NY chicken lover!!!!

[Purpletie3]

I had talked with a girl who came for some birds a while ago about helping them process next year so I could learn. I'm tired of giving away roosters. Perhaps you can find someone nearby who wants to learn and have them help you. If this is going to be something you'll do on a regular basis it might be worth putting together a "drill plucker" thing. You can find a video on Youtube. Even if it cost you the $2.50 per bird I paid that's a lot of money.

We processed 4 birds with the Amish around the corner and I paid them $6 a bird and I did the processing and she spent a lot of time teaching me. But, it was really hard on my physically as I have bad tendonitis in both elbows and carpal tunnel in both wrists. So, at this point the pain for the weeks following was def not worth it for me. It was also tough emotionally because I am not a farmer at heart...I named them all. Although, I seriously have two roo's on my poo list and I could wring their necks with my bare hands.

 

[rancher hicks]

We processed 4 birds with the Amish around the corner and I paid them $6 a bird and I did the processing and she spent a lot of time teaching me. But, it was really hard on my physically as I have bad tendonitis in both elbows and carpal tunnel in both wrists. So, at this point the pain for the weeks following was def not worth it for me. It was also tough emotionally because I am not a farmer at heart...I named them all. Although, I seriously have two roo's on my poo list and I could wring their necks with my bare hands.

did you pluck them by hand? Check out the Drill Plucker videos.

$6 is way too much. I paid $2.50 a bird and she did all the work.

Perhaps you can share the work and do whatever part you can do. Maybe be the neck wringer.

I put a bag over their heads if I need to do in a bird.

I recall reading about a group of guys who made Salsa together each year. That's where I learned you can freeze tomatoes and the peels come right off. They'd through the season freeze the tomatoes they grew and then get together and make salsa. Each to their own liking. Can it and that way they shared to work.

So perhaps you can form a co op processing party. Every fall get together and process a years crop of birds. "Many hands make light work".

While this doesn't mean we let others take advantage of us, we too should not take advantage of others. However if we have it and someone needs it, we should help them. Point? You needed to learn to process birds and I think $6 was too much. Now If you need help then perhaps someone nearby will step up to help you do the parts you can not do.

"what thank have ye" means what reward have you. We don't always reap our reward here, but God sees.
Luk 6:32

For if ye love them which love you,what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

Luk 6:33

And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

Luk 6:34

And if ye lend to them of whom yehope to receive, what thank haveye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.


I'm sure I've said to much but at least you understand me better. I know I'm not perfect but I do try and am changing.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

If anyone knows of someone this side of town I would be interested too.  I really need to pare down my roosters.  I have about 50 or so and I would like to get down to about 25 or so. It's going to be hard tho...
Pulaski is about a 2 hour drive for me.

How far are u from Dundee? I've brought some birds to an Amish family there and have been happy w their work. Think it's $2-3/bird.
I don't think $6 is too much if they're teaching u how to do it. I still can't do the processing myself either. Maybe someday.

 

[myfivegirls]

Oh, processing ... that's been on my list to do another batch of roosters, but this time it's harder to select which ones I don't want.
The last time, it was pretty obvious who were "culls" based on growth rate, feather color, etc.
This time, I'm left with the "better roosters" and have to select the "best ones", which is much harder since there's some
that are just so handsome, so colorful, but I don't want to be feeding 30+ roosters all winter long!

I do my own processing - though not plucking. I just skin them, and once you get the hang of it, it's fairly "easy".
Just wish I could be faster than 12 -15 min. per bird.
Yes, it does take a special person to be able to process their own chickens, and yes I have even named some & later processed them.
But, I understand not everyone is able to do it themselves. When I set out to do processing, I make my mind switch to
thinking of the ones to be processed as the end product of food, and the good life they've lived.
That helps me get past the initial reluctance, and I've also found that with practice, you become more confident.
Not that I per-say "enjoy it", but it does become easier.

Not a fancy set-up, but it works:
a milk/vinegar jug with top & bottom cut open as a "cone" - screwed to a board or hung with wire to a t-post.
electric fence wire (14 gauge) twisted together to form a "hook" to hang on screw or bolt that's attached to solid frame
and two wire ends to wrap around the feet (once the bird has bled out). I skin & gut the bird in that hanging position,
which gives me the leverage needed. It seems to work better than when I did it on a table.
Oh, I also have a hot water hose for outside, so I can keep my hands warm when it's not the ideal temp outside.
Everyone has a slightly different method, but right now this is what seems to work for me.

