It's official! I will be raising more!!

[chicks4kids]

I butchered some broilers the other day and today we had one for dinner...

...and OMG! The flavor, the taste, the texture, everything was more than we were anticipating...so new project...

A bigger coop/run for more broilers!! Look out grocery store--no more rotisserie for us!!

I let mine free range during the day, which means they don't go far, just out of their confined area, so basically I'll just need to make a predator proof larger pen/coop for night time!! I'm so excited...my poor husband, I've always got multiple projects going!! Sometimes I am amazed that he truly doesn't mind my projects!! I guess he loves the outcome!! So for this new one, all I've asked him to do is make me some kind of plucker...not anything as large scale as the Whizbang, but more along the lines of a motor, pully, and pvc...

We'll see...

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Good for you, I'm glad you had such great success!

What kind of birds did you do? Will you get more like them or try something different? Will you continue to pluck all your birds, or try skinning some of them next time?

There have been plans here for making a plucker attatchment for an electric drill with a PVC cap & rubber bungee cords. Seems cheap, easy & effective.

Keep up the good work & please invite me to dinner next time! I'll help dress the birds beforehand!

 

[chicks4kids]

They were cornish rock broilers. And I really had great success with them. One I had to cull at 4 wks. and about two weeks ago I had to seperate one and feed 'til he got big enough to butcher, but other than that, it was fine. I think I'll probably stick with this kind because the woman that I got these from took real good care of her chicks and ducks.

I definitely have decided to skin some next time. With this being my first time, I butchered and froze whole (just tryin' to see if it was something that I could stomach). Next time, I will definitely divide into specific packages for sure!!

Yeah, my in-laws were disappointed I didn't invite them over for dinner! They used to do their own chickens long...long ago with my FIL''s parents.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

If you're going to try skinning, you must check out this great video on YouTube titled "Chicken Processing on Custer Family Farm". I'd include the link if I could figure out how. It shows an easy way to skin & clean out the carcasses.

 

[chicks4kids]

OMG!! Not only did I check out that link, but went to their website....have been there ever since. Makes me think....hhmmmm....
we have 10 acres, I could do this too!!

That family is amazing! Thanks, I'll definitely be going back to their website. And holy cow, do they make skinning a chicken look easy or what!!??!!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

My processing pal & I are always trying to improve our technique, after each session we discuss how next time we could do it better, easier, faster, more efficiently. I had just watched the Custer Family video before our last session and we tried to follow their procedures. Of course we weren't even close to being as adept as a Custer, but we still had our most successful session ever.

We found it took a lot of arm & shoulder strength, especially for us two ladies, to pull the skin off the wings & legs, that guy must have had lots of experience with the exercise. Though it took us a while and a lot of tugging, we got the job done as demonstrated. And we found their technique for cleaning out the bodies to be easier than the way we'd been doing it before.

I've been recommending this video to everyone doing home processing ever since. Thanks for sharing, Custer Family!

 

[Peruvian]

Spend the time building a plucker ala Whizbang. It makes processing so much easier.

 

[Bossroo]

Just for everyone's information...Dumping the skin will only decrease the flavor of the chicken and at the same time , while cooking, will remove more juices from the meat making it drier.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Depends on how you cook it. I leave the skin on birds I intend to roast whole. You're right, it imparts flavor & keeps in the moisture. I like sticking sprigs of fresh rosemary under the skin on the breasts while they're roasting.

But the birds I have to process are mostly home-hatched mixed-breeds or standard-breed cockerels. Since they're not as meaty, I prefer to slowly simmer them until the meat comes off the bones, then use the meat in soups, stews & chilis. The skin isn't necessary there, and it sure made the processing go faster.

I hope to have $$$ to order a batch of big broiler chicks, I'll leave the skin on them for sure!

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Words can't express how true this is. Even if you don't think you do enough birds to warrant the $300, build one of these. It will change your life.