Mt. Healthy Hatcheries Red Rangers

[Arielle]

Quote:
COngrats on your first effort!!! HOw did you pluck? By hand or machine? Did you weigh the roosters before dressing them? Going from a 7 pounder to a four is a huge amount of loss to the garbage.

 

[shadowmane]

Well, all I had to weigh them on was some bathroom scales, so it wasn't quite accurate. They were around 7lbs before slaughter, and they were around 4 to 5 lbs after slaughter. We had to pluck by hand. We don't have a plucker. We used vinegar bottles as the cones. The reason we did only 2 of the 11 is because we didn't have a way to keep the pot warm. So we brought it to a boil in the house and trotted it out the back door. We slaughtered right by the back door, so we didn't have to take the water far.

 

[Arielle]

I well remember plucking a few geese by hand--my hands hurt for days after. Two sound easy enough to deal with. DId you let them rest in the refrig before eating or freezing?

 

[shadowmane]

Yes, they're on ice for a few days. After that, we'll put them in the freezer. We're butchering two more this morning after the wifie gets up and has breakfast.

 

[Arielle]

Good luck, hope it goes smoothly!

 

[Gator George]

How can I send a picture of our baby chicks, to see if anyone knows what they are? We got them at Tractor Supply, but they didn't have the names on them. We think they are Red Rangers, but not sure.

 

[mstricer]

More and likely they are red stars or red sex links.

 

[Gator George]

Anyone know what these may be? Thanks

 

[Gator George]

Anyone know what these may be? Thanks