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

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Just like doves in the field, I used a little peeler knife and slit a tiny hole in through the feathers and skin just under the bottom of breast bone between the legs, then stuck my thumb under the breast cavity and it pulled right up towards the neck and when you do that the skin pulls off and I cut the two breast bone connections with the boning scissors and it was out. So you see that image and the breast look like a heart? my little cut was below that bottom tip of the heart shape, that's where you cut and pull up on the breast. no need to do anything else, it just comes out!

oh and

I would have taken a video but DH wasn't home and by the time he started helping I was a tad messy to mess with a camera. I will next time.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

14 Coturnix and Bob Whites processed! yes I cut heads off with a boning scissors myself, I must say that having to hold the bird through those shaking vibrating last few minutes was extremely unnerving! I would much sooner shoot doves and grouse and have them dead at foot! But I did it, we did the slit the base of the breast and pull up and out. Was quite simple too. We Kept breast and hearts. Not much on the legs to bother with the rest of the gutting and stuff. So they were finished in less than 45 minutes start to finish. when DH started to help it went fast, lil Lucas caught them and DH did the beheading when he started helping, I held until convulsions stopped and harmony held them upsidedown from that point to breast removal, Harmony took the hearts out, and lucas cleaned the breasts of feathers and goop. Another unnerving issue with quail, their chests even ripped out still convulsed! That's why harmony was holder for more time! So Saturday will be eating day, we will wrap the breasts in bacon and bake, they are brining in salt and sugar in ziplocks in the fridge. I will say that I COULD NOT have gotten through this or picked up a quail and just lopped its head off without your support AND ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE everyone set forth! I just hatched 20+ quail to grow out and I still have my few breeders. So we will see if its worth it when its suppertime! MORE TO COME!!

Well done!

Are they the jumbo quail? I like to butterfly them and I do nibble on the legs and wings.

If I do them again, I will do the brine.

 

[fisherlady]

Just like doves in the field, I used a little peeler knife and slit a tiny hole in through the feathers and skin just under the bottom of breast bone between the legs, then stuck my thumb under the breast cavity and it pulled right up towards the neck and when you do that the skin pulls off and I cut the two breast bone connections with the boning scissors and it was out. So you see that image and the breast look like a heart? my little cut was below that bottom tip of the heart shape, that's where you cut and pull up on the breast. no need to do anything else, it just comes out!

oh and

I would have taken a video but DH wasn't home and by the time he started helping I was a tad messy to mess with a camera. I will next time.

OK, that makes total sense now... I was just having trouble picturing it before. I guess they are so small and delicately boned that it makes sense they would pull apart pretty easy. I will remember that! Let us know how they turn out! (not that we need to add more birds, but I do have my mom's old quail house set up as part of our egger's run.
I'm sure you can get some pics or video the next time, now that you've gotten the hang of it.

 

[chicksooner]

Wow Sally those little things look meaty. What time is dinner Saturday?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: these guys are 8 weeks old and were just as big as the older ones Chad brought me. There are mix of cots and bobs not sure on more details, I didn't get to involved with them fed and watered and told them to grow fast. I think I am ready for meat birds now, if I can hold a bird like that and doing that in my hands I can certainly do a bunch of big ones that I don't have to feel it!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I honestly feel that brine made my older roos taste so delish, that and the slow bake! but we shall see Saturday!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Wow Sally those little things look meaty. What time is dinner Saturday?

Actually they had more on than I thought! I do know I need more! I packed them into two bags and will send a bag with Chad tomorrow in hopes to show him how the brining process really works since he had a bad bad bad eat with some older roos that tasted nasty! your welcome anytime, but I am sure you will be fighting the kiddos for those suckers! lol

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I wish we could tag people on BYC!!!

 

[ronott1]

I honestly feel that brine made my older roos taste so delish, that and the slow bake! but we shall see Saturday!

Sally, some Quail Recipes Cook some Quail

 

[fisherlady]

Sally,
What is the approximate weight on the quail breasts like you did them? They look great but don't have anything to compare their size to in the pic, so wondered if they were 4 oz, 8 oz...?

We kept track of all of our expenses with our Cornish X project this spring, and ended up with $1.25/lb cost. (we weighed the 'ready to eat' carcasses)
We were really happy with the 'effort to reward' ratio on the project and will be doing it again, that's for sure!

Our total cost actually may be slightly less because we also use the bones/feet/necks for soup, then after soup we grind all of the bones and left overs to make a chicken paste (looks like light colored sausage) and we freeze that in 2 oz portions that look like meatballs. We keep that in the freezer and thaw as needed for animal treats or even for emergency soft food (we used it last week for Mindy after a horrible porcupine encounter, she had to have soft food for 2 days due to mouth trauma)