Processed my first chicken

[dichotomymom]

teach1: for me it's knowing where my food comes from and also being passionately driven to homestead because it's a "simple" lifestyle.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
I can understand that. Self-sufficiency is a huge deal. Cost-wise, (including your time invested) do you think raising your own chickens for food is cheaper, about the same, or more expensive than they could be had at a large grocery store chain? I'm sure that would depend partly on whether the chickens were fed formulated feeds or primarily free ranged and fed scraps??

 

[dichotomymom]

So far it's been more expensive because I chose dual purpose (which take longer to raise). Hopefully I'll see something a little more comporable when I raise broilers this spring.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Good for you anyway! There's always something new to learn with each processing session that will make the next one go faster & easier. You've set the bar at 3 hours per bird, I bet you'll beat that time by a good amount the next time you butcher chickens!

In case you haven't seen these, here are 2 good sites I like, http://www.HowToButcherAChicken.com and

The first one has lots of great information on all aspects of butchering, you'll especially want to check the part titled How to Properly Scald a Chicken or click here: http://thedeliberateagrarian.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-properly-scald-chicken-my-never.html Once you learn how to get a good scald then plucking should be as easy as cleaning the lint trap of your clothes dryer. The other link shows a great video on skinning & cleaning out a chicken. Even if you decide to pluck you can use their technique for cleaning out the bird.

It takes some experience to find your best technique for the dispatch. I think your bird was really dead if his neck was broken and his throat was cut, but they have a lot of post-mortem reflexes that keep them moving long after they've Crossed The Road. There's been a lot of discussion here about what is the best, most effective, & humane dispatch methods. You can read the discussions & decide for yourself.

I slit the throats of my birds, I use a very sharp knife & know just where to cut (behind the jaw in the bare-skinned part) to get a good bleed. You can use many different kinds of materials to make cones, they're just handy for holding the birds so their wings don't flap & their heads stay down as they bleed out. You can also bind the wings with duct tape and hang them from their tied-together legs (zip-ties or twine).

You'll get better at cleaning out the carcasses too, it's just a matter of practice & experience. Sounds like you're on the right track, just make an opening at the top of the cavity & stick your hand in there & scooch all the stuff down & out. It's not connected to the body by much, you can easily loosen everything with your fingers to pull it out. The lungs may take a bit more effort & that too can be scraped away from the ribs with your fingers.

Many folks will withdraw feed from their candidates 12-18 hours before butchering, it makes for less contents in the crop & the intestines to deal with.

Keep up the good work, let us know how much better things go with your next chickens!

 

[CTChickenMom]

Its a learning process, it just took a little bit longer. I'm going to learn about it at the New England Poultry show coming up in a couple of weeks. I'd like to be able to do my own for the simple fact of knowing what's going into my birds and knowing that they were treated humainly in their lives and at the end. I think there is also a bit of pride in being able to raise your own meat.

 

[mmtillman]

Dont feel bad...really. Your first time was very similar to mine ...I felt terrible about the mess I made of it ...but each time I did do better and so will you ...dont give up!

 

[Agricola]

Thanks you all for your replies. This will be helpful for next time.

teach1rus: I raise the meat birds for most of the reasons you mentioned. I like being more self-sufficient. I like knowing my food was raised and produced in sanitary conditions. I like putting meat on the table without supporting the mass-meat industry. Is it worth it? It is to me. I figure this bird cost me about $2.37 per pound (this does not factor in the upfront costs like the coop itself). At the local stores I can only find organic free range chicken for over $4 per pound. My birds are not really organic yet because I give them regular feed, but they do forage a good bit. That's still a lot more than the $.89 per pound chickens at the whole sale store, but my goal is to eventually get as close to that as possible.

Thanks again for the replies everyone!

 

[cluckcluck42]

Quote:
Don't think I'm attacking you, because I'm not. I am also a big softy especially when it comes to animals...

Which is why I need to slaughter a bird myself. What kind of being am I if I take countless animals lives for granted for food, but can't do it myself. We need to have respect for the lives we are taking, but in our current society food is not a personal thing, we don't grow it or harvest it so we do not respect it as we should.

The last thing i would ever want to do is kill something but the cold hard truth is we are omnivores and meat is delicious. Maybe after killing something I will no longer want to eat flesh anymore. It's very possible.

The large scale meat industry is a bad one, and symbolizes all that is wrong in this world. The disconnect between humans and our environment is sickening.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
On the other hand, perhaps after processing your own chicken you'll more fully appreciate & enjoy every single morsel of that bird's meat, and not want to waste a bite. I found the new knowledge empowering, and gave me such gratitude not only for the animals who feed me but also for the multitude of people who raise & prepare the meat I eat & have eaten. I take the same attitude towards my meat birds as I do the produce I grow in my garden. I tend their needs from the very tender beginnning, admire their natural beauty, take pride in their healthy growth, and as they ripen towards harvest time I happily anticipate how well they will feed my family and me.

 

[crazybarnlady]

I totally agree.... knowing how horrifying the whole factory meat farming industry is, I try to support it as little as possible. Raising my own chickens, I know what is in them, and that they had had a healthy, happy life. And when it comes time to "harvest", I try and make myself feel better by knowing they I gave them a quick and gentle death.

Now that being said, I grew up on a farm, but have been working at a small animal vets' for the last 17 years! When one of my chicks got cannibalized because I put it in the wrong brooder, I spent $100 getting her stitched up under anesthetic!

I've been pouring over everything here on BYC and think I am now desensitized enough that I'm going to brave killing my first roos. Watching them harrass my poor hens is making it easier! I'll let you know how it goes for me!