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

[chicksooner]

while on vacation I went to little farm auction. All kinds of chicken stuff. A nice cabinet incubator. Big chicken plucker. Processing cones. I knew I was in trouble when the amish kept looking at everything I was looking at. The bought the chicken plucker for $200 and they don't even have electricity.

I didn't stay the whole time as people were spending way too much and the amish don't back down. Went back later to help my grandfather pick up the stuff he bought and the auction people wheel in a killing station and are talking about how no one bought it. I started talking about and they ended up giving it to me. Anyway I could only take the metal cone home as they pack a little better. So I am now the proud owner of metal cones. Now I just need to use them...

 

[fisherlady]

I knew I was in trouble when the amish kept looking at everything I was looking at. The bought the chicken plucker for $200 and they don't even have electricity.

I didn't stay the whole time as people were spending way too much and the amish don't back down. Went back later to help my grandfather pick up the stuff he bought and the auction people wheel in a killing station and are talking about how no one bought it. I started talking about and they ended up giving it to me. Anyway I could only take the metal cone home as they pack a little better. So I am now the proud owner of metal cones. Now I just need to use them...

Congrats on getting the cones.... as far as the Amish... they have electricity and phones in my area, and cell phones, and some have Satellite dishes in the back yard. Like any other group, there are ones who stick to their values and ones who do lip service only.

 

[chicksooner]

Congrats on getting the cones.... as far as the Amish... they have electricity and phones in my area, and cell phones, and some have Satellite dishes in the back yard. Like any other group, there are ones who stick to their values and ones who do lip service only.

Interesting. I had people tell me that they will use other peoples electricity as long as they don't actually have the service. Someone also told me they used generators and did not think it was the same as having electricity. Whatever works for them. They got a nice chicken plucker that was for sure. They also bought all the wire cages I wanted and several really nice old galvanized buckets. Oh and lots of canning stuff. I decided I need to go to more auctions.

 

[boyswillbeboys]

My Dad's inlaws are out from the philipeans (sp?) and "papa" Is willing to help butcher 4-5 of my broilers (we have 15), so my task, by Sunday is to single out the 2-3 that I want done (I have 2 lame ones that have to go) how do you pick the broilers to go first, when you have to do them in batches.

I have one if I can identify it later that is getting the axe, because I was moving a water jug and he bit me.

"Papa" is going to show me how to gut them properly so I can do it with the other 10 in 2 weeks when things slow down, but I need the meat from the first few as we are broke right now. My birds are 7 weeks old, and most go out in the run to range throughout the day (even the lame ones)

 

[fisherlady]

My Dad's inlaws are out from the philipeans (sp?) and "papa" Is willing to help butcher 4-5 of my broilers (we have 15), so my task, by Sunday is to single out the 2-3 that I want done (I have 2 lame ones that have to go) how do you pick the broilers to go first, when you have to do them in batches.

I have one if I can identify it later that is getting the axe, because I was moving a water jug and he bit me.

"Papa" is going to show me how to gut them properly so I can do it with the other 10 in 2 weeks when things slow down, but I need the meat from the first few as we are broke right now. My birds are 7 weeks old, and most go out in the run to range throughout the day (even the lame ones)

When I am doing them in 'batches' I go with a few basic things.

1.... lame go first, watch for any difficulty walking and mark them with blukote or something similar or band them so the can be quickly identified later
2.... any who aren't as active as the rest of the group.... I know that the broilers aren't exactly athletic types to begin with, but you may notice ones who are markedly less active than the others and this may be due to hidden ailments such as heart failure or injury that isn't obvious.
3.... any who seem to be 'panting' more than the rest normally do? Maybe with poor color (bluish or purplish tint) in their comb or wattles?
4.... If you have culled all of the above 3 then I will choose for size, biggest go first because they will be most prone to developing one of the first 3 issues listed.

Good luck on your processing! Let us know how it goes.

 

[Beekissed]

I never have any with any health issues, so I just do the biggest first and work my way down to the smallest. Don't know why...just seems like the way to do it, to do the big jobs and get them out of the way, then the easier jobs later.

 

[Elke Beck]

When I am doing them in 'batches' I go with a few basic things.

1.... lame go first, watch for any difficulty walking and mark them with blukote or something similar or band them so the can be quickly identified later
2.... any who aren't as active as the rest of the group.... I know that the broilers aren't exactly athletic types to begin with, but you may notice ones who are markedly less active than the others and this may be due to hidden ailments such as heart failure or injury that isn't obvious.
3.... any who seem to be 'panting' more than the rest normally do? Maybe with poor color (bluish or purplish tint) in their comb or wattles?
4.... If you have culled all of the above 3 then I will choose for size, biggest go first because they will be most prone to developing one of the first 3 issues listed.

Good luck on your processing! Let us know how it goes.

I agree with 1 through 3, but my #4 is whoever I can grab first. If I don't have anyone on the "must go now" list, then I grab whoever is slow moving, inattentive or curious.

 

[Beekissed]

I pick mine up the night before and truss them so that there is no drama in the morning and no birds full of adrenaline...and so mama doesn't have to raise a sweat!

 

[boyswillbeboys]

We had a busy day, I went to show them the ones I had picked, only to find another one had made it over my tiny fence into the little pen I was using as death row, and had to pull out. We did 5 today, the one worst lame one, the three biggest, and the one that bit me right before I posted the other day, because I was mad at him. I realized as we were carrying one across the yard that we were killing the noisiest, and with 2 others, the more aggressive ones.

I have the birds resting in the fridge, except for the pieces that were used in supper, my dad's father in law, is a chef, and due to lack of refrigeration where he is from, they always cook them fresh, and he made a delicious pineapple chicken dish for supper. I will have to watch however that I don't miss the testes when I do it myself, as I was a bit shocked to find one on my plate.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

We had a busy day, I went to show them the ones I had picked, only to find another one had made it over my tiny fence into the little pen I was using as death row, and had to pull out. We did 5 today, the one worst lame one, the three biggest, and the one that bit me right before I posted the other day, because I was mad at him. I realized as we were carrying one across the yard that we were killing the noisiest, and with 2 others, the more aggressive ones.

I have the birds resting in the fridge, except for the pieces that were used in supper, my dad's father in law, is a chef, and due to lack of refrigeration where he is from, they always cook them fresh, and he made a delicious pineapple chicken dish for supper. I will have to watch however that I don't miss the testes when I do it myself, as I was a bit shocked to find one on my plate.

lol! Awesome!! I am sure supper was amazing!!