Please help me understand meat eaters not wanting to process a chicken!

[appps]

meat eaters not wanting to process a chicken that would be me, hmmmm let's just say I'm also a toilet user but I wouldn't want to be the one working in the sewer ;-)

 

[sparton]

30 years ago I worked for a feed company that sent me out to labs, layer sites, fatting sheds, processing plants as part of a training excise. They want to teach you how important your job was and how a minor mistake can affect thousands of chickens. Ive seen a lot of things that were interesting and shocking. I learn a lot about how much control the feed has on the eggs and meat and we were shown the results of feed problems like blown out hearts and broken bones.
My wife asks how do you eat processed chickens knowing how they are grown. My answer is always the same. "I like chicken" and to be honest I like the way they are processed. Now the question comes to weather I should eat my own birds. As far as im concerned none of my chickens have been lab tested and I don't see the usda swabbing the surfaces and checking for bacteria so im a little apprehensive about eating them in the first place. Another hang up I have is when I helped my brother-in-law skin a deer there was a tick on the skin so before slaughtering a chicken im going to have to inspect him fully for bugs, ticks, etc.
I don't enjoy killing but its not something im really bothered about, So I look at it this way. I can buy a fully dressed ready to cook meat chicken for a few bucks more than eating one of my fancy fluffy feet skinny guys. I just figure its easier to sell one of my guys and buy a store bought. As for what happens to the ones I sell or give to relatives im not really that bothered.
Now that im living in florida most people ask why you are not eating your own chickens and quail.

My grandmother worked for Linden farms out here for years (before they were bought by Foster Farms) as Quality control on the chicken line. After seeing how the animals are processed she will only buy the Grade A whole fryers and butchers them down. The horror stories of birds with cancer and just what they are allowed to do by USDA standards is really gross.

We raised our own turkey this year and she helped us butcher him out (having never done it ourselves). Honestly, a little bleach water and a stainless steel surface is much cleaner than some of those USDA surfaces. Your birds in whole are cleaner and healthier since they are allowed fresh air and the ability to range a bit which means they aren't breathing in their own feces. Also home grown meat birds have immune systems since they do grow fast but not as fast as industrial birds.

Also home birds are different than mass production meat birds. We are currently raising some fryer birds for my daughter's 4h group and these things are just eating and pooping machines. In 8 weeks they are full grown. Right now they are 4 weeks old and are bigger than my 4 month old standard cochins. This means they are more open to infection and disease since their immune systems can't grow up as fast as they do. We are still mixing medicated feed in with the poultry feed to make certain along with changing their bedding daily and keeping them in an open outdoor pen. Pretty luxurious lives for their breed.

In 4 more weeks they will be slaughtered at a USDA facility and sent to the local food bank. Watching them grow I can see how some people who worked in the industry would be hesitant about doing their own birds. My grandmother was farm raised though and butchering poultry was pretty run of the mill for her. She just makes certain to wipe everything down with a bleach water solution afterwards- like you would if cooking chicken.

 

[gpop1]

My grandmother worked for Linden farms out here for years (before they were bought by Foster Farms) as Quality control on the chicken line. After seeing how the animals are processed she will only buy the Grade A whole fryers and butchers them down. The horror stories of birds with cancer and just what they are allowed to do by USDA standards is really gross.

We raised our own turkey this year and she helped us butcher him out (having never done it ourselves). Honestly, a little bleach water and a stainless steel surface is much cleaner than some of those USDA surfaces. Your birds in whole are cleaner and healthier since they are allowed fresh air and the ability to range a bit which means they aren't breathing in their own feces. Also home grown meat birds have immune systems since they do grow fast but not as fast as industrial birds.

