In a pickle.. what to do?

[dancingbear]

If you're just feeding them to the dogs, you could behead, (or cut the throats, dogs would be happy to eat the heads, too) scald and just do a rough pluck, and as for gutting, just open the abdomen, pull out the actual intestines, and leave the rest intact. Throw them into empty bread bags and freeze. The dogs won't care if they have a few feathers, they like the innards, and don't even care if they're a little freezer-burned. You don't have to worry about getting a good bleed-out, either.
The only reason I'd go ahead and remove the intestines, is so I wouldn't have poop in my freezer with people food.

 

[malignstar]

I'm not even planning on scalding, just dry plucking. The intestines I never feed because I worry about parasites in the gut. I'll be removing the gizzard to clean as my one dog is highly allergic to grains and I can't have him eating what's in there. Everything else will be intact. I'll try and remove the icky bile sac though because it apparently makes the meat taste bad to them (bitter maybe?). I'll process out one for the fam to eat tonight and see how it tastes but the other 14 are going to the dogs!

 

[malignstar]

I ended up getting 17 birds for $15! I can only claim responsibility for the death of 16 though.. one had a heart attack in the heat and died. I thought that I would be more upset and nervous but I just kept a steady hand and aim with the axe and reminded myself each time that the bird is dead, it doesn't have a head and the flopping is just nerves. I only botched one.

I missed the neck and cut the head/brain almost in half. I think he only took 5 seconds more to truly die. I thought about trying to set him back up on the block and swinging again but he was throwing all around so bad I couldn't get it steady. I hung him upside down to bleed out faster and just talked to him and petted him until I could tell he was dead. It was the only one I actually thought about, and I messed up. If I didn't think about it and just swung I hit the mark every time and it was fast. Since I had nothing set up or no holding pen I ziptied their legs together and they pretty much just layed on the grass until ready. A few tried to fly around but they soon discovered it was pointless. I partially defeathered only 2 because the heat was too much for me to be in. I'm going to freeze them whole and do the processing part when I get them out to thaw and feed. The dogs were overwhelmed by having a whole chicken to eat on. I cut the breast out for Clyde and Waverli was up sleeping somewhere and never came down. Here's how the results looked.

Emily eating on her share

Clyde who ended up with a HUGE belly of chicken afterwards

Amos after he discovered the thing with feet really IS edible!

 

[eKo_birdies]

on the floor in the house!? not even outside?

you are braver than i am!

 

[malignstar]

You can see the mats they eat on. They never take their food anywhere else. The cats eat on the bare ceramic floor though and I come by with a lysol wipe after they're done.

 

[eKo_birdies]

Quote:

i was laughing to myself picturing my 6 dogs and 7 cats w/ their raw meat....that could NEVER go down at our house.

those are some great animals you've got there!!!! it's awesome to watch a cat take down a whole raw piece of chicken, bone and all.

 

[malignstar]

You should have seen Clyde with his 3 wk coturnix quail last night. THAT is a sight to see! Six dogs and seven cats- it would be crazy at meal time!

 

[eKo_birdies]

lol oh geez... i can only imagine.

clyde is one lucky dude!!!