"Dead Chickens walking." Have questions

[Beekissed]

Quote:
X2

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I wouldn't do all 10 in stages, I think that might be too long -- especially for a beginner -- to go from dispatching them all to finishing cleaning them all. The last ones you completed would certainly be stiff by then. Plus, there's always the chance that something will come up & you don't want to be stuck with HAVING to finish them all in bad weather or in the dark or something.

Go ahead & do the first one all by himself, from start to finish. By the time you get him in the ice water you'll have learned a LOT that will make the next one easier. You may need to do these guys in a few smaller batches.

When you get more experience you may be able to do 2 at a time, or have one hanging to bleed while you pluck & gut another.

Weigh the first one to see if you think they're worth butchering now or should wait a few more weeks. I like to feel the drumsticks on the live birds, if I grab one & my mouth begins to water, I know they're big enough to go.

 

[PunkinPeep]

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x2 I learned infinite amounts of information on my first beginning to end butcher.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

OOPS...I must have put something wrong in my post. LOL I did the roos one at a time. At the very beginning when I was getting ready to prepare for the big day.. I thought I would kill all of them them skin and then continue on in stages. But when I started reading about rigor and things like that my plan changed completely. This is what I love about BYC...everyone is soooo nice to help out with advice. On the last one I did let it bleed out while I finished one. It had gotten loose and I just went ahead and stuck it in the cone. I hope someday I can get quicker at gutting. I think I am making it harder than it should be, LOL Will do the remaining 4 tomorrow.
Maybe my BO are just little breasties?

It is ok with me cause I love the dark meat...but everyone else likes white. Guess that means more for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks everyone sooooo much..couldn't do this without you guys!

 

[PunkinPeep]

Me too! I LoVE the dark meat! More for me!

 

[lightfoot]

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try ebay

 

[Sunny Side Up]

There's a BYC member, "jaku", who makes & sells cones, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150489789835&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT but a cone can easily be made from a traffic cone, a large plastic jug, even the plastic from a flexible plant pot. Or you could just wrap duct tape around the body/wings a few times. The cone is mainly to keep the bird from flapping around right after it Crosses The Road.

I don't know if you've already seen this YouTube video

but it shows both ways to skin & gut a chicken. I still prefer to hand-pluck, and find it the easiest part of the process. But I like the way they show how to clean out the bird. Now they've got great big chickens and this lady must have small hands, but you can still use her technique.

Let us know how it goes with these next 4 birds!