First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[CrazyTalk]

I washed the bird a bit in some soapy water before scalding. Kinda felt like that is what Jesus would do and scalding went perfect. We used a galvanized metal trash can over a turkey fryer burner.

I just want to point out that heating galvanized metal is a bad idea.

People die trying to weld galvanized metal, or working on it in closed spaces. The coating vaporizes, and its really hazardous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

 

[JessicaThistle]

I just want to point out that heating galvanized metal is a bad idea.

People die trying to weld galvanized metal, or working on it in closed spaces. The coating vaporizes, and its really hazardous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

Thank you crazytalk for your concern.

We are scalding outside and there is a considerable difference in heat for a scalder and welding temps. Plus you use other gases in welding that could mix with emitted gases. Several sources in my research said that 392 degrees is the point where it can start emitting the gasses. Since galvanized metal can be welded safely using precautions, we are most likely okay only heating to 150 for scalding as we are outside.

 

[LindaB220]

My husband decided at the spur of the moment tonight that we were going to do a trial run and butcher one of the Cornish X today to test the waters.

Culling went well but we learned EXACTLY why to not feed for a period of time before butcher. Everyone says to do this to reduce smell but people should be honest and warn you that poop flies up when the chicken is in the cone if they have eaten!! I mean fountain of poop, people!! If you want to avoid getting splashed with poop, stop feed for hours, 12 at least, would be good.

I washed the bird a bit in some soapy water before scalding. Kinda felt like that is what Jesus would do and scalding went perfect. We used a galvanized metal trash can over a turkey fryer burner. The can leaks but it worked. I have to say, my hubby nailed that part!

The plucker decided not to turn properly and after several adjustments and it not working right, we hand plucked. That took us a few minutes because the scalding went so well.

We team worked evisceration just because we were both so curious about how it would go. He cut the intestine just a bit by accident. (Stinky! I was sure fountain of poop took care of that. HaHa). Otherwise, it went well! We pretty well removed everything in one sweep. We wound up with a lovely 4 lb 11 oz dressed bird at 7 weeks old that is resting in the fridge.

Oh Sweetie, I'm so glad you did a run through. Always learn something new. Especially about the poop.

 

[LindaB220]

Good job, that is a nice looking bird. You know what it has been fed how it was handled, and how fresh it is. You cant get much better than that. I know it is a lot of work. I like to keep a few until 90 days and process them, they look like little turkeys dressed.

How's the texture and tenderness on a 90 day bird? Like turkey?

 

[JessicaThistle]

Here is my final video for my first run of Cornish X Meatbirds! I did post a couple others, so please take a few minutes when you view this video to check out the last few weeks. Definitely check this video out. I caught one of the roos trying to crow for the first time! I'd never heard it before!

On Monday, we butchered 9 of our 27 left. We decided to let the final 18 grow for a few more days. It all went great. I eviscerated while my husband and daughter did all the rest. I kept up well. I didn't cut any intestines or bile ducts. We had withheld food for a few hours, but my daughter let them out of the tractor a bit before we started, and they attacked a pile of apples we had on the lawn for them. We had to deal with some apple sauce but that was way better than feed stink.

So the 10 chickens that we have processed all weighed between 4 to 5 lbs 8 oz. They total more than 48 pounds! Since I was aiming for 5 pound birds, I am quite pleased with the result.

I was so excited that I threw the final bird I processed into the rotisserie to cook up for dinner. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way to never do that. While there was good flavor, the meat was horribly tough. I will now wait out the rigor mortis instead of think I can beat it! I am now cooking the first bird we did on Friday night and am praying that it is wonderful after 5 resting days!

I will post again after I process the final 18. I have batch number two of 30 chicks in the brooder now. I forgot how small and cute they are. The cuteness is knocking my socks off!

I will certainly continue to post things I learn on this thread and read other threads in the Meat bird section to give advice.

