Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[Morrigan]

For the last several years, I've raised 25 or 30 CX each fall to supply our chicken meat needs for the year. All the hens got butchered along with the cockerels. It was pretty much necessary, as those hens weren't going to live that much longer without some severe food rationing. Even then, we always found it harder to butcher the hens.

This is the first year I'm not doing that. I'm going to raise small batches of slower grower type meaties throughout the year, saving a few hens back, and breeding my own. That means I either need to start selling excess hens or eating them. If I sell them, I'm going to need to raise more birds, overall, to reach our chicken meat needs. Also, the space I have to coop and range them is limited, and unless I'm promptly selling off excess hens as they mature, I'm going to have crowding issues. Thinking about that extra work, plus the effort of selling a few hens several times a year, well, I think I need to get with the Mawmaw approach. I hope I have the nerve to do this.

 

[aliciaplus3]

For the last several years, I've raised 25 or 30 CX each fall to supply our chicken meat needs for the year. All the hens got butchered along with the cockerels. It was pretty much necessary, as those hens weren't going to live that much longer without some severe food rationing. Even then, we always found it harder to butcher the hens.

This is the first year I'm not doing that. I'm going to raise small batches of slower grower type meaties throughout the year, saving a few hens back, and breeding my own. That means I either need to start selling excess hens or eating them. If I sell them, I'm going to need to raise more birds, overall, to reach our chicken meat needs. Also, the space I have to coop and range them is limited, and unless I'm promptly selling off excess hens as they mature, I'm going to have crowding issues. Thinking about that extra work, plus the effort of selling a few hens several times a year, well, I think I need to get with the Mawmaw approach. I hope I have the nerve to do this.

Take a deep breath and dont overthink it. I try to make sure I am only butchering the ones I dont want to use for breeding... if I have questions about whether a hen is laying I will separate her for a few days. I personally dont want to butcher a laying hen but I have

 

[Compost King]

I reached the point where every mature bird that I am not breeding or have plans to breed in the future will be sold or eaten or given away. Since I do not breed every chicken each month the ones I am not breeding are providing eggs.

 

[igorsMistress]

For the last several years, I've raised 25 or 30 CX each fall to supply our chicken meat needs for the year. All the hens got butchered along with the cockerels. It was pretty much necessary, as those hens weren't going to live that much longer without some severe food rationing. Even then, we always found it harder to butcher the hens.

This is the first year I'm not doing that. I'm going to raise small batches of slower grower type meaties throughout the year, saving a few hens back, and breeding my own. That means I either need to start selling excess hens or eating them. If I sell them, I'm going to need to raise more birds, overall, to reach our chicken meat needs. Also, the space I have to coop and range them is limited, and unless I'm promptly selling off excess hens as they mature, I'm going to have crowding issues. Thinking about that extra work, plus the effort of selling a few hens several times a year, well, I think I need to get with the Mawmaw approach. I hope I have the nerve to do this.

I'm in the same situation. Limited coop and range space, and processing that many birds at once is just too much. We both work full time so smaller batches are easier and less time consuming.

I figure to sell POL pullets once or twice a year and if not, they'll make us a meal. Around here those seem to be what sells though.

 

[Compost King]

I can only butcher 2 at a time and no more. Maybe in winter I can do more. When I first started one bird pretty much took up my whole day. After I went from plucking to skinning and gained quite a bit of experience I can do 2 in 20 minutes. But I run out of Refrigerator space if I go more than 2.

 

[igorsMistress]

We put carcasses in an ice bath in a cooler to keep the fridge empty and did 4 in one day, but there are 2 of us. Even so, it took us a couple of hours but it went faster as we got some practice.

We have things to purchase and build to make it a smoother process. Haven't tried skinning them yet, hubs likes the skin but I'm not a fan.

 

[aliciaplus3]

We try to keep it close to 6 a day. My 2 daughters, 15 and 16, help. Last weekend we killed 7 , found 3 where there was meat quality concerns so those went away, and had the remaining 4 parted bagged and resting in the fridge with the carcasses cooking for chicken noodle soup in 2.5 hours. Takes longer if we butcher drakes or turkeys, our general rule is one duck/Turkey per butcher day.

 

[BlueBaby]

Take a deep breath and dont overthink it. I try to make sure I am only butchering the ones I dont want to use for breeding... if I have questions about whether a hen is laying I will separate her for a few days. I personally dont want to butcher a laying hen but I have

Or you could put some food coloring on her vent to see if she' laying? The coloring will be on the egg's if she lay's one.

 

[BlueBaby]

I'm always hatching egg's and chick's over here. I've been trying to grow them out a bit to see what I have. The male's usually get culled. I decide what females I want to keep for breeding, and then sell the extra's.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I'm always hatching egg's and chick's over here. I've been trying to grow them out a bit to see what I have. The male's usually get culled. I decide what females I want to keep for breeding, and then sell the extra's.

Yup that's the general idea...
But I struggle to sell them and get enough to cover the cost of raising them that long.... around here folks get the "spent" hens from the laying houses and then flood craigslist with $5 "young hens" smh makes it hard to even gey $20 for s genuine POL pullet