Chicken processing event - Washington State -June 4th, 2011

[Dogfish]

Ryan,

You have a spot. If you have a filet knife and a tomato shark, weather appropriate clothes, that is all you would need to bring, plus your birds if you have any to process. We have fun.

 

[growinupinfl]

The Agony The HORROR, that all awesome things like this are not near me. Have a blast for me too, and drink a beer for my hubby..

Christal

 

[ErinG]

What an awesome thing! Super nice of you to offer up your place. It would have been right on for us if we hadn't cancelled our chick order for this year. Maybe next year!

 

[Rapptors]

I could bring beer but I am not sure our birds will be ready. You're close to me. I am N. Kitsap here. We are planning to go to a processor but it might be good to see how this is done. I know we can get the portable processor out here from the extension service.

Ali & the little Rapptors

p.s.
What is a tomato shark? Also... our chicks are arriving next Friday, we haven't nailed down feed. We're going to go organic, the only local I've found is Scratch & Feed... anyone up here have any ideas?

 

[Dogfish]

Tomato shark.

Great for taking out lungs.

Rent the outfit from your extension agency. It will be the same set up I believe. I get the setup from the local conservation district for $20/day. It is quite a deal.

Going both organic feed only, and having someone else process your birds will cost you. Literally, you birds will cost two to three times what my birds will cost me. Buy a locally produced feed, Xcel in Tacoma, and feel good about your birds. I use Payback or Dell's. They are raised on your land.

Just a tip. Before I set a slaughter date I do two things.

1. Check on chick avilability.

2. Check on slaughter equipment availability.

Once I know the dates of both, confirmed within minutes of each other, I reserve the equipment and order my chicks. It requires two calls to the chick hatchery, one to the conservation district. I already have my feed source lined up, and my shrink bags in hand.

 

[Rapptors]

This is a market livestock project for my 12 y.o. son. He is going to rapidly learn the cost of processing.

I know I put the cart before the horse, this is something I wanted to do last year and we were never ready. This is going to force it and while it is something I've been lurking around for years, we're going to get a crash course. We have a background of layers when we were back in Alaska, I am very excited by the prospect of the meat birds.

I was really shocked your bags are 40 cents each. (part of that crash course, huh?)

Ali

 

[Dogfish]

29 cents plus shipping from Cornerstone, they keep the birds in great condition when you freeze them, and they make for a nice looking end product. You can't sell freezer burned birds for a premium price, and the bags are EASY. It would be interesting to see what your processing cost is. The bags will seem cheap compared to that. I'd love to share notes.

We would love to have you here. There will be a few other kids here, same age group. It is an eye opener the first time kids see how their food gets to their plate.

You could bring a few young ones (CX) and process them as game hens. Mine will be 10.5 weeks, so it will be interesting for your son to see the size difference. We also have turkeys, pheasants and quail, which some kids rarely get a chance to see up close.

 

[Rapptors]

Thank you. Yes, we would really like to come. I have two Rapptors, 12 (boy) & 10 (girl). The girl is very social!

We'll see what we have to bring. Question though... you say hen, is there a reason to slaughter the hens earlier? I thought it was the other way around?

Thanks,
Ali

 

[andalusn]

Just sent a post off to my local ext office (Clark County,WA) to see if they offer a setup like this.. I don't have birds to process but want to learn for next year when I do. We are in the process of making a Whizbang plucker & scalder. Can chicken less folks attend?

 

[Dogfish]

Quote:
Cornish game hens are CX birds of either sex raised only to about 5 weeks. They are raised to a size for an individual meal, 1 bird serves 1. Games hens are roosters and hens. Don't ask me why.

Chicken-less folks can come.