Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[Wax Myrtle]

Grr. Can't get quote to work...

CR = CX = Cornish/rock = commercial broiler breed

My brine "recipe" is 1/2c each salt and sugar dissolved in one gallon water. Thaw frozen in this in fridge, or soak thawed for four hours, cook as normal.

Pinfeathers. It doesn't seem to matter what age I process, they're always there in varying numbers... :shrug: Dark ones can be popped out of skin like you'd pop a...blemish. Oh, and filoplumes will show up after thawing (like hairs) and forget the flaming paper trick - use your butane grill lighter to singe em off.

 

[chicksooner]

Grr. Can't get quote to work...

CR = CX = Cornish/rock = commercial broiler breed

My brine "recipe" is 1/2c each salt and sugar dissolved in one gallon water. Thaw frozen in this in fridge, or soak thawed for four hours, cook as normal.

Pinfeathers. It doesn't seem to matter what age I process, they're always there in varying numbers... :shrug: Dark ones can be popped out of skin like you'd pop a...blemish. Oh, and filoplumes will show up after thawing (like hairs) and forget the flaming paper trick - use your butane grill lighter to singe em off.

Thanks for explaining pin feathers.

 

[3 NH reds]

I have enough fat

Yep they would be taking away my feeder too

Yes, butter is healthy now! Crisco is not. It is the amount you eat that gets you. A lot of research is showing that it is not fat that clogs our arteries but sugar and simple carbs.

Switching our calorie intake percentages from fats to carbs has caused the spikes in Diabetes and etc. It is one of the reasons we have gotten so fat too. Simple carbs do not fill us up. Fat fills us up so we actually will eat less. It is not a huge number either. Decreasing fat calories by 10% and increasing carbs by 10% resulted in a 20% increase in weight of Americans over the last 40 years.

Eat the skin! And if you do not like it, take it off after cooking. The meat will be moister and tastier too!

My Doctor warned me that because I skipped years without going to a doctor and had no tests that my bacon and egg breakfasts, butter and beef etc I could expect bad numbers. My blood pressure was great and my cholesterol was in the best range it could be so much for the butter and bacon/ eggs killing me, I swear he was almost annoyed it was so good.

still trying to search out this Braining stuff

Read more about it but I found that going in the middle of the palate and aiming the blade to go toword the eyes works but use whatever you like best.

You made your own Plucker? Have you shared it in an article here?
I did make a plucker but it was using the plans from the Whizbang chicken plucker book. He explains everything and gives a list of materials. I even got some parts from him.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: HA! glad you turned the tables on the doc and your in great shape too!

oh how cool, just search the book on amazon? My dad said he saw the kind you hold them over, do you put the bird in a tub or have to hold the bird with that kind?
and do you still have to boil the feathers out?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Grr. Can't get quote to work...

CR = CX = Cornish/rock = commercial broiler breed

My brine "recipe" is 1/2c each salt and sugar dissolved in one gallon water. Thaw frozen in this in fridge, or soak thawed for four hours, cook as normal.

Pinfeathers. It doesn't seem to matter what age I process, they're always there in varying numbers... :shrug: Dark ones can be popped out of skin like you'd pop a...blemish. Oh, and filoplumes will show up after thawing (like hairs) and forget the flaming paper trick - use your butane grill lighter to singe em off.

Oh wow I didn't know it was that easy! sugar and salt! No I feel really stupid!

you know my Nana always had her birds soaking in the kitchen sink, I bet a million bucks that's what she was doing with her birds! And I never knew it! I always thought it was gross to see the bird in that nasty grease water

and

 

[Sally Sunshine]

STARVE THE BIRDS! ​

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]"isolate it and starve it for at least 14 and preferably 24 hours to empty the gullet and intestinal tract"[/FONT][/FONT]

Oh wow I guess I can ditch all that planning for a wonderful last meal of warm oatmeal and raisins!

Do you all not feed them the day before too?

​

 

[Wax Myrtle]

I've never been able to do a whole batch in one day (I have always been the only adult around on processing days) so as I allow feed to run out in late afternoon, I just don't feed that morning. I start very early am, so when I'm done, I just feed whoever's left in the pen. It IS easier to remove the crop if there is a little bit of scratch in it, but I'm slow, and by the time I get to bird #2, that scratch has moved on. :lol The one time I did allow 24 hours of water only, the intestine was considerably smaller, but tbh, I didn't really find drawing to be that much easier. YMMV

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I've never been able to do a whole batch in one day (I have always been the only adult around on processing days) so as I allow feed to run out in late afternoon, I just don't feed that morning. I start very early am, so when I'm done, I just feed whoever's left in the pen. It IS easier to remove the crop if there is a little bit of scratch in it, but I'm slow, and by the time I get to bird #2, that scratch has moved on. :lol The one time I did allow 24 hours of water only, the intestine was considerably smaller, but tbh, I didn't really find drawing to be that much easier. YMMV

How many do you process at a time?

do you choose a weekend to work through them?
also wondering what bag/s are used to freeze hole chickens? ziplocks are too small

 

[CayuseRanch]

Sally I tried to find a video online of someone skinning a chicken versus plucking and no luck. I don't recommend looking if your squeemish...I think some of the videos I watched were a bit more rough than I would be.

My DH is from Clearfield PA, west of central PA



On a side note I fry chicken all the time without the skin. Just batter it in a egg and flour mixture and it makes its own skin. Lots of flavor, moist etc. Yummy
What funny is DH who abhors skin even peels off the coating this creates. I keep telling him its not skin. I wonder if we could get some goat skin for him lol

Edited to say without skin.

 

[paridisefarm2009]

Dare I post My video of My process ?? (it is posted on my site )
It is Work I admit But you have to be prepared
I am all set up on my days
I have My gloves
My camera of course , My killing cones , my scalder and my home made Plucker
I have a process of how I do things , you have to come up with your own and at your own pace , Once you do a few roosters you will want to do meat birds
it is so rewarding , I ended up this year with 176 lbs of chicken and is it yummy also Knowing it is fresh and untouched by what ever go's in the birds you buy at the store.
take your time you can do it and i agree don't name your food Unless you name it dinner But good luck in what ever you do .