For those who pay for processing....

[HFC]

Also, the place I'm referring to in the Houston area will process for halves.

My birds are worth more than $3 each to me, so I doubt i'll take him up on that.

But it is an option for somebody in the right situation, I'm sure.

 

[greyfields]

It adds around a $1 per pound of meat if you are selling it. Is it worth it? Hell yes... at least for me.

It's very time consuming, hard and smelly work. Should everyone learn to do it? Yes. But if you are doing batches of 20 or more birds, the time you invest in equipment and hours makes the processing route reasonable. And if you are selling, then you will probably be required to use one anyhow so learn the system inside and out.

Also, if I'm charging top prices for high quality meat, I can't have hte birds looking like they've been through a blender. The processor simply does a better job than I can do. He's also far better with the kililng stroke than I am. They're dispatched before they even have a chance to be scared. I accept that and will continue to use a processor because they are more skilled than I am.

 

[beebiz]

Excellent points, greyfields. Thanks

Robert

 

[MissPrissy]

No one near us will process chickens so we have to do it ourself. On another note I saw someone mention that there were some processors who could not promise to give you back the birds you brought in. Something to think about there.

 

[greyfields]

I make a point to escort my birds through the whole process. I'm there at day one and I think if I'm to be selling and profiting from them, I should have to witness the end as well. That way I can't accuse myself of avoiding the fact that the birds must die to be eaten; and by using a processor it could appear I'm avoiding that reality. I'm not really worried about meat-swapping. The size of processors that deal with people on our scale are only doing a few hundred birds in a day. Why take the time to swap meat around on people? It would be more work than to just be honest... not that I've ever suspected it. All my larger animals go through USDA processing where the chances of meat swapping are generally eliminated... although there are some notirious farm slaughter butchers out there I"m sure.

 

[beebiz]

Well, it's all been settled as of this afternoon. I won't be able to get my birds processed unless I do them myself. I've contacted every potential processor I can find that is within about a 40 or 45 mile radius of me. And, none of them will touch live poultry! They just aren't set up for it. In the event that in the future I become unable to process my own birds, I am going to do some talking to some of the guys that I meet at the local livestock auctions. Maybe one of them will know someone who would be willing and able to do it for me.... if I am unable to do it.

But, thanks for the time and effort that you all have put into answereing my question. Even though I can't find a processor local to me right now, thanks to you all I will have a good idea as to what is a fair price if I locate one in the future.

Robert

 

[greyfields]

I go 90 miles. :|

 

[beebiz]

Quote:
WOW!!!! I certainly can't afford that.... gasoline is entirely too high. My old pickup only gets about 16 miles to the gallon. And, given the local price of gas, it would cost me close to $35 to get them to and from the processor. Since I don't sell processed birds and will only be processing ones that my wife and I will eat, I just couldn't justify that plus the cost of processing. I'll just have to make out the best that I can!

Robert

 

[4-H chicken mom]

If you have any Amish families around you might want to ask them. I had an Amish family do my meat birds this year and was charged $1.25 a bird. They only put them in coolers that you provide with ice. Which is OK with me. I take them home and bag them myself. Just don't go ask on a Sunday. I didn't know that they don't do business or discuss business on Sunday. I did let them keep the heart, gizzard and liver for such a cheep price. They did a really nice job too.

 

[beebiz]

Quote:
That's an excellent idea!! There are several Amish families who live close to me. There's even an Amish owned slaughter house close to me. They were the first ones that I called. But, they said that there was not enough demand for processing chickens to make it worth the expense of the equipment.

Thanks so much for the input. You've just proved that what my grandmother used to say is true.... "Two heads are better than one... even if mine is a gourd head!!!!"

Robert