Well, after our traumatic start with this batch of meaties, we made it to butcher day with 25 beautiful birds. I ordered them from Ideal, and the day the first batch arrived, June 24, there were 18 dead in the box on one side, and 7 healthy active babies on the other side of the divider. Theory is they overheated in the full side. Ideal sent 19 more the following week, June 30, and all arrived healthy and happy. I found one dead in the pen about 4 weeks old, but otherwise they've grown well and none have had any leg troubles or anything. We've been really pleased with these birds.
So yesterday was butchering day. DH and I got them done in about 4.5 hours, and man were my hands, fingers and wrists tired! They still ache this evening. I think I'm getting old!
Here are a few of the chickens the night before they gave their lives in our service...
This is my 7yo son:
And doing what Cornish X do best, lined up at the feeder:
And here's this evening, ready for me to pour another bag of ice over them in the chest while they rest before going in the freezer:
So yesterday was butchering day. DH and I got them done in about 4.5 hours, and man were my hands, fingers and wrists tired! They still ache this evening. I think I'm getting old!
Here are a few of the chickens the night before they gave their lives in our service...
This is my 7yo son:
And doing what Cornish X do best, lined up at the feeder:
And here's this evening, ready for me to pour another bag of ice over them in the chest while they rest before going in the freezer:
