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

[CayuseRanch]

You know whats funny, when I first started incubating I had to "get around" the fact that I looked at eggs in a whole new way.

Fat end UP thinking!

But I still love me some dippy eggs, even though I check fertility in the pan!

Funny you call them dippy eggs too. My mom couldn't figure out what I was talking about when I told her we were having dippy eggs, bacon and biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Oh wait. Your from PA and so is my hubby. Thats probably where I picked that up from.

 

[ozexpat]

I cant throw out the feet, neck and gizzards. If I did that my gardener would shoot me. I had to even save the skin on the goats I slaughtered. They make soup out of it - along with the heart lungs and all other organs.

Its a different world where I have my little farm

 

[kacklinkelly]

So glad I found you all here. I bought my first meaties. My DH still thinks I'm nuts. Well, more now than ever

. He grew up in Upstate NY. Worked at a slaughter house as a teenager. Tells a story of how he processed 60 chickens with his parents and two brothers when he was about 10 years old. His job was to hold the chicken while his father cut the head off and then he was to let it run off and just grab another one.

He tells me I have no idea what it's going to be like taking the life from something. I agree as I have never been a hunter - although raised in a hunting family. Funny enough, my father is so proud of me taking this route and going back to nature. He lives in NY and I live in AZ. I won't be surprised if he shows up at my door on processing day to surprise me. (I am secretly hoping for that)

I only got four meaties to start out with. Am living in town in an HOA community. The meaties are everything that I read they would be. Cute and fuzzy to start with. Then immediately, they start changing almost daily. Smelly, smelly, smelly. Although I found that adding some DE to their bedding and feed has helped with that. I am also trying to ferment some food for them. (also recommended by many on this forum)

Today they are 3 weeks old and weigh just about 1 lb. They started at .25 (week1) .45 (week2) so you can see how quickly they are growing already. They are nothing like my pet chickens in personality or activity. I am having no problem handling them as necessary and not getting attached (so far). Today was their first taste of outside in a temporary "playpen" I set up for them. Even though they had so much more room, they basically layed by the feeder.

My plan has been to use the cone method, skin them, cut them up and freeze. Am hoping by keeping it simple and only having a few, I will get through it quickly enough. I still have a few
weeks to go. We will see.... Glad to be in good company!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: your serious? That is just weird! you would think the elders would know more than we do!

But you know, I do find myself trying to get my stubborn father to understand some stuff!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: oh would be cool to see a video! Thankyou CR!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Sally, I don't have a problem eating my chickens because my friends give me the carcass back all nekkid, headless, feetless, neatly tucked into a freezer bag. Looks just like meat to me.

To get to that stage, I ate some home grown chicken I didn't know, first, with friends, at their house. So tasty! So when I took some processed chicken home, I just anticipated that flavor - or at least something close to it, as I am not a cook. I can roast chicken, though.

I just have trouble with the making them dead part.

Here's something in my history which I think contributes to the ability to eat home grown chicken: I already know the personality or soul has gone.

I observed three autopsies in my career. As soon as the pathologist uncovered the corpse, I knew it was a corpse and not a person. The person was no longer there; the corpse was merely a learning tool, a visual aid, not unlike a very detailed Resusi-Annie. With parts.

I think I could actually clean a chicken carcass, with instruction. I just cannot kill them myself. I have culled ONE hatchling which I helped and shouldn't have - that was upon me to stop its suffering. With a pair of sheers. Awful. But just a dead chick right afterwards. No time to develop a personality - the spark goes out like that.

My dear friends also come over when I have an ailing, injured chicken which needs to be put down,
and the husband does that deed for me.

One evening, I ate dinner at their house (which I do from time to time) and afterwards, somebody said - I think, rhetorically - "Wasn't Rusty tasty?". Yeah, he was.

Consumption isn't the problem, killing them is. For me. I am a wuss.

I know you are right and I will need to refine thinking when I cook and eat it. I will see it as it is and not who it was.... I hope!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: yes its PA dutch LOL Eggs and scrapple yum! what part is he from? Eastern?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I cant throw out the feet, neck and gizzards. If I did that my gardener would shoot me. I had to even save the skin on the goats I slaughtered. They make soup out of it - along with the heart lungs and all other organs.

Its a different world where I have my little farm

EAT skin of GOATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No friggen way! EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
now oz, I swear when you write you think about responses first!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

So glad I found you all here. I bought my first meaties. My DH still thinks I'm nuts. Well, more now than ever

. He grew up in Upstate NY. Worked at a slaughter house as a teenager. Tells a story of how he processed 60 chickens with his parents and two brothers when he was about 10 years old. His job was to hold the chicken while his father cut the head off and then he was to let it run off and just grab another one.

He tells me I have no idea what it's going to be like taking the life from something. I agree as I have never been a hunter - although raised in a hunting family. Funny enough, my father is so proud of me taking this route and going back to nature. He lives in NY and I live in AZ. I won't be surprised if he shows up at my door on processing day to surprise me. (I am secretly hoping for that)

I only got four meaties to start out with. Am living in town in an HOA community. The meaties are everything that I read they would be. Cute and fuzzy to start with. Then immediately, they start changing almost daily. Smelly, smelly, smelly. Although I found that adding some DE to their bedding and feed has helped with that. I am also trying to ferment some food for them. (also recommended by many on this forum)

Today they are 3 weeks old and weigh just about 1 lb. They started at .25 (week1) .45 (week2) so you can see how quickly they are growing already. They are nothing like my pet chickens in personality or activity. I am having no problem handling them as necessary and not getting attached (so far). Today was their first taste of outside in a temporary "playpen" I set up for them. Even though they had so much more room, they basically layed by the feeder.

My plan has been to use the cone method, skin them, cut them up and freeze. Am hoping by keeping it simple and only having a few, I will get through it quickly enough. I still have a few
weeks to go. We will see.... Glad to be in good company!!

oh Kelly I hope he does show up that day! I am sorry you are separated for so many miles! Have you wondered or has he? I would love to wonder, but I still live less than 200 yards from my parents house!

And you should do the FF its so easy too! I cut feed in half and only clean coops every two weeks as the FF keeps the smell at bay by changing all that ph and stuff inside them! I don't know how to put that technically but I can tell you brooders and coops stay ALOT fresher, EGGS are HUMOUNGOUS too! I have finally found a few great shortcuts and don't even have to strain and make a mess anymore! You see I add hot water from the spicket, at first time you need to add hot water feed and 1 cup acv with mother and let it sit for 4 days, and then everytime you take what you need add hot water and add more feed to the bucket and I have now learned how it feels stiring it so I get a nice thick meal that doesn't need strained, and yes it still puffs and bubbles this way and smells like booze for sure! But I am so happy I experimented because the straining was a pain in the tush!


What kind of meaties did you buy? and what age is processing?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I CALLED but she said she needs to call me back when they process again, probably 24th she said they do them on Wednesday

Cost for Large Roo $2.00 per bird and she will piece it up for and extra .50 or just half for .25

She said I drop off the night before, leave birds in the cages at the back of the building tag them.
(How do I know someone one wont steal my beautiful roos as they drop off their birds? These are not just any old roos)

I have to leave a cooler with ice, tagged as well.
(also how do I know someone wont steal my cooler? LOL yea I have issues)

They also do turkey $8-10 per bird depending on size. (just checking on this)

And I have a mean physco ancona duck that is attacking all the roos in the pen so he may be thrown in the mix too!

So Fist step complete, chose the birds, made the call got the prices, know where the place is and have to wait till they can do it! UGGG I want it over with!


THOUGHTS???