Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!
- Thread starter Sally Sunshine
- Start date
What I didnt like about broomstick is taking the head off and it flopping flying all around spraying blood from here to there.
I like doing the jug because I can tell by the steady stream that I did it correctly and they are contained to one spot.
I like Peters method of the bagging them but I also asked on the incu thread about a diy and @Chaos18 did a great job of making a DIY holder like I wanted. I will ask him to post images of what I wanted, and he tested it on a test bird, didnt actually process her but it looks great for me to use instead of a cone, I had issues with having all dif sizes and them getting out of the cone and wondering around with heads almost cut off, Now I tie a TIE down strap between two trees next to the drive in the woods and hang lines with loops and simply loop both feet together hanging and we do three at a time because our plucker is way too big for just one chicken I got a turkey one and it eats them if you do them one at a time lol, you would have loved to see the first bird we ever put in itlearning always learning something!!
Here's a link to the pics of it.
post #154347 of 157631
The only downside to using the holders I made is that the wings aren't contained which means they can flap around a lot. I didn't have anything fall off the holders, just blood would have gotten everywhere had I not opted for holding the head while it bled out.
- Thread starter
- #5,734
You're welcome. Sorry it took me so long to respond to this.
- Thread starter
- #5,736
Well I processed two of my 6 month light sussex cross cockerels today and I think I'm getting better at it. I made a few changes to my system this time, some of which were beneficial.
Normally I catch them off the roost at night and process them straight way. This means I end up working through to midnight or after which is perhaps appropriate for playing the grim reaper but definitely makes the job more difficult mentally. This time I picked them off the roost at night and put them in large cardboard boxes in the dark of my feed room so that they were easy to remove from the box and process when I had finished by morning yard chores.
I had decided that I needed to experience bleeding them out rather than the broom shank method I normally use, just to be satisfied I was doing it the best way for me. I had made a cone out of a piece of carpet offcut screwed to a plywood board and I use that to drop them into after they have been despatched with via the broomstick, just to contain the flapping. I have it lined with a plastic feed bag. What I didn't realise was that without their necks stretched by the broom shank first. their heads would not hang down clear of the bottom of the cone. I fiddled and faffed about trying to locate it's head and channel it through the tip of the cone and it just was not working.... I guess I need the cone to be shorter or the hole bigger.....works fine when their neck has been pulled but I could not manage to even attempt a clean cut at it, so I gave up on that modification and resorted to the broomstick after all. I then put them in the cone as previously and used my newly sharpened knife to cut the jugular but once they have been cervically dislocated they really don't bleed much after that, although you do get a pouch of blood jelly in the neck.
My next change was to dip them before plucking rather than dry pluck. I had tried before but clearly not had the water hot enough as there was no significant improvement. This time I used a thermometer and huge difference, so I'm definitely doing that again. Hung them from the washing line to pluck and placed a large self supporting garden waste sack underneath which worked well....comfortable height and no mess.
I definitely did a much better job of eviscerating them and got everything out intact apart from kidneys and was slightly quicker at it than previous occasions, but there is still plenty of room for improvement on that score. I would guess that the sinews and tissue on 6 month old free ranged cockerels is significantly stronger than 10-12 week meat birds though, but if I can get it down to 15mins each I would be very happy!
The last change is that I am brining them. Will let you know how that goes in a few days. They will almost certainly be going in the slow cooker. I have saved the necks, gizzards and hearts for stock. The livers have gone in the freezer until I have enough to make a batch of pate and the heads and feet are sitting in a dish waiting for me to pluck up the courage to deal with them. I'd like to try cooking the combs but I'm also pretty squeamish about the idea of it. Is it really worth doing anything with the feet. I have already peeled them? Would they just go in with the other offal for stock? I fed the lungs and blood jelly back to some of my chucks and buried the intestines etc after a quick exam for worms. It is a little disheartening to start out with what appears to be a very large bird and end up with a carcass that would struggle to feed a family of 4, especially when I have spent half of the day rendering it edible, and these are by far my biggest boys, but I am determined not to waste them. It is especially hard when I see photos of gorgeous plump Cornish cross that some of you guys have processed.
Anyway. 2 down, just another 20+ to go!! I may try to do 2 a week. Feeling a little more confident about it though.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread for the tips and support they offer.
