California - Northern

[prizepete]

That's convenient! Do you have an idea of price per processed bird?

I have no idea, I know that for my county you have to bring the bird to the butcher, and deliver the butchered bird to the buyer, but a lot of people like to meet the buyer somewhere. the butcher will also butcher your other birds while you are there, you do have to pay for that... My guess its not very much as its for 4-H ers

 

[ronott1]

That's convenient! Do you have an idea of price per processed bird?

Sacramento:

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...pv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=sacramento poultry processing

Bay area:

http://www.yellowpages.com/san-francisco-ca/pacific-poultry-co

The one in Sacramento has a minimum charge and then a price per bird.

 

[curious chickee]

Is she prepared to process them when the time comes?

 Most fairs will have butchers that the buyer pays for. At least mine do

The two that she sells at the fair auction will be processed by the fair butcher. The rest I will do myself. She doesn't have a problem with it being done just doesn't want to watch. We already process our cockerels so this won't be an issue. Now when we have to process her first bantam brahma that will be hard.

Our local poultry butcher chargers about $3/ bird to process, however, he is a 40 min drive away so I would rather save gas and money by doing it myself.

 

[prizepete]

The two that she sells at the fair auction will be processed by the fair butcher. The rest I will do myself. She doesn't have a problem with it being done just doesn't want to watch. We already process our cockerels so this won't be an issue. Now when we have to process her first bantam brahma that will be hard.

Our local poultry butcher chargers about $3/ bird to process, however, he is a 40 min drive away so I would rather save gas and money by doing it myself.

yes! I don't have the guts to do it myself, I have seramas so they are not very good eating... We are hoping to get some Large fowl, Probably Barred rocks, Because of the autosexing.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Your daughter is tougher than me.
I have given away the few extra cockerels I hatched out and been able to re-home the bantams. The only birds I have put down were due to illness, except 1 extremely MEAN Basque. I couldn't have him going after anyone and I was tired of the battles trying to feed and water him!

We can't get Cornish X up here for our fair. They wouldn't survive the shipping in July to be ready for fair. We also don't have an approved processor. Trying to keep them going in the 100°+ heat would be a real challenge for me.

 

[curious chickee]

yes! I don't have the guts to do it myself, I have seramas so they are not very good eating... We are hoping to get some Large fowl, Probably Barred rocks, Because of the autosexing. 

Be watchful of barred rock, they are not exactly auto sexing, boys usually have the dot on their head but girls can have a small dot, and some boys get small dots. I picked out 6 chicks with the blackest down and smallest dots and 3 were cockerels. Rhode bars are auto sexing. I use barred rocks to make sex links.

 

[curious chickee]

Your daughter is tougher than me.
I have given away the few extra cockerels I hatched out and been able to re-home the bantams. The only birds I have put down were due to illness, except 1 extremely MEAN Basque. I couldn't have him going after anyone and I was tired of the battles trying to feed and water him!

We can't get Cornish X up here for our fair. They wouldn't survive the shipping in July to be ready for fair. We also don't have an approved processor. Trying to keep them going in the 100°+ heat would be a real challenge for me.

My daughter doesn't get a choice in processing. When we processed our first cockerels, she cried and refused to eat the meat. Now, it is known that the boys will be dinner, they lived a good life, and were processed as humanly as can be.

We have that problem some years where it will be over 100 in May or high 90 in September, and it is a challenge. Some kids do lose their birds due to heat. Hard lesson for them to learn.

I have 1 mean Cochin rooster (hatchery) that is joining the the cockerels next week. We kept trying, but I finally had enough.

 

[prizepete]

Be watchful of barred rock, they are not exactly auto sexing, boys usually have the dot on their head but girls can have a small dot, and some boys get small dots. I picked out 6 chicks with the blackest down and smallest dots and 3 were cockerels. Rhode bars are auto sexing. I use barred rocks to make sex links.

Yes, We are not sure, we want Autosexing, meat/Egg Chicks, That Are attractive, So far we are at barred rocks, Not sure though, I want marans even though they are not autosexing or nessisarily meats

 

[sonoralinda]

Hi from Sonora. If you don't mind my asking, what is the preferred method of killing a chicken?

 

[QueenMisha]

Hi from Sonora. If you don't mind my asking, what is the preferred method of killing a chicken?

Whatever you prefer best, I suppose. I personally like cutting the throat. It gets a good bleed and is quite simple. If the bird is very small, like a bantam, I just tug the head off. Check out the common ones (slitting the throat, ax, broomstick, etc) and go with whichever makes you most comfortable and is easiest for you.