Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[emorems0]

CHF Cornish roaster was doing worse today... breathing really labored. I had hoped the cool temps would help him hang on a few more days until DH got home to help me process, but it didn't look good this afternoon. I reached out to a local chicken friend who has kids the same ages as mine (part of the difficulty in me processing him early is just that I have 3 small children to tend to on my own while trying to figure out how to process a chicken, not just the fact that I couldn't bring myself to do the actual dispatching). Unfortunately for me, she was busy today and couldn't come up to help. I went out to check on him about an hour before bedtime and I doubted he'd make it until morning. I decided I'd rather process a live chicken on my own than figure out what to do with a dead chicken in the morning... I put the kids to bed and went out to get him. I called hubs for some moral support as he was hanging in a kill cone/bag and then I cut his artery. Not gonna lie, I might have teared up a little, but I did it. Heating up a big pot for scalding right now. I wonder how much of a mess I'm going to make in my kitchen since I can't exactly do this outside at 10 at night... at least the kids are sleeping!

In other news, the turkeys thought the deck railing would be a nice place to roost for the night. Too bad it's really slippery, I think they decided to go back down to their regular little tree/bush for the night. But it was funny to come around the corner into the kitchen and see a bunch of turkeys on the porch railing.

 

[sharron]

CHF Cornish roaster was doing worse today... breathing really labored. I had hoped the cool temps would help him hang on a few more days until DH got home to help me process, but it didn't look good this afternoon. I reached out to a local chicken friend who has kids the same ages as mine (part of the difficulty in me processing him early is just that I have 3 small children to tend to on my own while trying to figure out how to process a chicken, not just the fact that I couldn't bring myself to do the actual dispatching). Unfortunately for me, she was busy today and couldn't come up to help. I went out to check on him about an hour before bedtime and I doubted he'd make it until morning. I decided I'd rather process a live chicken on my own than figure out what to do with a dead chicken in the morning... I put the kids to bed and went out to get him. I called hubs for some moral support as he was hanging in a kill cone/bag and then I cut his artery. Not gonna lie, I might have teared up a little, but I did it. Heating up a big pot for scalding right now. I wonder how much of a mess I'm going to make in my kitchen since I can't exactly do this outside at 10 at night... at least the kids are sleeping!

In other news, the turkeys thought the deck railing would be a nice place to roost for the night. Too bad it's really slippery, I think they decided to go back down to their regular little tree/bush for the night. But it was funny to come around the corner into the kitchen and see a bunch of turkeys on the porch railing.

good for you, i think you did great, we did all of ours today, altho we didn't feed them, forgot to lock them up so they had alot of grass in the crop and gizzards( yes we love the liver, gizzard and heart)
now you can tell people if they ask, yes i can do it all, dispatch, clean it, and most inportant, cook it.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Just a thought on good Roos... Yesterday took my 6 x4wk olds to the playpen to let them meet the adults....I spread some scratch outside the playpen and inside......well the roo called the big girls to eat then went to the edge of the playpen to inspect the youngin's...bent down and inspected them one by one.....and they had no apprehension at all....next he laid down next to the fence and took a nap...not a peep from anybody...the girls behaved well too....so only apprehension is moving into the coop and being penned...and the fox issues....(young chicks are fox bait)...

Interesting! Sounds like it went very well. Looking forward to having a good Rr someday...

CHF Cornish roaster was doing worse today... breathing really labored. I had hoped the cool temps would help him hang on a few more days until DH got home to help me process, but it didn't look good this afternoon. I reached out to a local chicken friend who has kids the same ages as mine (part of the difficulty in me processing him early is just that I have 3 small children to tend to on my own while trying to figure out how to process a chicken, not just the fact that I couldn't bring myself to do the actual dispatching). Unfortunately for me, she was busy today and couldn't come up to help. I went out to check on him about an hour before bedtime and I doubted he'd make it until morning. I decided I'd rather process a live chicken on my own than figure out what to do with a dead chicken in the morning... I put the kids to bed and went out to get him. I called hubs for some moral support as he was hanging in a kill cone/bag and then I cut his artery. Not gonna lie, I might have teared up a little, but I did it. Heating up a big pot for scalding right now. I wonder how much of a mess I'm going to make in my kitchen since I can't exactly do this outside at 10 at night... at least the kids are sleeping! In other news, the turkeys thought the deck railing would be a nice place to roost for the night. Too bad it's really slippery, I think they decided to go back down to their regular little tree/bush for the night. But it was funny to come around the corner into the kitchen and see a bunch of turkeys on the porch railing.

Good for you! Was this your first time? I know it will be tough for me when I do that in the future also.

good for you, i think you did great, we did all of ours today, altho we didn't feed them, forgot to lock them up so they had alot of grass in the crop and gizzards( yes we love the liver, gizzard and heart) now you can tell people if they ask, yes i can do it all, dispatch, clean it, and most inportant, cook it.

Cool! Do you have a plucker? How many did you do?

 

[barbiegirl]

CHF Cornish roaster was doing worse today... breathing really labored. I had hoped the cool temps would help him hang on a few more days until DH got home to help me process, but it didn't look good this afternoon. I reached out to a local chicken friend who has kids the same ages as mine (part of the difficulty in me processing him early is just that I have 3 small children to tend to on my own while trying to figure out how to process a chicken, not just the fact that I couldn't bring myself to do the actual dispatching). Unfortunately for me, she was busy today and couldn't come up to help. I went out to check on him about an hour before bedtime and I doubted he'd make it until morning. I decided I'd rather process a live chicken on my own than figure out what to do with a dead chicken in the morning... I put the kids to bed and went out to get him. I called hubs for some moral support as he was hanging in a kill cone/bag and then I cut his artery. Not gonna lie, I might have teared up a little, but I did it. Heating up a big pot for scalding right now. I wonder how much of a mess I'm going to make in my kitchen since I can't exactly do this outside at 10 at night... at least the kids are sleeping!

