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

[winteree]

I use Dawn, but probably any liquid dish soap would be fine, it helps break the viscosity of the water and it seems to penetrate the feathers a bit better.

To test the cleaver you could use a chicken leg or neck from a store bought bird if you don't have one of your own in the freezer.... just make sure it is thawed first. If the cleaver can cut through then it should work on a live bird. The big difference you will need to account for is the reduced weight of the cleaver... the weight of a hatchet helps carry it through on a cut.

I don't have a neck but I think I have enough to buy one early tomorrow before school through. but yeah that's what worries me I have never used anything as light as a cleaver before and to be honest I don't have that kind of faith in my sharpening skills but those drakes have way overstayed their welcome

 

[hennible]

Good luck winteree

 

[hennible]

Oh I used sunlight soap, it worked, water at 160f

 

[Bazy]

Quote:
I hope that's me. The person you are describing. That's what I want to be. Your words mean a lot to me. Thank you for sharing them. Thank everybody here for sharing, and caring about this. I have never in my life encountered such an amazing support group. I am taking more of your advice about getting too 'close' to the roosters and have made a comfortable pen and safe coop separate from the rest of the flock. The up and coming roosters are going in there, and whatever is not rehomed for the purpose of breeding, will be grown out for the freezer. I'm thinking a less tame a rooster is a better flock protector anyway, so from now on juvenile roosters will be grown together so they don't fight each other or fight my breeders. The bruises on my cockerel's shoulders and neck could have been prevented if I had separated them to begin with. I am going to brine the chicken tomorrow morning and have him for dinner on Wednesday. I'm going to stay busy with my birds for a while, but I will be back here soon. I need to let some of this fade a bit. I have four Cream Legbar chicks hatched, and two pips, and six moving in their shells. So far I have three girls and one boy who is already spoken for.

 

[ronott1]

Quote: It is great that we could help you!

The dinner will help a bunch too.

Congrats on the cream legbars. My last hatch of the year was CCLs. These have very nice crests.

When they were just hatched

 

[jajeanpierre]

To test the cleaver you could use a chicken leg or neck from a store bought bird if you don't have one of your own in the freezer.... just make sure it is thawed first. If the cleaver can cut through then it should work on a live bird. The big difference you will need to account for is the reduced weight of the cleaver... the weight of a hatchet helps carry it through on a cut.

Take into account that a store-bought chicken neck or leg is only about 7 to 10 weeks old. Their bones are VERY soft. It will depend a lot on how old the chickens to be slaughtered are and even what breed.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

You can do it Bazy!!

 

[fisherlady]

Take into account that a store-bought chicken neck or leg is only about 7 to 10 weeks old. Their bones are VERY soft. It will depend a lot on how old the chickens to be slaughtered are and even what breed.

Very true.... a 15 or 18 week old dual purpose bird will be a night and day difference....

 

[jajeanpierre]

Very true.... a 15 or 18 week old dual purpose bird will be a night and day difference....

You can practice with the cleaver on a decent sized stick.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I have a really dumb question: How do you give someone an ovation?