Congrats PeepsCA

[mississippifarmboy]

Congrats!!!!

 

[Fenika]

Congrats Peeps!

I have five guineas in my freezer camp right now, but that's where they were destined from birth

Thanks for all your help!

 

[damselfish]

Congrats, Peeps! I think you help to set a great tone of kind helpfulness and good humor for this area of BYC.

 

[PeepsCA]

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Oohhh did you process them yourself? If so how was it? I'm still working up to it... yucky warm gooey messy stinky

 

[Fenika]

I did process them myself! The first time I did it myself and didn't scald (2 birds). The second time my mom helped and I also didn't scald (2 birds). I think I was hitting the forebrain rather than the hindbrain (feathers tighten). I know I got it right the third time but my mom and I scalded (three birds), having been fed up with plucking each bird for nearly an hour. We did a medium scald and it took 20 minutes to scald, hang, pluck each bird. Their pin feathers are the biggest pain since they are molting. Guts were easy- I know where everything sits and where the membranes are. Lungs were a minor pain but I figured out how to push those out. I saved the livers each time and fried them up within three hours with peppers (liver is horrid if not FRESH).

Even the gut I broke didn't make a stink. There was a small spill of feces but I took them off the roost in the morning so processing would go smoothly.

So 7 birds down, 2 of those cooked in the crock pot (soooo good, but their deep bodies made even cooking hard), 14 left. I still have a few leftovers so I'm thinking I'll try to slaughter three this weekend. I'd like to get some video to help folks do it themselves.

 

[PeepsCA]

Wow, lol, go YOU! (and Mom too!) 20 minutes is speedy!

Yes plz do get some video next time... I wanna see! Home processing really is something I need to just cowgirl up and learn to do myself, especially if I am going to keep hatching hundreds each year. Might help keep my flock numbers a little thinner too, since I'll have a quick way to deal with birds I no longer want but still have to feed, especially during the rainy winter months when they can't get out much and there's lots of grumpy birds not getting along.

If I remember right, I turned my crock potted Guineas over halfway thru the day so they cooked fairly well (they were in there all day, at least 8 hrs tho, so maybe that was the reason?). I just got a bigger and deeper crock pot, so next time I think I'll stuff 3 in there, lol.

Just curious, since you said your Jumbos weren't that big, did you weigh them? And were they Males or Hens?

 

[Fenika]

We are derailing with food guineas, but this is you're thread

I need to find someone willing to video me, that's the problem. My mom could, but she's gone home (almost 4 hours away). Maybe I'll call the 4H or boyscouts and teach them in trade for video-ing!

My Jumbos, according to the web, should be 2 kilos on average, or even more, dressed. Maybe that counts livers and gizzards, but those don't weight *that* much. Maybe 200 grams each? I can find out next time.

My carcass weight, including necks and 'leaf fat' (the fat around their bum that you have to be careful not to lose if you want it) averaged around 1.6 kg so far. I wrote everyone down, but the ranges are 1.4 kg to 1.8. This isn't including the runt who got sick a few weeks ago (and was slaughtered in round one). The 1.4kg one was from the last group at 15 weeks! I was sooo disappointed. All were cocks (except the sick-runt) since they are trouble makers and I figure the hens will have more peace. I have about three cocks left, then it's on to the hens! (Aside from being obviously males from the wattles, I did check for testicles to confirm I didn't have freak guinea cocks. One did have a significantly shorter wattle than the other, but both were curled. Some birds also have white primaries, so I think I just ordered from an inbred hatchery that doesn't care what their jumbos weigh. The smaller weight could be from other factors, but the obvious genetic flaws are an issue. Meh. Still taste BLOODY GOOD.)

I turned the first guinea from back to breast, so I should just do that again, but plan it better. The second guinea I cooked on one side, but that didn't work (I turned it too early, so one side was 190 and the other 167, lol.

I'm hoping the hens will be larger as I read that they tend to be. Plus they'll have a little more time, though the main growth spurt is long over.

 

[Fenika]

PS- With three birds and scalding and two people, it took 2 hours. This didn't include a quick set up of materials (everything was handy but had to be carried outside). My mom got the scald water ready while I prepped and killed. I had to wait for her to get the temp right, so I dry plucked the neck feathers and only tore the skin a little

It also didn't include indoor finishing- rinsing, plucking a few pin feathers, removing kidneys and lungs, bagging, and taking them out later to pluck a few more pin feathers, weigh, record. Since only the rinsing 'has' to be done right away, I wasn't worried about the time frame.

The first two times took A Lot longer with two birds. I think the first time was 3+ hours for the main part and one person. The main problem is I was determined to save the skin and the second bird had extra delicate skin. I'm certain I hit her forebrain (tight feathers) though as I didn't want to miss on the little girl.

I'll kill them and eat them but I do love those crazy guineas. I definitely want to get the kill method on video so more people feel comfortable with it and can do a quick kill. I hate to see birds suffer, even 'food.'

 

[perchie.girl]

Oh Peeps congratulations late..... I am so happy for you.....

 

[PeepsCA]

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I don't mind the spotlight being taken off of me, lol... I'm kinda shy anyway. Hope nobody else minds

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That's still a pretty decent weight, almost double what my birds weighed. 4 of mine were average, 2 were a little light. I did not save the necks, livers or anything else tho and factor that into their weights, next time I will. And I am not sure if the leaf fat was there or not. Whatever fat was on the birds after they were processed I left on, since Guineas are on the lean side anyway. I didn't want dry meat, and I wanted some pan drippings to be able to make a little gravy for the 4 I stuffed and roasted in the oven. 2 birds to a baking bag seemed to work well, they weren't dry.

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I don't know about with the Jumbos, but with regular Helmeted Guinea Fowl typically the cocks are heavier than the Hens by a half of a pound or so. All 6 of mine were cocks, the 2 smallest were just a little younger.

Anyway thanks for the info, keep me posted about your next round of processing, I'm curious about your Hens' weights!