First time butchering this Friday!

[chicks4kids]

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You could always use a clean cooler and brine all of them at once...no need to only do one at a time.

 

[ChickyLaura]

That's a good idea, about the cooler. I was thinking I could also wash out a tote we have and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge.

 

[chicks4kids]

That's what I've done before too! Good thinkin'! Only thing with a cooler is that you don't need to take up fridge space...just add a top layer of ice when needed.

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[ChickyLaura]

Well, I finally got the weights of the 3 birds we have in the fridge. One weighs in at 5.4 pounds, and the other two both weigh 4.8 pounds. Nice looking birds!

 

[patman75]

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The first roos I did the smell of wet feathers brought me right back to my grandparents farm on turkey processing day.

Great job on your first processing.

 

[mxpres]

A very neat job,congrats to all of you,,your on your way now

 

[Tiffrz-N-Kidz]

Congratulations!

 

[booker81]

Wooooo!!! Awesome job!!

Never underestimate kids and their ability to determine what they will and won't do. Always give a choice

Looks like your daughter was pretty into it - not surprising to me because knowing how to turn an animal into food is interesting and almost an art and lost skill that anyone could learn, and most won't. Allowing a safe and calm environment for kids to learn how to make food from an animal is the best thing to teach them to respect their food and understand how it comes to be.

I much prefer jugular cutting while they are upside down, and it's the only way I process. I find it quiet and simple. Other folks like a hatchet, some like a broomstick, but it's all up to the processing person and how they feel.

I do all my processing now in the kitchen. I wash the birds outside to get most of the blood and dirt out, and then bring them in in either a bucket or contractor garbage bag if I have a lot of them. I use the big pot on the stove (my water bath canner!), and squirt some dish soap in, more for the nice smell than anything. I do the plucking on the counter, tie a bag to the handle of a drawer, and put the guts, and whatever parts I won't use right into that. Then into the sink for a good rinse and cleaning. Makes it very easy!

Awesome job!!

 

[Lippincott'sHomegrown]

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Wow! Good Job! I agree with the distinctive smell...hard to get that memory out of my mind when I am cooking a chicken now.

 

[CluckyJay]

Awesome job!

If you don't care about having the yummy skin try this. I did it this year and it went quickly!

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/grim79.html