How many people ideal for processing?

[Beekissed]

That depends on how many work stations you have and what kind of setup.

We did it the old fashioned way with an outside fire under a copper kettle for scalding, hand plucked, and used two killing cones. I only had one other person to help me but could have used at least 4 for my small setup to keep things flowing. I did 12 one day and 16 the next and it took approx. 4-6 hrs. from setup to break down of equipment each day to put the birds in the fridge for resting.

For 40 birds and a plucker, I would say that 4 experienced people could still come in real handy and should make things go more quickly.

 

[dancingbear]

I'd say 4. One to kill, bleed, and scald, one to pluck, one to gut and package, and the 4th to go back and forth between plucking and gutting, as needed. Make sure you choose your 1 inexperienced person well, you don't want somebody who will plead gross-out, puke, faint, or otherwise back out on you. Though since they volunteered, they're probably ok with it.

Got a shaded area to work in? You really don't want to be out in the sun all day with this. String up some tarps or something, if nothing else.

Good luck, let us know how it goes! Be sure you let the meat rest a day or two before you cook any, it'll be more tender.

 

[Wolfwoman]

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That's what I thought too, and I skinned quite a few. The last three I plucked and it was about 1/2 the processing time. I'm plucking from now on!! lol

I do them all myself, 3-5 a day until they are all done, why give chickens away?? lol

 

[hensonly]

I just took mine to processer this week, a family-run outfit. They had a very smooth routine. Dad did the killing, using 4 wall mounted cones. Then into the plucker (which you probably don't have) then into giant rubber garbage cans on wheels, full of ice water. Then the cleaners took them out one by one, gutted them - the birds were suspended By the feet over a long sink so everything could be dropped as it came outof the bird. The last pinfeathers were removed, and the feet, the birds went into another garbage can of ice water, and the baggers took them out andbagged them one by one. There were three doing the gutting, two bagging, and one taking finished birds to the appropriate vehicle or coolers. All except Dad moved around as needed, though the younger kidsdid not do the cleaning. All very smooth and professional, and you will not be able toduplicate this as you don't have allthe equipment, but some of the routine maybe useful. Good luck!

 

[Dogfish]

With 2 people total, it took us 90 minutes to process 30 birds. We had a tub plucker. You didn't mention how you would pluck.

We have both butchered lots of game, so we were ahead of the curve.

At most, use 3 people. If you had more birds, maybe another person. You can either use a line or a batch process, or a combination of the two. Batch process is you and the others all kill, then scald, then pluck, then dress, and finally package. We did batches on killing and scald together. Then one guy tossed birds in the plucker while the other dressed them. Plucker switched over to dressing once plucking was done, both checked each others birds and packaged.

 

[Skcup]

We are hand plucking and will likely be slow. I imagine that four people will be about right, since all but one of us will be inexperienced.

Thanks for all the feedback, very valuable! I'll update when the day comes!

 

[Buster52]

Since you are trying to keep the numbers down, I would say you and your trainers.

But the ideal would be, 1 at the kill station, one at the scalder/plucker (if you have a plucker) and 4 or more at the tables form maximum efficiency.

I worked the kill station for a friend in a similar situation and there were 6 at the processing tables. I timed him eviscerating 2 birds, one was 25 seconds and the other 35 (because I told him I was timing him). I was still done long before the rest.

 

[Skcup]

Buster, there's only one trainer. The other two people come as a package since they're married and will only get one chicken payment so it won't matter if both of them help or just one!

 

[sonew123]

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Honestly I can tell you, you really need more then one person to dress and package.. Beleive me Poor Kathleen(Schultz) was having a heck of a time keeping up and she is fast at it.... You could honestly have the same person do the killing and scalding then slap it down on the table for the plucker, thne the plucker takes to the two dressers/packagers...

Well, the way we always do it is kill and scald/pluck all the chickens, then put them in cold ice water (redundant

) to chill. Then dress them, then put them back in icewater as we dress them, then when they're all dressed we bag them. It's not like we're sitting around waiting, because by the time we pluck the last ones, the first ones are chilled and ready for dressing.

maybe Im confused as heck and thought I knew but now Im confused? What exactly does "dressing " mean??

 

[dancingbear]

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I always took it to mean the entire process of cleaning a carcass to prepare it as food, including skinning or plucking, gutting, and whatever clean-up or trimming may be needed. But I could be mistaken, maybe dressing is separate from the rest of the butchering process.I always thought dressing was an odd term for it, because it's more like undressing.