Regards
Barbara
Normally I catch them off the roost at night and process them straight way. This means I end up working through to midnight or after which is perhaps appropriate for playing the grim reaper but definitely makes the job more difficult mentally. This time I picked them off the roost at night and put them in large cardboard boxes in the dark of my feed room so that they were easy to remove from the box and process when I had finished by morning yard chores.
I had decided that I needed to experience bleeding them out rather than the broom shank method I normally use, just to be satisfied I was doing it the best way for me. I had made a cone out of a piece of carpet offcut screwed to a plywood board and I use that to drop them into after they have been despatched with via the broomstick, just to contain the flapping. I have it lined with a plastic feed bag. What I didn't realise was that without their necks stretched by the broom shank first. their heads would not hang down clear of the bottom of the cone. I fiddled and faffed about trying to locate it's head and channel it through the tip of the cone and it just was not working.... I guess I need the cone to be shorter or the hole bigger.....works fine when their neck has been pulled but I could not manage to even attempt a clean cut at it, so I gave up on that modification and resorted to the broomstick after all. I then put them in the cone as previously and used my newly sharpened knife to cut the jugular but once they have been cervically dislocated they really don't bleed much after that, although you do get a pouch of blood jelly in the neck.
My next change was to dip them before plucking rather than dry pluck. I had tried before but clearly not had the water hot enough as there was no significant improvement. This time I used a thermometer and huge difference, so I'm definitely doing that again. Hung them from the washing line to pluck and placed a large self supporting garden waste sack underneath which worked well....comfortable height and no mess.
I definitely did a much better job of eviscerating them and got everything out intact apart from kidneys and was slightly quicker at it than previous occasions, but there is still plenty of room for improvement on that score. I would guess that the sinews and tissue on 6 month old free ranged cockerels is significantly stronger than 10-12 week meat birds though, but if I can get it down to 15mins each I would be very happy!
The last change is that I am brining them. Will let you know how that goes in a few days. They will almost certainly be going in the slow cooker. I have saved the necks, gizzards and hearts for stock. The livers have gone in the freezer until I have enough to make a batch of pate and the heads and feet are sitting in a dish waiting for me to pluck up the courage to deal with them. I'd like to try cooking the combs but I'm also pretty squeamish about the idea of it. Is it really worth doing anything with the feet. I have already peeled them? Would they just go in with the other offal for stock? I fed the lungs and blood jelly back to some of my chucks and buried the intestines etc after a quick exam for worms. It is a little disheartening to start out with what appears to be a very large bird and end up with a carcass that would struggle to feed a family of 4, especially when I have spent half of the day rendering it edible, and these are by far my biggest boys, but I am determined not to waste them. It is especially hard when I see photos of gorgeous plump Cornish cross that some of you guys have processed.
Anyway. 2 down, just another 20+ to go!! I may try to do 2 a week. Feeling a little more confident about it though.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread for the tips and support they offer.
Regards
Barbara
Thanks for that. I scalded them and peeled them and found that the outer surface of the nails just twisted off, so they are all set to go in the pan. I just need to get some celery tomorrow. Do you strip any meat off them once the stock is made or just ditch them? I imagine the chickens will be happy to "reprocess" them if I can't bring myself to eat what is on them.
It's weird trying to recondition yourself to not being squeamish about such things. I know it's just a question of mind over matter, so I'll keep at it...
It's weird trying to recondition yourself to not being squeamish about such things. I know it's just a question of mind over matter, so I'll keep at it...
I agree that it's a change in mind-set having to do this yourself instead of getting it wrapped in saran-wrap all clean and neat from the grocery store. I'll tell a secret, (I asked my husband and he said it is okay to tell you since you don't know us and he'll never have to look you in the eye) the first time we processed some of our chickens, my husband fainted and had a seizure. I'm standing there with a chicken head at my feet, holding this thrashing carcass with feet kicking, wings flapping and blood flinging from the severed neck as it flops this way and that, and my tough-guy, tattooed biker-dude husband is on the ground passed out cold. He's okay about doing it now, but that first one was the worst.
Aside from stock, I have a handful of recipes that call for throwing the feet in and simmering them. I eat whatever comes off the bones. I give the bones to the chickens to finish picking.
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