Also home birds are different than mass production meat birds. We are currently raising some fryer birds for my daughter's 4h group and these things are just eating and pooping machines. In 8 weeks they are full grown. Right now they are 4 weeks old and are bigger than my 4 month old standard cochins. This means they are more open to infection and disease since their immune systems can't grow up as fast as they do. We are still mixing medicated feed in with the poultry feed to make certain along with changing their bedding daily and keeping them in an open outdoor pen. Pretty luxurious lives for their breed.

In 4 more weeks they will be slaughtered at a USDA facility and sent to the local food bank. Watching them grow I can see how some people who worked in the industry would be hesitant about doing their own birds. My grandmother was farm raised though and butchering poultry was pretty run of the mill for her. She just makes certain to wipe everything down with a bleach water solution afterwards- like you would if cooking chicken.

its not the immune system that struggles to keep up its mainly the heart and bones. The white blood platelets separate near the heart as the heart is to small to pump the blood leading to a pocket next to the heart, The bones are also unable to harden so the weight of the bird can lead to bent, broken bones. This is one reason you don't see the chickens getting a a lot of exercise and you are taught not to scare them in the sheds as running around with weak bones leads to a loss of stock. Just remember that a decent owner knows and understands the risk involved with the breeds and keeping the birds alive and healthy is how you make money. If you notice a problem starting with your daughters birds don't be afraid to change the feed to lower protein mix to slow down the weight gain. Most decent chicken sheds are run by lab rats these days rather than farmers and the chickens are constantly being monitored for weight gain, health and the feed adjusted.

 

[sparton]

Her group is raising 50 of them and we have 15. Thankfully we have had no casualties. We are pretty good about keeping them in a large pen for their numbers changing bedding frequently and scattering watering and feed stations around in the pen.

We have some that are growing into monsters and then others who are growing at a slower pace despite there being more than enough feed (the bowls never go empty). It is just sad watching them because they are growing faster than they even get feathers so we keep a heat lamp on them at night even in their outdoor pen. Thankfully it has been over 80 every day consistently since we put them out.

Only problem we have had is one of the birds keeps pasting up. We just keep cleaning it off and during bedding changes they get access to fresh grass to nibble on. I am on the count down for these birds to make their way to the food bank.

 

[Dirt4fun]

I totally understand both sides here. I grew up on farms my whole life both sides of the family. I grew up hunting and fishing not so much hunting anymore just because of time permitting. If I caught it or shot it I ate it. But recently I bought a house with a little bit of a big lot. Got me some chickens five brown leg horns for eggs and 5 golden laced Wyandottes for eggs and meat. Explaining to the old lady that's how it is going to be lol. My old lady is a total city girl lol so the thought of killing our chickens for meat was the end of the world. But lately I don't think I can bring myself to harvest my chickens. I have grown very fond of them. They are really friendly they actually really like me and they do a great job of cleaning up all the table scraps. I guess what I am saying is all people are different and don't understand real life. Now matter how you look at it culling your chickens is not wrong at all.

 

[sparton]

Raise some 8 week fryers and she will be just fine wanting to slaughter them. They stink bad.

 

[farmgirlinok]

I agree...I have a question for you. I had to give a young rooster a penicillin shot for a sickness. How long before I can process him or should I at all?

 

[CrazyTalk]

It should tell you on the bottle.

 

[cassie]

I have an idiot niece who will eat KFC, but no other chicken. Why? Because, according to her KFC does not sell real chickens but some mutant beings with no feet, beaks, or feathers. There was an internet hoax to that effect some years ago and she swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. She thinks I am a axe murderer because I kill and process my own chickens. I told her I don't use an axe but other than that I do what I can to reinforce her opinion of me.

 

[SJ]

While I wholeheartedly believe everyone has a moral obligation to fully understand the who what where why and how of the food that sustains their own life I also understand that the human spirit in it diverse manifestations has those that are physically incapable of evisceration. If you have butchered you know the odor that accompanies the process. As the say the saying goes..."They don't got the stomach for the job." Others faint at blood and so on. Should the fragility of one's constitution should keep one from enjoying the natures bounty? I say no.