Pros and cons to fasting prior to harvesting and other questions...

[Bellagrl]

Just curious, what is the reason for the brine?

 

[aart]

Just curious, what is the reason for the brine?

Can help tenderize/moisturize the meat...best done just before cooking.

 

[Molpet]

I started off using game loppers and now I use pipe cutters https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-3-4-1-5-8-in-PVC-Cutter/50120053
I use a kitty litter jug with the neck enlarged for a cone
I used to put them cut up in a cooler in salt water. I now put them in bags in the cooler. I rest at least a day

 

[chanceosunshine]

I started off using game loppers and now I use pipe cutters https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-3-4-1-5-8-in-PVC-Cutter/50120053
I use a kitty litter jug with the neck enlarged for a cone
I used to put them cut up in a cooler in salt water. I now put them in bags in the cooler. I rest at least a day

Thank you for the link. Can you tell me why you switched from loppers to the pipe cutters?
Do they remove the whole head?

 

[Molpet]

Thank you for the link. Can you tell me why you switched from loppers to the pipe cutters?
Do they remove the whole head?

The pipe cutters can be used with one hand. The cockerels kept pulling their head back up. If I wait long enough the head and neck would stay down, but I don't want to leave them that long. I still use the loppers on the turkeys
Usually some skin doesn't get cut and the head stays attached

 

[aart]

The pipe cutters can be used with one hand.

Curious how long these will stay sharp cutting thru feathers and bone...
....and can the edge be renewed/re-sharpened?

 

[Molpet]

Curious how long these will stay sharp cutting thru feathers and bone...
....and can the edge be renewed/re-sharpened?

I have sharpened them, the ones from Menard's has replacement blades. I can do 20-30 before it gets a bone
Nick and needs to be replaced
Cheapest way is with a knife on arteries, but being squmish this is less hands on....and I don't have to be accurate to get the artery.... I thought I would be less squmish after a few years, but I still am

 

[Compost King]

I used those Pruning shears or Loppers once on a cockerel and alls I did was cause the chicken a lot of pain and didn't even break his neck. Granted they were dull and a cheap brand but I will never use something like that again because of the guilt I was overwhelmed with. I had to run into the house and get a knife and it took a while and the poor fellow was still alive when I returned. they seemed like the perfect tool for the job before I used them.

 

[Molpet]

I used those Pruning shears or Loppers once on a cockerel and alls I did was cause the chicken a lot of pain and didn't even break his neck. Granted they were dull and a cheap brand but I will never use something like that again because of the guilt I was overwhelmed with. I had to run into the house and get a knife and it took a while and the poor fellow was still alive when I returned. they seemed like the perfect tool for the job before I used them.

yes mine have to be sharp and I have ones just used for poultry
A dull knife wouldn't work very well either.

 

[VanUnamed]

I will tell you what we do on our homestead.

We have 26 8-week old color yield freedom rangers. They are probably big enough to harvest right now.
For us, best size and flavour is 4 months. meat remains tender and tasty

So, do you fast your birds? Why? Why not?
We do not really fast our birds, fasting would mean 24 hours. we do give them feed in the morning, then some in the afternoon but not that much, in the morning they get slaughtered. Whatever you do, even if you do fast them, there will always be poop. so be careful with intestines.

I believe my husband will be lopping their heads off in hopes that it's the quickest death possible (this is for my benefit, not his). What tools are recommended for this and do you think the cone is the best way to stabilize them prior to the lopping?
I did do both axe and killing cone, but from a perspective of having meat free of blood the cone is better.

After all this is done they need to rest in the fridge for 3 days? If there's not enough room in the fridge can they be kept iced down in coolers?
Here, I have set-up another freezer with a controllable thermostat so I start it at -20c EMPTY, then as soon as i start adding gutted carcasses I raise the temp to +3-4C. the initial cold helps to "fight back" or "chill" the carcasses. they are kept this way for about 24 hours or at least til the evening of next day, the rigor has resolved by then. We do partition them into "butchery cuts" as we are only 2 people, We do legs tights wings (including the top part of the wing) roasted, the back and neck goes into soup as there is lots of bones and little meat.
Also, remember that freshly killed animals are warm, so whatever way you use to chill them, like dont put lots of carcasses in a fridge that has chilled food in it, as temperature spikes will spoil the other food. The same goes with freezing. when we are done partitioning and packing, all the meat goes back in the chiller-freezer that is set at 3-4C, and the whole thing is then dropped down to -20C. once it's all frozen goes in the freezers with other frozen stuff.

If you plan to cut them apart, do you do that before or after the rest or does it not matter?
You cut them apart once the rigor has resolved

Wet brine, dry brine or no brine before packing?
I don't know we do not brine

Would you recommend vacuum packing them or using shrink bags?
Vacuum last longer as in shelf life, we do use simple freezer bags.

One important point not to forget is the scalding water, have it plenty of it and at the right-ish temperature, I have a 55gal barrel with a wood fire under, temps are kept around 64-70C ( i think it's 145F if am not mistaken) not too low or it won't pluck, not too high or it will cook the skin.

Hope it helps!