Hope you all find someone to do it, or you make the jump & try it yourself.

I'd be willing to show or process for any of you; however, I'm too far away for most of you here on BYC.

 

[tao chick]

Oh, processing ... that's been on my list to do another batch of roosters, but this time it's harder to select which ones I don't want.
The last time, it was pretty obvious who were "culls" based on growth rate, feather color, etc.
This time, I'm left with the "better roosters" and have to select the "best ones", which is much harder since there's some
that are just so handsome, so colorful, but I don't want to be feeding 30+ roosters all winter long!

I do my own processing - though not plucking. I just skin them, and once you get the hang of it, it's fairly "easy".
Just wish I could be faster than 12 -15 min. per bird.
Yes, it does take a special person to be able to process their own chickens, and yes I have even named some & later processed them.
But, I understand not everyone is able to do it themselves. When I set out to do processing, I make my mind switch to
thinking of the ones to be processed as the end product of food, and the good life they've lived.
That helps me get past the initial reluctance, and I've also found that with practice, you become more confident.
Not that I per-say "enjoy it", but it does become easier. 

Not a fancy set-up, but it works:
a milk/vinegar jug with top & bottom cut open as a "cone" - screwed to a board or hung with wire to a t-post.
electric fence wire (14 gauge) twisted together to form a "hook" to hang on screw or bolt that's attached to solid frame
and two wire ends to wrap around the feet (once the bird has bled out). I skin & gut the bird in that hanging position,
which gives me the leverage needed. It seems to work better than when I did it on a table.
Oh, I also have a hot water hose for outside, so I can keep my hands warm when it's not the ideal temp outside.
Everyone has a slightly different method, but right now this is what seems to work for me.

Hope you all find someone to do it, or you make the jump & try it yourself.

I'd be willing to show or process for any of you; however, I'm too far away for most of you here on BYC.

I've processed birds myself. Do it about the same way you do. I was looking for a place that would make neat little roasters for me. I might process mine early as part of my reluctance is that ideal process time correlates with very cold weather. How old was the youngest you've processed.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Oh, processing ... that's been on my list to do another batch of roosters, but this time it's harder to select which ones I don't want.
The last time, it was pretty obvious who were "culls" based on growth rate, feather color, etc.
This time, I'm left with the "better roosters" and have to select the "best ones", which is much harder since there's some
that are just so handsome, so colorful, but I don't want to be feeding 30+ roosters all winter long!

I do my own processing - though not plucking. I just skin them, and once you get the hang of it, it's fairly "easy".
Just wish I could be faster than 12 -15 min. per bird.
Yes, it does take a special person to be able to process their own chickens, and yes I have even named some & later processed them.
But, I understand not everyone is able to do it themselves. When I set out to do processing, I make my mind switch to
thinking of the ones to be processed as the end product of food, and the good life they've lived.
That helps me get past the initial reluctance, and I've also found that with practice, you become more confident.
Not that I per-say "enjoy it", but it does become easier. 

Not a fancy set-up, but it works:
a milk/vinegar jug with top & bottom cut open as a "cone" - screwed to a board or hung with wire to a t-post.
electric fence wire (14 gauge) twisted together to form a "hook" to hang on screw or bolt that's attached to solid frame
and two wire ends to wrap around the feet (once the bird has bled out). I skin & gut the bird in that hanging position,
which gives me the leverage needed. It seems to work better than when I did it on a table.
Oh, I also have a hot water hose for outside, so I can keep my hands warm when it's not the ideal temp outside.
Everyone has a slightly different method, but right now this is what seems to work for me.

Hope you all find someone to do it, or you make the jump & try it yourself.

I'd be willing to show or process for any of you; however, I'm too far away for most of you here on BYC.

Would you possibly be willing to travel to harpursville next fall to teach my husband and i? This is our first year and we want to have a new batch of layers before we process. We have both researched a ton I think it would be nice to be shown though.

 

[myfivegirls]

I've processed birds myself. Do it about the same way you do. I was looking for a place that would make neat little roasters for me. I might process mine early as part of my reluctance is that ideal process time correlates with very cold weather. How old was the youngest you've processed.

I'm not exactly sure what the youngest one was, as some were quite small & I just used them for chicken stock.
There wasn't much meat on them, but it was better than totally wasting them.
The rest of the small ones I sent to an auction in Sept for someone else to finish growing out or whatever.

