First time processing

[U_Stormcrow]

This was a very emotional and labor intensive day, but I think it was a success.

I've been at this a year and change, never do more than three in a day. EXCELLENT work, no shame there.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I flush the carcass out with cold water and the lungs firm up, coming out easier

Now that I think about it, when he brings them inside I rinse the cavity with cold water before doing anything.

 

[Novicehen]

They look wonderful! How many did you do?

I started the meat bird raising journey with 20. Nineteen made it to processing day.

 

[Novicehen]

I've been at this a year and change, never do more than three in a day. EXCELLENT work, no shame there.

Roger that! I was actually thinking I would only do five at a time going forward.

 

[Novicehen]

If you swipe down the rib cage starting from the top of the chest cavity and pull towards the backbone, your fingers can get in between the ribs and you can scrape out the lungs more easily. I don't know if I explained that very well, but hopefully you can pass this along to your DH and it helps.

I started with removing all feet and heads then iced the birds. I was not concerned with rigor mortis setting in and hurrying to tuck legs. I also have small hands with long fingers. I reached in all the way up into the cavity, cupped the organs, rotated my hand slowly and pulled out all of the organs together. Maybe not the proper way, but it worked!

 

[Novicehen]

I flush the carcass out with cold water and the lungs firm up, coming out easier

Yes! I cold water, ice bathed them before removing organs.

 

[Novicehen]

They look wonderful!

Thank you!

 

[Novicehen]

Great job! Definitely labor intensive, but that chicken is going to taste so good!

Thank you. Yes, they were fabulous!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I started the meat bird raising journey with 20. Nineteen made it to processing day.

Wow 19 in a day?! DH and I only ever do one at a time so they can "rest" in our fridge for a few days. How long did that take you? We average about 30 minutes per bird from cull to table

 

[Novicehen]

Wow 19 in a day?! DH and I only ever do one at a time so they can "rest" in our fridge for a few days. How long did that take you? We average about 30 minutes per bird from cull to table

I started at about 7am and I finished the actual bird processing and bagging at about 7:30pm on day one. Now, I had to clean the plucker, dump blood and mucky water and some other cleaning as I worked, and I split and bar-b-qued four birds while working. Oh, and I ran out of propane while bagging...move giant stainless bowls with iced livers, gizzard, hearts, feet and remaining birds onto the house to finish bagging on the stove! I then had to do real clean up using just flood lights...topped the entrail bucket and fit it into a freezer (could not dig a hole at that time), disinfected my stainless tables and giant bowls, placed the wood frame that I had the cones mounted into the fire pit (it had too much blood splatter to salvage it)...blah, blah. I honestly cried and had to take a couple of short breaks to regroup during the day. Anyway, it was the next day before I completed the cleaning...pressure washed the equipment and patio, loaded the supplies into my GorillaCart and dragged everything back to the shed.

Hey, I live in Southern Georgia and plan to do this twice a year. I welcome help or a culling partnership (I'll share the harvest) next time May. This was my first rodeo and I feel good about the outcome, but I can never (well, maybe just shouldn't) do this by myself again.