Does anyone here take their birds in to be processed?

[moenmitz]

What do you usually pay to have them done? Hubby wants to do the butchering himself, but he is a cheapskate. I am a wuss that can't bear to kill anything, can't stand the sight of blood, and has no desire to pluck, skin or gut a chicken. I have no problem eating animals, I just have to mentally disassociate myself from what they were. Plus, I have visions of blood and featehrs all over my kitchen, and I don't want to clean it up! So, is it completely impractical to take them in to the locker and have them done there? Will I end up spending as much as if I had just bought the birds from someone else?

 

[Chickending]

I take mine in to be processed. I am in Minnesota and it cost me $2 a bird.

 

[UncleHoot]

I'm in mid-Michigan. I take mine to a local farmer (about 5 miles away), and he charges $2/bird bagged.

I've heard others here say $3 or $4, and I think someone said even more than that. It probably depends on who and where. A deluxe federal/state certified facility is probably going to charge more than, say, a local Amish farmer.

I'm kind of like you, in that it's the thought of "killing" that bothers me. I can shoot and gut a deer with no problem, but if I had to walk up to the deer, and slit its throat as it looked me in the eye, I probaby couldn't do that.

Anyway, once the chicken is dead, I don't think I'd have any fears about finishing the processing. Nevertheless, I still think I might try processing a couple on my own some time, just to gain some experience.

 

[greyfields]

I pay $5 to $7 each depending on size.

 

[fullhouse]

I would love to find someone too! I think we are in the same boat husband wise.

 

[mamaboyd]

We paid $3 a bird last year, but now the place was sold and we have to find another place or else do it ourselves.

 

[BirdBrain]

If you pluck and gut your birds outside and do your cutting up inside there won't be much "guts and feathers" in your kitchen.

 

[moenmitz]

well, having the mess outside isn't all that appealing either, gotta say. I mean, what do you DO with a bucket full of chicken heads and entrails? And wouldn't there be bloody featehrs blowing all over the place-with Iowa's heat and humidity, I can just see myself sweaty and sticky with feathers and chicken blood-yecch. Yes, I am a big ole ninny, I know. Well, 2 bucks a bird doesn't sound bad to me-the 3 and 4 dolalr prices I would not want though. Going to do soem checking to see if the lockers around ehre will do it, and what they cahrge, just wanted to ahve a ballpark idea of what was usual going in. Thanks!

 

[silkiechicken]

Doing it yourself isn't that bid IF you only have to do a few at a time. Just get a 5 gallon bucket lined with paper for the entrails and dump them in that as you go. I butcher on the back porch so it's not that bad. If you don't mind skinned birds, there will hardly be a flying feather to blow away.

 

[willheveland]

My processor charges $1.50 per bird up to 5 lbs.Then $.35 a lb over.If you want them halved it's $.25 per bird extra.When I pick them up they are bagged and frozen solid.For the job they do and the cost I couldn't heat the water for that.
He said he had to add the $.35 a lb over when I started bringing the 10 lb cornish roasters to him.
I am very happy with them,I hope they stay there awhile. Will