First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[Double Kindness]

I always cry when I process.. my friends use traffic cones with the pointy part cut down a little and pull the heads through and cut off the head or slice the jugular.

We hang them by a rope updide down by their feet in the garage, calm them down, pull down on the neck to get the skin tight and with a firm stroke slice the jugular. They will flap wuite a bit. I usually hold them still.

Dubk in pretty hot water 140-200f if you want to pluck them. Or you can skin them.

 

[Double Kindness]

On another note one of my chicken lady lical friends is coming over right now to help me send off meaties to freezer camp.

Very on the fence about keeping Jezebel my narragansett turkey pullet and my suspected large black and white muscovy drake. The cx meaties gotta go to freezer camp.

I'm now wishing I had not feed them this morning.

 

[daskhan]

So we are in a bit of a pickle. The processor who did our first batch of chickens closes after Thanksgiving. I didn't know this until I called the Monday after Thanksgiving. so now we have 31 chickens that need processed because we don't want to keep them over the winter. but the closest processor is an hour and a half away and I would have to drive there to drop them off and then again to pick them up because of the way they work. we have never processed chickens before or even seen it done. We are trying to find someone local who can either process them for us or teach us how, but im not sure if we will find anyone. We were planning to ask some friends to help so we can get it all done in one day. I have read about and watched youtube videos about processing but still nervous to do it without someone with experience. any advice?

Racin chicken might be able to help you out he's near Indy though

 

[KCMOLisa]

So we are in a bit of a pickle. The processor who did our first batch of chickens closes after Thanksgiving. I didn't know this until I called the Monday after Thanksgiving. so now we have 31 chickens that need processed because we don't want to keep them over the winter. but the closest processor is an hour and a half away and I would have to drive there to drop them off and then again to pick them up because of the way they work. we have never processed chickens before or even seen it done. We are trying to find someone local who can either process them for us or teach us how, but im not sure if we will find anyone. We were planning to ask some friends to help so we can get it all done in one day. I have read about and watched youtube videos about processing but still nervous to do it without someone with experience. any advice?

My brother and I did my 24 CX by ourselves last year without any prior experience. Once you get going, it is pretty easy. We did ours over two days, though. It will wear you out more than you think! Just set up stations. The first station is where you kill them, either hatchet or cone. Then a station with a big pot of water just below boiling, 180-190 degrees. Dunk them a few times to loosen the feathers. Then the next station is plucking. We hung ours upside down off the porch and put a big tarp underneath. I bought a couple pairs of those cheap gloves with the rubber dots all over them. That helped a TON for plucking. Just put the gloves on and rub in a circular motion all over the chickens. If you scalded them right, the feathers will come right out. Then the next station is gutting. Watch a few videos so you can see the proper technique. And the last station is rinsing and picking them over for any left over pin feathers or anything that got missed. Then they go into a cooler of running cold water to cool them down fast. Once they are all done, put them on ice for a couple of days. We would do 3 chickens at a time and get them completely processed, then get the next three and do it all again. It took about 8 hours total with most of that time spent on the plucking.

 

[Double Kindness]

I got 6 cx meaties into the fridge resting now... more will go to freezer camp today.

My blue ee x ayam cemani Adeline is sick in a cage in my kitchen. I noticed her sneezing yesterday afternoon. She got a shot of tylan last night.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I got 6 cx meaties into the fridge resting now... more will go to freezer camp today.

My blue ee x ayam cemani Adeline is sick in a cage in my kitchen. I noticed her sneezing yesterday afternoon. She got a shot of tylan last night.

Good for you - I know how hard it can be to do even the simplest things when sick. I hope you feel better soon.

- Ant Farm

 

[JRNash]

A sentiment that I share!

 

[JRNash]

12days,work permitting and my broilers are freezer camp bound!!

 

[Double Kindness]

4 more cx meaties inthe fridge.

I'm exhausted. 10 chickens in the fridge, 2 to compost... soooo tired.

Now is time for bourbon...

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

4 more cx meaties inthe fridge.

I'm exhausted. 10 chickens in the fridge, 2 to compost... soooo tired.

Now is time for bourbon...

It's medicinal...

- Ant Farm