Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[9SpiceyChickens]

I agree with what @aliciaplus3 said. We do it to learn responsibility, money management, proper care for animals, & the child can earn money, like a summer job.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Do you guys put your birds in an ice bath at all during the butchering process? I’ve read that some people do or even that you’re supposed to to get the core temperature down but I wasn’t sure if it was necessary or not??? So paranoid I’m going to get some disease or something if I don’t.

 

[Molpet]

Do you guys put your birds in an ice bath at all during the butchering process? I’ve read that some people do or even that you’re supposed to to get the core temperature down but I wasn’t sure if it was necessary or not??? So paranoid I’m going to get some disease or something if I don’t.

I have a cooler with cold water I throw them in after processing. After a bit I change the bloody water and add some salt for a few hours. If it is above 50 outside I add ice packs,in ziplock bags. Salt seems to help get the blood out. If I have room in the refrigerator they go in bags. Otherwise the stay in the cooler, in bags, with ice packs until rigor has passed.

 

[aart]

Salt seems to help get the blood out.

Also slows the ice melting, I mix salt in when filling cooler with ice and cold water.
Mine go in right after gutting, stay a few hours while I rest before final rinse and parting out.
ETA. I do not have running water at my slaughter site,
thus the final rinse and butcher in the kitchen.

 

[FortCluck]

I just put mine in ice water for only about 10 minutes, dry them off, bag them, then put them in the fridge.

 

[Kusanar]

I agree with what @aliciaplus3 said. We do it to learn responsibility, money management, proper care for animals, & the child can earn money, like a summer job.

I understand that, but, you would learn more about managing money if you weren't making close to 10 times the actual value of the animal. Of course you are going to have a profit at the end of the year no matter how bad your math or how much feed you waste if you are making that kind of margin. It would teach the kids more if they got a more realistic amount, high market, maybe even 2 times the actual value, but not around 10 times the actual value.

 

[FortCluck]

I understand that, but, you would learn more about managing money if you weren't making close to 10 times the actual value of the animal. Of course you are going to have a profit at the end of the year no matter how bad your math or how much feed you waste if you are making that kind of margin. It would teach the kids more if they got a more realistic amount, high market, maybe even 2 times the actual value, but not around 10 times the actual value.

I'm a bit shocked someone paid that much for chicken. I'm not sure what the lessons taught would be considering you usually do not get that much money for a chicken. It's teaching the wrong lesson in my opinion.

My kids sell our chicks for $5 a piece. They understand the cost of feed and the cost of labor. They know raising chickens ISN'T a money maker. They just pay for their own feed basically.

Right now my kids are learning that giving eggs for free during crisis no matter the money lost is better than holding your hand our for money when so many are in need.

 

[Kusanar]

I'm a bit shocked someone paid that much for chicken. I'm not sure what the lessons taught would be considering you usually do not get that much money for a chicken. It's teaching the wrong lesson in my opinion.

My kids sell our chicks for $5 a piece. They understand the cost of feed and the cost of labor. They know raising chickens ISN'T a money maker. They just pay for their own feed basically.

Right now my kids are learning that giving eggs for free during crisis no matter the money lost is better than holding your hand our for money when so many are in need.

Exactly, that's a much better lesson to teach the kids. It's real life. Also, your kids are learning the joys of working with the animals for it's own sake and to help others, the kids getting these stupid high prices are doing it for the money. Sure, they may get some of the good lessons out of it, but it seems like throwing that much money at it will create the kind of greed that leads to factory farms where all animal welfare is cut for a dollar because when you are used to those profit margins and suddenly see real life prices, you're going to WANT that kind of money again and there is only 1 way to even get close and that is to stop spending money pretty much everywhere you can.

 

[FortCluck]

Exactly, that's a much better lesson to teach the kids. It's real life. Also, your kids are learning the joys of working with the animals for it's own sake and to help others, the kids getting these stupid high prices are doing it for the money. Sure, they may get some of the good lessons out of it, but it seems like throwing that much money at it will create the kind of greed that leads to factory farms where all animal welfare is cut for a dollar because when you are used to those profit margins and suddenly see real life prices, you're going to WANT that kind of money again and there is only 1 way to even get close and that is to stop spending money pretty much everywhere you can.

Learning how to butcher meat too is a good lesson then cooking the meat after it's rested. There's so much we are not teaching our children that could prevent them for relying on others.

I do chickens for my family not anyone else. It's our meat source and our egg source. It's vital people learn to do their own meat, there would be less panic in the world right now.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have a cooler with cold water I throw them in after processing. After a bit I change the bloody water and add some salt for a few hours. If it is above 50 outside I add ice packs,in ziplock bags. Salt seems to help get the blood out. If I have room in the refrigerator they go in bags. Otherwise the stay in the cooler, in bags, with ice packs until rigor has passed.

Also slows the ice melting, I mix salt in when filling cooler with ice and cold water.
Mine go in right after gutting, stay a few hours while I rest before final rinse and parting out.
ETA. I do not have running water at my slaughter site,
thus the final rinse and butcher in the kitchen.

I just put mine in ice water for only about 10 minutes, dry them off, bag them, then put them in the fridge.

Thank you all!! Very helpful. I’ve seen some videos where they didn’t do it and also read some things that said they did it right after scalding or that it had to be done within an hour after the kill, etc., so I was a bit confused. Lots of conflicting info out there!! But so the primary goal is just to help get some additional blood out? I was thinking it was for safety and was paranoid.