 

[bachbach1]

If you brown one really good, like at 425F then drop it into a pressure cooker for 20 minutes at pressure it will fall apart it will be so tender. The small stove top pressure cookers are great for this. I brown and can a lot of fresh birds, the pressure cooker is magic. They cook pre soaked pinto beans in 4 to 6 minutes, and un soaked right out of the bag they are done in 22 to 25 minutes, you can use a pressure cooker to can many foods. I have several cases of canned meats of all types. It is not only nice to have the extra on hand, it is fast food when you don't have time, or are to beat from the day to roast a bird.

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

----I had ordered my chicks from Moyers (so that they'd ship from PA), and they were born on the 5th. I've heard that they ship the day they're born....I had initially requested they arrive the 7th, but on my confirmation, it said they would ship the 5th (as all places ship the day they're born)----I was out of town until late last night, so I wanted the 7th but had family lined up to pick them up for me 5th or 6th.... the post office has NO chicks for me. Does it take up to 48 hours for them to arrive? The site says they ship closest to the preference arrival date, but all birds are overnighted (when I asked the post office about it). I'm local to PA, so I thought it would mean next day delivery... What is your experience? I'm worried about finding a bunch of dead chicks whenever the post office does call me.

I'm currently worried. Calling Moyers when they open, and am going to hound the post office.

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

About 15 minutes after this post, I saw that I had a missed call from the post office----my chicks were here!!! I grabbed up the kids and hurried to the office. Lots of loud peeping emanated from the box. I shuttled the kids out into the truck, cranked on the hot air, and the peeping subsided into little "cooing" noises. I got home, checked, and saw that 1 was DOA. All were huddled unhappily under the heat lamp and I tried to count them, but it was impossible to do so in the writhing mass off yellow fluff. I was too worried to get them under the heat lamp and warmed from their two day trek that I didn't even think to count as I took them out of the box. About half perked up right away and explored the kiddie pool that I'm using as their brooder. The other half laid under the lamp with head and neck and bodies sprawled and I was geeking out about them being on their "way out." I ran to the nearest TS and got some NutraDrench (I almost got the save-a-chick but I thought there was possibly more nutrition in the NutraDrench). I re-taught a second time to the birds how to find the water and food. Let them rest a few hours.

UPDATE: One chick wont open his eyes or beak. Even with me physically manipulating him. Limp but alive. I got a microscopic amt of NutraDrench into him and have him sequestered in a box inside the pool, still getting heat from the lamp but also ensconced in lots of warm snuggly tp. He is starting to respond to stimulus but I figure I'll let him rest. He pooped.. I hope he recovers. They sent me 26 (25+1), so the 1 DOA and a handful that are looking less than hardy that I hope are just roadweary... I've got 25 alive and hoping to keep it that way!!

PLAN: I'm going to start FF for these guys, but for today I'm just letting them rest and recover and I'll be checking on them all day (they're in our basement with the light and the brooder light on). I'm hoping they all just perk up and that the lethargic ones will follow suit with eating/drinking by observing their siblings (half are already chomping the dried chick food and lots of water intake too)..

Any 1st day chick advice?

 

[JessicaThistle]

About 15 minutes after this post, I saw that I had a missed call from the post office----my chicks were here!!! I grabbed up the kids and hurried to the office. Lots of loud peeping emanated from the box. I shuttled the kids out into the truck, cranked on the hot air, and the peeping subsided into little "cooing" noises. I got home, checked, and saw that 1 was DOA. All were huddled unhappily under the heat lamp and I tried to count them, but it was impossible to do so in the writhing mass off yellow fluff. I was too worried to get them under the heat lamp and warmed from their two day trek that I didn't even think to count as I took them out of the box. About half perked up right away and explored the kiddie pool that I'm using as their brooder. The other half laid under the lamp with head and neck and bodies sprawled and I was geeking out about them being on their "way out." I ran to the nearest TS and got some NutraDrench (I almost got the save-a-chick but I thought there was possibly more nutrition in the NutraDrench). I re-taught a second time to the birds how to find the water and food. Let them rest a few hours.

