down!
These guys are going in the freezer if the governor don't call soon!

I have 6-7 standing by outside. getting ready to do them. I am just trying to make up my mind on which 2- I want to keep. They are hitting 4 months old. some chasing the girls already. 1 EE has been trying since he was 3 months old. Their crows are sounding better and not so crackly. Our closest neighbor is about a mile away. Never a problem there. Yea!! I only hatch a few chicks, it had been a few years since I hatched any so I did this year. Last few hatched under hen on 8-2-17. now 3 weeks old. 5 of them and think at least 2 are roos, maybe 3, but pretty sure 2 are. out of 24 hatched April/may, 12 are roos. but 12 are hens. I seldom try to rehome any of them. I keep my hens, and the extra roos are processed. When I make up my mind which ones to do that is..
Any that turn aggressive and attacks me also get processed, no matter how old they get.

 

[Bonniebooboo]

I hear you. The most I ever did in one day was 15 Cornish-X. It did take most of the day. There were 4 survivors, I just crapped out so they lived!

Do you use a cone? if so what size for the Cornish cross's? I just ordered a medium cone, should be here today/tomorrow. should help me some. When I get rich enough, I'll try to get a chicken plucker. those look pretty good to have. Then maybe I will hatch amore birds and be able to process more faster...

 

[Molpet]

I had 3 sizes of cones and the cx didn't fit any of them.. I had read on here about using a 2 gal jug or a kitty litter jug.. cut off the bottom and the spout..I had a kitty litter and it works great.. some heritage fit better in the jug too

.

 

[Parront]

Do you use a cone? if so what size for the Cornish cross's? I just ordered a medium cone, should be here today/tomorrow. should help me some. When I get rich enough, I'll try to get a chicken plucker. those look pretty good to have. Then maybe I will hatch amore birds and be able to process more faster...

I did not use a cone, so I don't know what size would be right. They were about 10 pounds or so, some bigger, at 8 weeks. They dressed to 7-8 pounds. The ones who lived to 12-14 weeks were the size of a small turkey in my roaster, over 10 pounds dressed. I tied their feet and hung them from the garage rafter with a 5-gal bucket hooked to the beak to hold them still and catch the blood. I put water in the bucket and then watered my fruit trees with it. That was how it was done by the old people in my family, one size fits all, no cones. Did the geese the same way. For those, I wished for a plucker. I had a neighbor helping, still took forever!

 

[Bonniebooboo]

I did not use a cone, so I don't know what size would be right. They were about 10 pounds or so, some bigger, at 8 weeks. They dressed to 7-8 pounds. The ones who lived to 12-14 weeks were the size of a small turkey in my roaster, over 10 pounds dressed. I tied their feet and hung them from the garage rafter with a 5-gal bucket hooked to the beak to hold them still and catch the blood. I put water in the bucket and then watered my fruit trees with it. That was how it was done by the old people in my family, one size fits all, no cones. Did the geese the same way. For those, I wished for a plucker. I had a neighbor helping, still took forever!

Holy Smokes! That is some big young birds! None of mine are that big. My Barred rock rooster is around 8-9 lbs, the biggest chicken I have. others around 4-5 lbs live weight. Small cones it said for banty's, mine are bigger than a Banty, but not huge birds. I'll have to get my baby scale out and weight a few of them on the hoof. I guess that is why folks do Cornish, Cornish x's because they grow so fast and can be processed young.

 

[Parront]

Holy Smokes! That is some big young birds! None of mine are that big. My Barred rock rooster is around 8-9 lbs, the biggest chicken I have. others around 4-5 lbs live weight. Small cones it said for banty's, mine are bigger than a Banty, but not huge birds. I'll have to get my baby scale out and weight a few of them on the hoof. I guess that is why folks do Cornish, Cornish x's because they grow so fast and can be processed young.

I should have done them at 5-6 weeks for a bird the size you buy at the grocery store. The pros kill them at 42 days old. They did not even have many feathers yet at that age, and I did not want exactly what was available at the store. They did have more chickeny flavor than store chicken, not as much as an Orpington rooster 5 months old. But, they were a lot bigger than the Orpingtons ever got at the age I did them. They could barely walk, they just laid around in the drive way by the back door waiting for more food!