California - Northern

[caychris]

Time & practice & trying different techniques will speed up your time but it still takes me 45 mins but I only do it these days to help others learn how. I bet Debi (PetRock) & Monet & their farm group do it in a lot less time. They have a Whiz bang or something like that & do a mass processing day about 4 times a year I think.

@Bantamdelopera I used a kill cone (made from a traffic cone) the most useful tip is really be sure to properly scald the bird. I got the water to 145 and kept testing the wing feathers would come out easy. Other than that you need a real good work station nice sharp knife and something to clean feathers off your hands repeatedly. (Even using the whizbang there are still a lot of small feathers to clean off.) The under feathers especially stick to fingers I used a wet kitchen sponge to periodically wipe my fingers off. The other thing was to pick a side and be thorough cleaning it before moving on to other parts of the chicken when plucking.

I have also been at those processing days. 2 hours was setup and everything. I could have done a couple more birds in about 20 min more each. I'll want a whiz bang or other auto plucker if I do this with more than 3 birds.

I was always a little leery of trying it in my own back yard but hand plucking wasnt as bad as I thought it might be. The fact that I did it all by myself this time feels good. Like I could really do this if I needed to. Practice will improve things a bit Im sure

 

[tj74roberts]

Processed my first chicken completely on my own start to finish today. 37 week PP cockerel who decided to attack my daughter dressed at 3lb4.9 oz no neck, A bit on the small side compared to my other pita boy who is about 10 weeks older and looks much nicer and on par with his CLB hatchmate who is easily as big as he was. Maybe now the crowing competitions in my back yard will settle down.

Had to pluck by hand but wasnt as bad as I thought. Took me about 2 hours start to finish.

Congrats! I haven't done that since I was a kid. Can't say that I miss it at all, lol

 

[Minflick]

I've done 6 month old geese. Large geese.... If I EVER do it again, it will be much younger. I can do it, I just don't really ever want to...

 

[prizepete]

is anyone going to the Serama Tabletop show in manteca?

 

[shahtir101]

is anyone going to the Serama Tabletop show in manteca?

I am

 

[prizepete]

I am

haha I know you are

 

[Chooklet]

If anyone from Northern California, particularly the Bay Area, is going to the show in Fresno and would be willing to transport 3 fluffy hitchhikers, please let me know! I have 3 bantam cochins that need a ride to their new caretakers down south. Happy to chip in for gas money! Thanks

 

[fresnofarmer]

[COLOR=141823]If anyone from Northern California, particularly the Bay Area, is going to the show in Fresno and would be willing to transport 3 fluffy hitchhikers, please let me know! I have 3 bantam cochins that need a ride to their new caretakers down south. Happy to chip in for gas money! Thanks[/COLOR]

There's a show in fresno! Sorry I'm sorta new to this addiction. Do you have any info, dates time location?

 

[curious chickee]

Greater California Show
Fresno fairgrounds
Feb 27
Www.gcspf.com

 

[lawatt]

Thanks Ron, its nice to check in with everyone. Its been too long.

hi Deann! and everyone else! similarly not on BYC much these days, but have slowly established a relatively solid flock of isbars, and one pen full of silver campines -- i also still have some marans hens (although no longer the rooster, he became aggressive last year & was too huge to tolerate any behavior in that direction), so have a good colorful combination of white, green, greenish-blue, and dark brown eggs...