HALLOWEEN Hatch-a-Long 2016 w/ Hosts, Mike, Sally & BantyChooks

[BantyChooks]

I bow to y'all who process.... I'd get the chicken in the cone, pick up the knife, and lose it.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Mornin Chaos, hope you and yours are well.. Its a lung removal tool.

 

[BantyChooks]

and a hole in my head

Ever heard of sinuses? You need holes in your head very much!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I bow to y'all who process.... I'd get the chicken in the cone, pick up the knife, and lose it.

I got through it because he couldnt slice them correct. I am the one who raises them, I should be the one to do the deeds as well. I always go to it a bit angry not upset, this is not something you will EVER Like to do, and chickens do not just die instantly. I take it hard and thank God for such blessing to be able to provide our own meat for the table. I told you before I dont name my chickens or get too close to them anymore, its all a mental process. When you process your first one, things will be different, you will appreciate all that chicken you eat at the store a bit more, ok alot more. knowing the lives were truely taken I suggest you go to someone who is going to process and help. that help me alot.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

@Auroradream26 Jess how is the new roo?

 

[Chaos18]

Mornin Chaos, hope you and yours are well.. Its a lung removal tool.

Oh okay. Does it work good? I just use my fingers.

I got through it because he couldnt slice them correct. I am the one who raises them, I should be the one to do the deeds as well. I always go to it a bit angry not upset, this is not something you will EVER Like to do, and chickens do not just die instantly. I take it hard and thank God for such blessing to be able to provide our own meat for the table. I told you before I dont name my chickens or get too close to them anymore, its all a mental process. When you process your first one, things will be different, you will appreciate all that chicken you eat at the store a bit more, ok alot more. knowing the lives were truely taken I suggest you go to someone who is going to process and help. that help me alot.

 

[snywalker]

Just fired up the incubator, getting it all ready and steady for our eggs. Collected a dozen from our girls this last week, so excited to see what the little fuzz balls will be like! 


Hoping (if the incubator regulates easy) to be setting tomorrow or the next day, that'll be putting our hatch for the 17th or 18th of october (if my math is correct)


We did weighing for our first ever incubating for the September Hatch-along and I will be doing so again, found it so wonderful and reassuring for humidity control and air sac development.


Hoping for a better hatch rate from our eggs though than the breeder we got them from...it was only 50%, including the infertile and duds.

When we had gone into lockdown we ended up with a 70% hatch rate.

It'd be cool if our eggs did much better! They are not a pure breed though, so we'll see what we end up with. They are different tones of brown. Mama girls are all BCM crosses (mother was unknown...too many and no record kept at breeders but roo was a BCM)

i'm so excited to hatch again! I can see how easy it is to end up with more chickens than planned.... 

I like hatching barnyard mixes better than pure breed. I buy pure breeds, but it is so much fun not knowing what the chicks will look like when they come out.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: yes love

Quote: I would love to get one, I am sure they do work well. better than fingers for sure.

 

[Chaos18]

yes love

I would love to get one, I am sure they do work well. better than fingers for sure.

I might have to look up a video of how they work. It's easier for me to just run my fingers between the ribs and peel them out.

How was your weekend?

 

[chickendreams24]

long hug sweetie Congrats!!! Always remember its something you will go at knowing you are not liking what your doing, but it sure does bring you home to reality doesnt it. And you know where your food is coming from! Are you brining them? I know they are!!! longer stronger nails work I hear, but I have none!! I would love to invest in one of those tools made for it

Thanks Love Really thank you all I'm not sure I could have done it without the support of my BYC family. Knowing you guys would have a hug and lend and ear made it so much easier. After I posted those messages I said I quick prayer asking for strength and guidance and out I went. I still haven't done the deed I'm grateful to DH2B for being such an awesome man. This was also his first time processing birds and we never got to watch anyone do it. I think that would have helped a ton. Unfortunately the first bird took a couple cuts but I know it didn't take long BC I went outside not long after I came in. After that DH2B said it was much easier knowing how much force was needed. We even saved the gizzards which is new to us. What's the consensus on them tasty or not? I heard they're good floured and fried? Just how are you supposed to get the kidneys and lungs whole out anyways? I managed a couple lungs but the kidneys just seem to pulverize. They probably could have been cleaner. Our first one had some minor skin damage BC the water was too hot I think. The second one was pristine but a little thinner than we'd have liked. The third the wind picked up as a storm blew in and it cooked as fast as we dunked it so it wasn't plucking too well. Lol it had a few skin tears and then DH2B came to help me with stubborn feathers and tore it some more but no big deal all the tears were on the under side or the wings so it's actually still pretty. Wish we had a scale to weigh them. #1 and 3 were pretty big heavy birds. #2 was big but not very heavy. Also no we're not brining them how do I do that? That's so the meat isn't tough correct? They're resting in the fridge, I believe this is what I've read to do?

I bow to y'all who process.... I'd get the chicken in the cone, pick up the knife, and lose it.

That's why I got on BYC while DH2B did it. Lol it wasn't too bad really. Except when I reached in our yucky things bucket to try and grab the missing gizzard. I grabbed a head instead as it was dusk and was approximately the right size. Yikes. Lol I didn't scream but I did say icky icky icky about ten times and dropped it like it was hot lol no but that was about the grossest part of it. Blood doesn't bother me much though I admit to not liking the snap of joints. We had to gut the third one in the house BC of the dark and the coming storm(a lot of the dark was from the storm) now that was something we couldn't smell them outside. Lol but still not too bad.

I got through it because he couldnt slice them correct. I am the one who raises them, I should be the one to do the deeds as well. I always go to it a bit angry not upset, this is not something you will EVER Like to do, and chickens do not just die instantly. I take it hard and thank God for such blessing to be able to provide our own meat for the table. I told you before I dont name my chickens or get too close to them anymore, its all a mental process. When you process your first one, things will be different, you will appreciate all that chicken you eat at the store a bit more, ok alot more. knowing the lives were truely taken I suggest you go to someone who is going to process and help. that help me alot.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes it hard. I'm grateful to DH2B and j have a lot of respect for you doing it yourself. I do someday want to learn to do it but I think I'm going to ease into this. My biggest fear would definitely be causing too much suffering by being too gentle or cutting the trachea. We did have some problems with the first and the last trying to clot DH2B said. I've heard that can happen, which is crazy. Thankfully all went well and it was mostly just the first that gave trouble.

I might have to look up a video of how they work. It's easier for me to just run my fingers between the ribs and peel them out.

I got pretty good at the lungs but admit the kidneys still escape me. Again we probably could have cleaned them a bit better as there were so many membranes internally which we weren't expecting them to be so tough to get through.