California - Northern

[zooweemama]

Stop reading here if you don't want to read me candidly talking about processing chickens.

For those of you that process your own chickens- for the 'kill' shot do you prefer to break their necks (broom handle one of my books said) or slit the neck and drain? I have read that some people will start plucking while the body is still warm and can get the majority of the feathers out without scalding. What say you? Thanks!

 

[zooweemama]

Yes, I don't think the two round trips (or hanging out all day) would be worth it for you. I know the only reason I went was to get my son's 4H meat birds processed. Then we could legally sell off the excess since they were processed in a licensed plant. CA has very strict rules about home slaughter and what you do with the meat. My son was selling his meat pen through auction and when a group of guys were chipping in their money and giving him $2,000, I thought I should give them something besides two live chickens

The meat pens were always bought by a group of about 30 guys, so I would give them all the birds he raised and they would have a big BBQ.

Deb

WOW now thems some serious chicken buyers! What the heck did he sell?? LOL!

 

[MonsterClucker]

For the "cold" symptoms, the worst one that causes lots of problems is:

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...ction-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens

That one even passes through the eggs. If that is the cause and the other chickens have been exposed, you have to either close your flock and never sell them or hatching eggs from them or cull them all, clean up and wait the 6 weeks or so and then start again.

The Black mold is probably the least bad because it is not infectious.

The Necropsy is the way to tell. If it is one of the bad ones, pick a random chicken and have it necropsied at a different Lab. There are four of them in the CAHFS network that test for free.

Ron

It couldn't be black mold because we got the chickens like that. So should I just kill my whole flock?

My layers dont show any signs of any infection but they could still have it?

 

[ronott1]

Stop reading here if you don't want to read me candidly talking about processing chickens.

For those of you that process your own chickens- for the 'kill' shot do you prefer to break their necks (broom handle one of my books said) or slit the neck and drain? I have read that some people will start plucking while the body is still warm and can get the majority of the feathers out without scalding. What say you? Thanks!

The broom works well. Snapping the neck by hand is increasingly harder the older the rooster gets. The guide I sent from here then picks up with hanging the body and cutting the arteries to drain the blood. Hang by a rope and drain into a garbage can with double plastic bag liners.

killing and draining this way is way less bloody. Kill two or three at a time and have the scalding water ready and all of your tools lined up and ready to go. If you scald too many at a time, they will get cold before you get to them and make it hard to pull the feathers.

Dark feathered birds will have pin feathers that may need to be plucked with tweezers.

Here is the guide: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-process-a-chicken-at-home

Remember, when plucking chickens it goes a lot faster if you have more pluckers!

Ron

 

[ronott1]

Quote: It could be black mold. They do not get sick right away. It could still be one of the CRDs that does not stay in the flock and does not compromise their immune systems.

Wait to cull more unless you see the test results.

I think you will be allright!

Ron

 

[zooweemama]

It couldn't be black mold because we got the chickens like that. So should I just kill my whole flock?
My layers dont show any signs of any infection but they could still have it?

I would wait for the necropsy results. Each time I thought it was something horrible- it turned out to be something really simple. Like the time I was sure they had CRD and it turned out 2 of my cockerels had eaten plastic off the puppy pads they were on when I was brooding and it was stuck to the back of their darn tongue. Removed the plastic- good as new. Then some were laying down and acting poorly near death. Cocci. Easy. Then an impacted crop...cleaned it out. Done. Then this stuff...thought for sure it was one of the horrible viruses. Mold.

So it's been a rough rode but I have def learned to not jump to fast to the extreme and pull back, get the necropsy and see what's going inside. So you may not need to do more than you already have. But if the results come back with bad news- I still wouldn't jump yet. Send in a chicken from one of the nearby coops and see if it's migrated. I don't know how far the coops are from each other. Some of the nasty bugs travel on the wind so there could still be some exposure. It just depends on the first necropsy.

I really hope it's nothing big.

 

[debs_flock]

Stop reading here if you don't want to read me candidly talking about processing chickens.

For those of you that process your own chickens- for the 'kill' shot do you prefer to break their necks (broom handle one of my books said) or slit the neck and drain? I have read that some people will start plucking while the body is still warm and can get the majority of the feathers out without scalding. What say you? Thanks!

Slit the jugular on each side, let them bleed out (we use a cone), then remove the head and go from there. I've tried dry plucking and I wouldn't do it without scalding. It's not a matter of the body still being warm, when you scald the feathers nearly just wipe off the bird. With dry plucking, you are more prone to tearing the skin.

Quote:
The ranchers, contractors, feed store operators, etc in this area have all lived here forever (old gold rush, rural town). They are mostly all old 4Hers themselves. They are VERY supportive of the kids. My son always got $2,000 if he managed to win meat pens in chickens or rabbits (that is for two animals), so I always gave them everything he raised.

Steers, hogs, sheep..............the kids always got in the $3-4 per pound live weight range. Even $15+ per pound if you have Grand Champion. The meat pens are sold by the pen, not the pound. I couldn't speak more highly of any program than 4H for kids. Not just for the money, but for the moral values the kids are taught.

Deb

 

[ronott1]

Quote: 4-H is like that. Here in Woodland, a store or other business will buy a Sheep or poultry pen for a lot of money. They then post the purchase along with the ribbons won and a picture of the 4-H or FFA kid. They often do not even want the animal (or fish!), just the publicity and to help the kids.

You have you children in 4-H right?

Ron

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: x 2

 

[zooweemama]

Slit the jugular on each side, let them bleed out (we use a cone), then remove the head and go from there. I've tried dry plucking and I wouldn't do it without scalding. It's not a matter of the body still being warm, when you scald the feathers nearly just wipe off the bird. With dry plucking, you are more prone to tearing the skin.


The ranchers, contractors, feed store operators, etc in this area have all lived here forever (old gold rush, rural town). They are mostly all old 4Hers themselves. They are VERY supportive of the kids. My son always got $2,000 if he managed to win meat pens in chickens or rabbits (that is for two animals), so I always gave them everything he raised.

Steers, hogs, sheep..............the kids always got in the $3-4 per pound live weight range. Even $15+ per pound if you have Grand Champion. The meat pens are sold by the pen, not the pound. I couldn't speak more highly of any program than 4H for kids. Not just for the money, but for the moral values the kids are taught.

Deb

I am skipping church to attend the 4-H meeting this Sunday actually. I feel bad lol. But they put it at 10am on a Sunday and I need info so I am showing up!