Have you considered processing chickens as a full-time job?

[jvls1942]

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hey Jaku, how you doing?

they are getting $2/bird around here.. where I take mine.. they do chickens once per week and easily do 1000 per day..

turkeys, ducks and geese are $5/ea..

If someone had an on-your-site business, you could land more jobs
and do fewer per day.. less help needed..

maybe not a full time job, but a nice side line..

get your trailer built and mount that WhizBang and go for it..

....jiminwisc.......

 

[Kim_NC]

Never, never would I want that as a job. I do my own, but only because we're looking for a processor. I'll gladly pay $2-3/bird.

 

[me&thegals]

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What an absolutely excellent idea! In fact, this model really fits a lot of needs. For example, in our rural area, the hospitals rent a mobile MRI machine that's inside a semi trailer

I would NOT consider doing this as a paying job myself based on my first experience with butchering chickens, but I would consider paying $1-1.50/bird to help someone operating a mobile unit.

 

[joebryant]

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Say WHAT? .50 a bird? That person must LOVE processing chickens. Hmmm, wonder if I could get him/her to pay me to let him/her process mine.

 

[scbatz33]

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"As seen on Gordon Ramsay's F-Word, for example."

I don't know what that is or where I could see it. Do you have the URL for it?

BBC America

 

[WalkingWolf]

Just for myself and not speaking for any others, we all have to do what is best for each of us. But that aside there is no way I can take one of my birds that I spend time with on a daily basis, and have it processed by a stranger.

The thought of somebody the bird does not know grab it by the legs and shove it in a cone that it has never seen or been in before would seem to be stressful to me. I plan on dispatching one or two whenever we need too with the .22 a shot to the head while they are doing what they love, foraging. No stress, no idea of anything bad just quick and painless. The rest of the processing is a breeze to me once they are passed.

As a young man I worked for a small slaughter house and a .22 was what was used to dispatch cows and pigs. I never saw any pain from any animal they always dropped like a sack of potatoes. Later the .22 was replaced with a pneumatic driver made for knocking a animal unconscious to have it's throat slit.

$2 or $3 dollars a bird buys a lot of .22 ammo(well at least for now it does) so for me it seems fitting to take the process of raising and ending the chickens life in my own hands. But for others I certainly understand.

As a business I don't understand how one could make it at $3.00 a bird. Between the liability insurance, benefits for employees, licenses, maintenance it just does not seem cost effective to make money. Unless doing it on the scale of such as Purdue or Tyson. And is that not what we are trying to avoid. My hat is off to anybody who can process a bird as a business for $3 a bird.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Walkingwolf, that was my plan this last time, too. But he went flopping all over the place, and by the time I caught him, hacked through his feathers, and finally got his throat slit, he bled maybe a teaspoon.

So I butchered, cut the meat up, breaded and bakec it, and it was NASTY!!! It smelled awful, and we ended up not eating it. i guess it diddnt bleed enough.

 

[WalkingWolf]

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He bleed only a teaspoon because his heart had stopped, he was dead. Sometimes death throws are possible on a head shot if not placed properly and the nerve endings are still firing, but the bird is dead though. Kinda like frying fresh frog legs and having them jump in the pan.

Hang the bird upside down after the kill and give it time for gravity to let the blood drain. If still only a small amount you have not got through the artery. This is a good time to prepare the scalding water. You also may have broke the intestines while removing the insides this will taint meat. But if this was your first rooster they have a stronger gamier taste than supermarket chicken. Marinate in tomato juice or brine overnight will remove it.

 

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

So Joe, do you just not want to process birds yourself? Is it the grossness factor, or killing living animals? Or do you just not know how?

I live very near you, and have processed many birds. I would be glad to help you do it. Also, there is a guy in Noblesville (I think?) that has a plucker and scalder he will rent out. We've rented it before and it works great and cuts the work in half at least.

But if you just don't want to cut up birds, then I don't know what to tell you. I would do it for you, but probably for not less than $5 a bird, since it is a considerable time investment. Keep in mind, I don't have a "facility". We just butcher in the backyard. At that price, you might as well pay for the ones from the market at $10 each.

 

[warmfuzzies]

I am used to the gamey taste, it doesnt bug me. But this meat was DARK, and smelled spoiled. He was a rooster, about a year old, but I thought he would be OK. I hung him for about 15 minutes, till I was sure he wasnt bleeding at all any more.

And he was MEAN. So maybe it was like the old timers used to say, he was too ornery to be good!

I dont know, I think we will try the throat slitting thing next time.