Good evening folks!
We got 19 Cornish (and one Cornish EE) cockerels processed today. That is 7 better than our record of 12! The help we had was amazing, though inexperienced. They've only butchered birds once before but they got into it with a vengeance. I was surprised they were willing to drive 3.5 hours one way to help but they want more experience before doing their own birds next year. They brought two of their kids with them. Thing 1 played really well with their 4 year old girl and pretty much stayed out of trouble. My MIL watched Thing 2 most of the day, at least while we were butchering. Their little guy (who is 2) just wandered around looking at stuff and sat on the washer and watched me and his mother eviscerate while telling us that the rooster pecked him over and over (happened once at his house and he's been traumatized since, poor dude). He was so much smaller than Thing 2. He's 9 months older and thing 2 is maybe an inch taller and weighs 50% more. I grow them big apparently. I eviscerated 10 birds, she did 9. It was wonderful to have constant help. The Cornish are definitely tougher than Cornish X (this was my first time butchering them because I was pregnant with Thing 2 last time I had some to butcher and didn't feel like it and paid someone else to butcher) but they look like they will be tasty. Even the EE cross was decent. He had more breast meat and bigger thighs than any dual purpose bird I've done before. I'll have to get a photo of his carcass. We didn't touch any of my mutt roosters. I'm thinking I'm going to look for a cheapo crock pot and have my FIL dispatch them one at a time and cook the birds for the pigs (legs, feathers, guts and all). Both boys were in bed and asleep by 7:30. I got my bath and had plenty of time to relax. We did a basic clean up but have more to do tomorrow after church. We didn't get started until 11:30 so it was getting dark quickly once we finished shrink wrapping the birds and eating dinner. The boys let us sleep until a little after 7 this morning and I was counting on them waking us up around 6-6:30. I think next butcher day (at which we probably won't have help) we'll set up the night before hand so we don't have to worry about doing more than starting the scald water going.
Today was a good, if tiring day. I'm glad my stomach didn't act up more. There were a couple times where I got a waft of stink from the gut cavity that made my gorge rise, but I managed to keep it under control.
have a great Sunday 
. Glad you had help. 
