Well me and my chicken buddy (warmfuzzies) Just got done butchering our first real batch! 11 of mine and 7 of hers!! We ended up skinning them all. It was really hot and we just wanted to get em on ice! I think that we did great! I think we got about 30 pnds of chicken! (and a nice bright red sunburn!!lol) We are considering buying some cornish x for next year!!
Yay, that's great, it's always better to have a good friend there to work with you. I have a girlfriend who is usually willing to come over when it's time to butcher, and each time we figure out ways to do it better the next time. The last time I had just watched the YouTube video "Chicken Processing on Custer Family Farm" and we used their method of skinning & cleaning the birds. It was our most successful session to date.
Next year I want to get some Colored Range Broilers from JM Hatchery, or learn how to caponize the home-hatched roos.
I am thinking about rangers too, but I still dont know about buying them when we have a constant basically free source of chicks. I will have to think about it.
I had planned to get the Rangers this past Feb, to raise & finish butchering before the weather got too miserable here. But then Mister lost his job, and all my chicken money had to go to other needs in the household. So I was left raising home-hatched mixed-breed cockerels, and collecting some unwanted purebred packing peanuts from other people's hatchery orders. Sure, they're free to obtain, but still cost $$$ to feed, and for a longer period of time.
I'm going to try again this next year, after the holidays & during our cooler months. (Dear Santa, please bring me some meat birds!) I was drooling to see those big meaty birds in the Custer Family's video, I want to see that on my plate!