meat chickens in south jersey...

[tinaisodd]

Ever since i got my girls in the mail late June i have been debating whether or not i want to try meat chickens next spring. I've done plenty of research and reading and video watching on the process and whatnot and have not yet been turned off of the idea. My fiance thinks that ill get too attached and not go through with my plans so i figured id reach out to my fellow BYC-ers and see if there are any in south jersey that could give me some words of wisdom or better yet any that wouldn't mind a tag along at their side the next time they need to process a bird.

any advice [positive OR negative] is welcome!

THANK YOU!

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I'm not in South Jersey, but was in exactly your shoes last year at this time, enjoying my first batch of pullets, who had not yet laid a single egg but already thinking about the following summer and considering meat birds. Now I can proudly say I have over 100lb of ethically raised, humanely slaughtered chicken in my freezer and I did it myself, with some help from my mom, who is my close neighbor. Neither of us had ever butchered a chicken before, but by the end we had a very workable division of labor worked out that suited both of us and made the process efficient.

So, can't offer you a place to tag along, but am willing to share my experiences and suggestions if you want.

 

[NJfarmer]

I live in South Jersey (Berlin Boro- Camden County). You should deff. do it. The first bird is most likely gonna be difficult but after that butchering and processing is not bad. From my experience my hand was to big to fit inside the chicken to clean it out, so have your fiancee butcher and pluck them and you could clean out the insides.

 

[tinaisodd]

I live in South Jersey (Berlin Boro- Camden County). You should deff. do it. The first bird is most likely gonna be difficult but after that butchering and processing is not bad. From my experience my hand was to big to fit inside the chicken to clean it out, so have your fiancee butcher and pluck them and you could clean out the insides.

HAHA he would pass out! ill be doing the butchering, plucking, cleaning AND the cooking! i expect the first bird to be the hardest but i have not stopped reading and researching the best methods :]