In other news, the turkeys thought the deck railing would be a nice place to roost for the night. Too bad it's really slippery, I think they decided to go back down to their regular little tree/bush for the night. But it was funny to come around the corner into the kitchen and see a bunch of turkeys on the porch railing.

Congrats! I am sure that will be the best tasting chicken you will eat because you did it on your own.

 

[fisherlady]

CHF Cornish roaster was doing worse today... breathing really labored. I had hoped the cool temps would help him hang on a few more days until DH got home to help me process, but it didn't look good this afternoon. I reached out to a local chicken friend who has kids the same ages as mine (part of the difficulty in me processing him early is just that I have 3 small children to tend to on my own while trying to figure out how to process a chicken, not just the fact that I couldn't bring myself to do the actual dispatching). Unfortunately for me, she was busy today and couldn't come up to help. I went out to check on him about an hour before bedtime and I doubted he'd make it until morning. I decided I'd rather process a live chicken on my own than figure out what to do with a dead chicken in the morning... I put the kids to bed and went out to get him. I called hubs for some moral support as he was hanging in a kill cone/bag and then I cut his artery. Not gonna lie, I might have teared up a little, but I did it. Heating up a big pot for scalding right now. I wonder how much of a mess I'm going to make in my kitchen since I can't exactly do this outside at 10 at night... at least the kids are sleeping!

In other news, the turkeys thought the deck railing would be a nice place to roost for the night. Too bad it's really slippery, I think they decided to go back down to their regular little tree/bush for the night. But it was funny to come around the corner into the kitchen and see a bunch of turkeys on the porch railing.

. you did good! You can be very proud of yourself. I know it wasn't easy but you did what needed done.

and the turkeys certainly look like a cute bunch!

 

[emorems0]

good for you, i think you did great, we did all of ours today, altho we didn't feed them, forgot to lock them up so they had alot of grass in the crop and gizzards( yes we love the liver, gizzard and heart)
now you can tell people if they ask, yes i can do it all, dispatch, clean it, and most inportant, cook it.

I think this guy might have had an impacted crop, I'm not sure how to tell but it was REALLY full and felt hard. I did not restrict food because I didn't plan on processing any birds today. That would probably explain why he was a smaller one, dressed out at just 2lbs and a bit smaller than the others. Is there a general guideline for what percentage you lose from live weight to dressed weight? I'd like to get an idea of how big the others are, maybe we want to give them a bit more time. Other than one with a messed up leg, the rest all seem in good health.

I feel like during my research about how to process a chicken I came across the mention of yellow liquid in the cavity and what it meant (heart issue?). I don't remember what it was now, but this guy had quite a bit of yellow liquid in the cavity.

Sharron, do you make hearts and gizzards? I remember eating that meal as a child up at my grandfather's hunting cabin, I think it was with egg noodles and gravy. I did save the heart and gizzard (and liver), and plan to save them from the rest of our meaties. Have any great recipes to share?

Interesting! Sounds like it went very well. Looking forward to having a good Rr someday...

Good for you! Was this your first time? I know it will be tough for me when I do that in the future also.
Cool! Do you have a plucker? How many did you do?

Yes, this was my first time... first time intentionally killing an animal, first time gutting anything. It took a long time, haha... I'm sure it will go faster when hubs is here. Plucking was the worst part (actually cutting the neck was probably the worst, but plucking took longer), I sure wish DH would have coordinated with his friend about getting a plucker built before it was too late. *He says he hates when I 'nag' him, but if I don't remind him to do stuff it will never get done!

 

[sharron]

well, ours were alot heavier, but then they had a head start when i bought them, around two to three weeks old, we only bought i think four bags of feed for them, plus they could go outside in the pasture to graze. i know i'm glad they're done, thats for sure.
did you cut the bile sack out of the liver without busting it? you have to be careful otherwise the bile makes everything so bitter you can't eat it as for cooking it, if i fry the chicken, then of course i fried everything (cook gets it) if i baked it, again everything baked, if you want gravey, you boil everything, slice it up and add it to the gravey.
plucking does make a mess but it has to be done unless you skin it. i know my momma used to wash the feathers afterwards, spread them out in the sun to dry, then make feather pillows from them, she gave me two when bill and i got married and i used my feather pillows until they just plain wore out, to this day the pillows in the stores just aren't firm enough for me.

 

[eeverett]

Our 10 chicks from MPC are almost 6 weeks old and I think it's time to go outside to the coop tomorrow. I'll probably brood them in the coop with the sweeter heater for another week or so depending on the weather and only allow them to explore the run if the weather is good. Here are the girls...

2 bantam mottled cochins, Fili and Kili

Barred plymouth rock named oreo - she seems to be the boss and the friendliest

Silver grey dorking, Giada aka GiGi. She also loves attention.

Easter egger, Eggy Eggy

Columbian wyandote, Mary Poppins

Speckled sussex, Princess Leia

Buff orpington, Buttercup

Double laced barnevelder named Fleur

The kids had fun with naming them!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I should also mention that I will be moving them out to the garage that has a concrete floor. Was just wanting to do four walls and a roof.

that's all my garage brooder is, 4 plywood walls and a hardware cloth roof

 

[OneMountainAcres]

My first 2 little turkey poults are a week old today and I think I've fallen in love with these guys lol. They're so cuddly and loveable! I open the brooder up and they both come running out to cuddle up with me just based on their personalities and sizes, I'm guessing I have 1 Tom and one hen. Does that work with poults? Can you make a good guess?
it's actually taken me about 3 times longer than it should have to type this because these little goofballs have an obsession with my tablet and keep pushing buttons lol