Letting my broody raise 20 meaties. Now I have a rooster raising 50 CX chicks~new batch!

[Beekissed]

Here is a pic some of the chickens awaiting processing:

And a few after processing:

 

[halo]

Bee, those are just bee-utiful! Now the real test will be when you cook the first one. Thats when I want a report back from you.

They look so nice plucked, you did a super job.

 

[Hillsvale]

so what was the finished weight, do you know?... they look yummy

 

[vatterpa]

yeay! they look great. having them for the 4th?

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Live weights were from 9-10 lbs. and dressed and trimmed weights were 5-6 lbs. each.

 

[Beekissed]

Here are some of the pics of our setup on the cheep....er...cheap! I use 2 gal. bleach jugs for killing cones and had been given an outside stove/brazier just the day before, when we were wondering what we would be doing to insure our scald water stayed hot. So, we filled it with charcoal, slipped Mom's copper kettle down in the top of it and it stayed hot throughout the whole processing....best idea we had!

You all would not believe how easy these birds were to pluck compared to dual purpose breeds, especially older ones. And the pin feathers just pop out of the skin if you scrape a knife blade down the skin~ as if scaling a fish..only it was easier. These were the easiest birds I've ever processed and they had virtually no smell whatsoever...even after scalding. That was very pleasing to me!

We scalded and skinned the feet to make chicken stock with...the outer cuticle of the nail just pulls right off, as did all the skin...slicker than cat poop on linoleum! They look creepy but they will make the best chicken stock and then we will feed them to the dogs...nothing wasted except the intestines, feathers, heads, tails and wingtips(we just clip those off when plucking to avoid the hassle).

Tomorrow we are going to do the 8 remaining meaties and about 6-7 retired layers and I will take better pics of the insides, the organs, where to cut the neck, a comparison between the carcasses of the dual purpose hens and these CX, etc.

Anything you all would like to see a pic of ?

 

[peterlund]

Quote:
Pics would be great.. Awesome thread. Thanks Beekissed!

 

[Beekissed]

You're welcome! I'm hoping this thread has been as educational to you all as it has to me....I have been raising chickens for a long time but I've never encountered anything like these meaties!

 

[little_grey_bantam]

Oh My Frick!
That means Skillet is a girl!
I can keep my pet Cornish X now! LOLOLOL (comparing the wattles and combs in your pictures)

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Sorry to burst yer bubble, but you can't really tell by that with these birds. Most of the ones we thought were hens were just underdeveloped roos. They didn't even resemble the roos at all...small, pale combs and wattles and smaller body frame and size~still roos when you opened them up.

We finished processing the remaining 8 meaties today and also 8 retired layers. I took many pics of the internal organs today if anyone is interested in seeing the different organs and what they look like. I also took pics of where to cut the throat, around the anus, the legs, etc.