As far as ages, I went more by size than age. Though I saved their wing-band numbers, so I can eventually check.
I'd estimate though, some of the small/medium size ones were 8-10 weeks, perhaps 12 weeks.
Most of the ones I have left to process were hatched in March, April & May, perhaps a few stragglers left from June & July.
I'm not too particular, as I've been known to process old hens that others didn't think were "worth it", but I didn't want them to just get "thrown away".

 

[myfivegirls]

Would you possibly be willing to travel to harpursville next fall to teach my husband and i? This is our first year and we want to have a new batch of layers before we process. We have both researched a ton I think it would be nice to be shown though.

Actually, Harpursville is only a little over an hour away, so that's not too far to travel.
I can't promise anything, as you know how life goes & things can change.
But, yes, as it stands now, I'd be willing and if I had more roosters to process, I can always bring one to demo with.
I've shown a few people, and while I'm not expert, I know it does help to be able to walk through the process with someone else.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

My husband is wondering how to find someone in our area (tully) who processes chickens. Says it's too much work for him.

I do my own. but have been looking around the area too. I live over in DeRuyter. If I find someone else I will pass on the information. I know someone that says he knows someone that does it, but I don't trust him that much so until I can talk with the other person I won't believe it

What a couple of days over here. First I lost an ayam cemani hen for reasons unknown. She had managed to lose her leg band so now I'm going to have upset everyone and check theirs to see who's accounted for. And today Pepper, my oldest hen, given to me by Bakingintherain years ago when she already two, somehow managed to hang herself up over my fence by her leg. She was tangled in a piece of string that I don't know where she picked up. She could have been hanging there for hours. She's now hobbling around. I don't know if she just sprained it pretty good, cut blood flow off to it, or dislocated it but she can move her toes so I don't think it's dislocation. So now I have to watch that to see if she heals up.

I had a rooster that got stuck in my plastic fence a few times. Once it was stuck for several hours and he was gimpy for a while, but was fine after a little while. Then the next time he ended up ripping out his spur off.

did you pluck them by hand? Check out the Drill Plucker videos.

$6 is way too much. I paid $2.50 a bird and she did all the work.

Perhaps you can share the work and do whatever part you can do. Maybe be the neck wringer.

I put a bag over their heads if I need to do in a bird.

I recall reading about a group of guys who made Salsa together each year. That's where I learned you can freeze tomatoes and the peels come right off. They'd through the season freeze the tomatoes they grew and then get together and make salsa. Each to their own liking. Can it and that way they shared to work.

So perhaps you can form a co op processing party. Every fall get together and process a years crop of birds. "Many hands make light work".

I am trying to put together a "Plucking Party" with some friends to come and help me process my turkeys. If there is enough interest I may be willing to add a few more birds if you are willing to pitch in. I don't have any plucking machine, but with enough people it should go faster..Many hands make light work

 

[Beer can]

I'm not exactly sure what the youngest one was, as some were quite small & I just used them for chicken stock.
There wasn't much meat on them, but it was better than totally wasting them.
The rest of the small ones I sent to an auction in Sept for someone else to finish growing out or whatever.

As far as ages, I went more by size than age. Though I saved their wing-band numbers, so I can eventually check.
I'd estimate though, some of the small/medium size ones were 8-10 weeks, perhaps 12 weeks.
Most of the ones I have left to process were hatched in March, April & May, perhaps a few stragglers left from June & July.
I'm not too particular, as I've been known to process old hens that others didn't think were "worth it", but I didn't want them to just get "thrown away".

Could have quoted a few comments, just did this one on processing to address all the rest. Not speaking to you in particular myfivegirls. I've asked the same thing, how young can you process, seems a waste to feed feed feed for ones you know will not be kept, when you have to many chickens and can clearly see early on what ones you know do not fit into your breeding program or are to many cockerels. The amount of feed $ you put into them does not get you much more meat for your $. That's a earlier age then I have done, but a good age, 8-12 weeks, I need to start doing that, said I would but I have a hard time with it.
Old hens, and roosters, I have a four quart pressure cooker, slow cooker crock pot takes longer but I think is better, I've over done some in the pressure cooker, you can monitor a little better the crock pot. They become tender for pot pies or soup either way.

I had a rooster that got stuck in my plastic fence a few times. Once it was stuck for several hours and he was gimpy for a while, but was fine after a little while. Then the next time he ended up ripping out his spur off.

I saw a super mean RIR rip his spur off in my fathers shoe, it was just the casing around it, guess they shed them like a snake skin, Lol!