UPDATE: One chick wont open his eyes or beak. Even with me physically manipulating him. Limp but alive. I got a microscopic amt of NutraDrench into him and have him sequestered in a box inside the pool, still getting heat from the lamp but also ensconced in lots of warm snuggly tp. He is starting to respond to stimulus but I figure I'll let him rest. He pooped.. I hope he recovers. They sent me 26 (25+1), so the 1 DOA and a handful that are looking less than hardy that I hope are just roadweary... I've got 25 alive and hoping to keep it that way!!

PLAN: I'm going to start FF for these guys, but for today I'm just letting them rest and recover and I'll be checking on them all day (they're in our basement with the light and the brooder light on). I'm hoping they all just perk up and that the lethargic ones will follow suit with eating/drinking by observing their siblings (half are already chomping the dried chick food and lots of water intake too)..

Any 1st day chick advice?

Oh my gosh, I'm sorry I missed this! I've been so busy with my flock. Did you dip each chick's beak into the water before setting them down in the brooder? Any chick that seems to have an issue comes inside to my "chick hospital". It's a box all set up with a fluffy towel (a cloth diaper works great), a heating pad if it's a young chick, a small dish for food and water, a syringe for water,and
baby vitamins

Feed them some scrambled eggs. It helps boost them. Yes on some save a chick! How many arrived and how many survived? You can add a little water to their dry food to make it softer for them. I found my current batch needed this while my last one didn't.

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

I dipped them all, and I'm sure some got dipped more than once (hard to keep track of them when they're running round like cottonwood seeds in the wind)--- I had 2 chicks (the one who was weak yesterday upon arrival, and then last night I noticed another one listless) in my sick bay, which was a box with lots of fluffy cloth and nice and close to the heat light (sequestered from the others, but still in the chick area, because I have no other area set up yet). This morning the first chick had died, and the second one was still droopy. I picked up the survivor and again dipped his beak in some maple syrup water. He stopped crying and I set him down and he began drinking on his own and then wobbled his way into the sea of other chicks. I figured I'd just keep an eye on him since he is showing pepp and holding his own ok.

This is rather nerve wracking stuff! I feel like I'm taking care of an entire class of preschoolers who speak a foreign language. Its hard to know what they're sick from/crying over peeping/etc. and how to take care of the issue. The others seem to be doing okay. A handful are sleepier than others and tend to stay under the light while the majority are fast and curious and h-u-n-g-r-y. I'm going to put marker on the fluff of the sleepy ones and make sure I can keep track and dip them routinely into the sugared water and apply more of the nutra-drench. I think like you said, I'll just get save-a-chick and put it in their water upon arrival the next time.

I received 25+1 extra. +1 was dead upon arrival, so I had 25 live. -1 this am, I've now got 24 chicks. I hate that the little guy died on my watch, but he came out of the shipping box and never stood or opened his eyes and was very limp the whole time. I had to pry his little beak gently and trickle nutrition in. I'm thinking he had a really rough shipping experience or was weak to start.

They were eating my pine shavings in the brooder so I had to put brown paper bags over top. They are so curious!! And chase the print on the bags lol, its very funny.

I've got 2 watering stations set up and 1 feeder. They went through about 1 1/2-2 cups of food yesterday. I refilled it with another mason jar (3 cups) gravity feeder and then put a little tray of food with water on it to make it soft for the other ones but so far they're playing on it and not eating it...

I'm thinking it'll get easier with time, I'm just going to go all hawkeye on those sleepy ones and make sure everyone perks up!

What do you use for bedding for the new chicks? I had read a lot of people used the kiln dried pine shavings (they're easily each flake the size of the chicks head), but mine are eating pieces... and I'm afraid of crop issues, because I don't have grit for them. I was told no grit needed when only using chick feed.

Thank you, Sensei!