Processing Cornish X this saturday!!!

[MikeTodd]

So the day of reckoning is this saturday for the 27 cornish x birds that I have been raising. My wife wants to have a large pot going to make stock in since we will be boning out some of the birds to make some cooking easier. Would it be easier to keep a pot going and add the bones as I go? Or should I wait until all the processing is done and cook the stock then?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Nupe]

It's really up to you and your setup. Do you have an automatic plucker available? If not, you're in for a long day. If you do have a plucker, still expect to be at it for several hours, depending on how many hands you'll have.

Personally I would take care of that afterwards. When I process chicken, I rest them all whole. I like to test their "rested" state by bending their joints. Once rested, if I'm going to part them, this is when I do it.

There's a recipe/method of making stock by a member here named Frugal who roasts his parts and veggies before boiling. It comes out lovely.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/146356/chickens-chicken-stock

If this is your first processing, then good luck! It gets much faster and easier with experience and you won't be disappointed with the difference in quality and flavor as compared to anything you can buy in a grocery store.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

I would do all like things alike....

Either way will be ok but I think it's better to wait till your done, all birds will be clean and easier to work with without risk of contamination.

I would process all birds, rinse and clean them than get them cooling. Than I would bone out or cut up any birds that needed it. You could start the stock than if you want.

Just make sure you keep everything clean.

 

[Ridgerunner]

27 birds is a lot. How much freezer space do you have and how much stock do you intend to make? How big is that pot? Will you be freezing or canning the stock? How many hours are in a weekend? I think you are going to be busy! You can do it any way you want but time management may become an issue. Your stamina may be tested too.

I don’t know your set-up but I can certainly understand your wife’s logic. It’s going to avoid double handling. When I make broth I cook it overnight, at least 12 hours.

When I butcher my dual purpose chickens I always cut them into serving pieces. That makes me fairly slow butchering compared to many people on here. I don’t use the wings as serving pieces but wings, neck, back, gizzard, and heart are frozen and later used to make broth. I also use the feet, which really slows me down. The feet are great in broth, add a lot of gelatin. But I know where those feet have been. They are not very clean so I scald them and peel them. The toe nails twist right out. That gets them clean enough for me. If they are over-scalded much at all it makes them really hard to peel. The skin tears. I bring a pot of water to boil, scald for 20 seconds, an immediately cool them. You are not going to have time to do this to the feet, I’m just mentioning it to show how many different ways you could go about it.

If you start cooking some of the bones down as you go, you should be able to cook it overnight on a very low heat (I hope) and deal with either freezing it or canning it the next day. If you try saving parts to make broth later, you are going to have to deal with it, probably freeze it, the same day or just store it in ice chests overnight until the next day.

I don’t know if you plan to age your chicken before you freeze it, maybe you are canning it instead of freezing it? There is a lot I don’t know. I can’t tell you which way is “best” for you, just make a plan and go for it. I can tell you that you will be tired and pressed for time whichever way you go.

Good luck!

 

[MikeTodd]

We do have the freezer space and will also can some of the broth. We do not have a plucker but will only be plucking about half. There will be 4 of us working in an assembly line so I'm hoping to complete in one day. It is my first time as an adult processing but I grew up as a kid processing chickens. Thanks for all the input!!

 

[slingshotandLAR]

We do have the freezer space and will also can some of the broth. We do not have a plucker but will only be plucking about half. There will be 4 of us working in an assembly line so I'm hoping to complete in one day. It is my first time as an adult processing but I grew up as a kid processing chickens. Thanks for all the input!!

4 people butchering birds will go plenty fast with half being skinned.

You guys should rock and roll, I think my wife and I could do that in a few hours. You will be just fine