Raising our 1st set of CX meaties

[Angelicisi]

Done.

We lost one due to that same thing that happened to Jen! Not in bird tho :/ was a talon hole from the attack earlier this week all tissue around hole was hard and green about 2 inches of the side. We pieced the rest of it up and boiled it whole, split it up among the dog and layers. Didn't wanna sell it or eat it lol doh.

They dressed out between 5 and 6.5 lbs each and are all resting in the fridge now yay!
So so so very tired. Nap Time!

 

[LindaB220]

Done.

We lost one due to that same thing that happened to Jen! Not in bird tho

was a talon hole from the attack earlier this week

all tissue around hole was hard and green about 2 inches of the side. We pieced the rest of it up and boiled it whole, split it up among the dog and layers. Didn't wanna sell it or eat it lol doh.

They dressed out between 5 and 6.5 lbs each and are all resting in the fridge now yay!
So so so very tired. Nap Time!

Good job!!! So proud of you and your great set up.

 

[Angelicisi]

Update for those wanting to try meaties...start with small batches to feed the family first only if you haven't processed more than a few at a time lol

Everything hurts. Every muscle is screaming obscenities at me lol. Yesterday was a lot of work. and we didn't do even half a 50 batch we started ordering. Doh.
My back and shoulders ache and I'm naturally a hard worker lol but just the two of us banging out 17 birds with a plucker was an excellent workout apparently (good lord Ida started skinning birds by number 8 without a plucker lol) It was only a few hours of work but still feeling like a whole day...or two.

Next time we may enlist help. Have a processing BBQ party or somethin now I see why all the videos we watched had 4-6 people helping in one way or another. At the very least to let processors take breaks. We didn't break, stop to eat (ew lol). Felt we had to get all the birds done and we did. But next round will be taking breaks and processing in smaller sets more often maybe? We shall see. My body tells me to hire someone but brain knows better wish my kids were a few years older!
So I'm just putting it out there. Easy peasy really as far as doing it but a lot more physical than Ida thought. 1st time around was the same but I had thought it was from a 14 day straight work schedule...this time I can only blame the chickens!

We jumped in with two feet and LOVE it, don't get me wrong. Just thought I'd share the not so fun parts too!

 

[jenifry]

Next time we may enlist help. Have a processing BBQ party or somethin

now I see why all the videos we watched had 4-6 people helping in one way or another. At the very least to let processors take breaks. We didn't break, stop to eat (ew lol). Felt we had to get all the birds done and we did. But next round will be taking breaks and processing in smaller sets more often maybe? We

Good Luck with that! I couldn't get help to do 15 birds!

My DH and I did 18 in one day and we don't have a plucker!. It was relatively easy, UNTIL we got to bird number 10 and my **** fingers didn't want to work anymore. I enlisted children as mini-pluckers by that time... and it worked well until one got pooped on by a carcass, and one heard the "BAGAWK" from a headless chicken. Then it was back to he and I and our jelly fingers. I swear, by the end I was thinking "Hormones and antibiotics are delicious, hormones and antibiotics are delicious......" Trying to convince myself I wouldn't buy more this spring.

 

[jenifry]

...10 and my **** fingers didn't want to .....

I can't say.......... ^ ..... that word that I wanted to I guess.... Hahahaha

I forget that there is moderation on these things.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Update for those wanting to try meaties...start with small batches to feed the family first only if you haven't processed more than a few at a time lol

Everything hurts. Every muscle is screaming obscenities at me lol. Yesterday was a lot of work. and we didn't do even half a 50 batch we started ordering. Doh.
My back and shoulders ache and I'm naturally a hard worker lol but just the two of us banging out 17 birds with a plucker was an excellent workout apparently (good lord Ida started skinning birds by number 8 without a plucker lol) It was only a few hours of work but still feeling like a whole day...or two.

Next time we may enlist help. Have a processing BBQ party or somethin now I see why all the videos we watched had 4-6 people helping in one way or another. At the very least to let processors take breaks. We didn't break, stop to eat (ew lol). Felt we had to get all the birds done and we did. But next round will be taking breaks and processing in smaller sets more often maybe? We shall see. My body tells me to hire someone but brain knows better wish my kids were a few years older!
So I'm just putting it out there. Easy peasy really as far as doing it but a lot more physical than Ida thought. 1st time around was the same but I had thought it was from a 14 day straight work schedule...this time I can only blame the chickens!

We jumped in with two feet and LOVE it, don't get me wrong. Just thought I'd share the not so fun parts too!

You should have posted this before I ordered 100 birds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Angelicisi]

I didn't know! Lol
I work nights as maintenance and am used to hard work lol after a long stretch of hours I'm beat, then we processed and just worked through it the 1st time still excited about the processing lol 2nd time around still excited and skipped breakfast and lunch. Maybe I can blame that. Food is a pretty serious thing for me.
Food is fuel I know but for me I usually need to consume 3500-5000 calories daily just to maintain my weight and energy and I'm underweight still to begin with :/ Sunday was a huge mistake skipping meals, nice big dinner and a bag of Oreos didn't even pep me up and Oreos always do the trick
i'll be making that up for weeks. So hindsight says yes it is work! But maybe I did it to myself and can't blame the chickens lol

Peaceful at the moment in the chicken yard...the lil guys are much more fun than the dinosaurs at feeding time (i can still out run the lil guys lol)



awww ba-gawk and pooped on! Ya hubby got pooped on and we definitely weren't expecting it lol

With a proper break and meal it'd probably be just a slight ache. (we skipped breakfast, had coffee and had at it should have properly prepared ourselves as well! )

Get a good stool. We stood up the entire time

 

[Angelicisi]

Lol oh boy do I know!

 I can't say..........  ^ ..... that word that I wanted to I guess.... Hahahaha I forget that there is moderation on these things.

 

[SlipsWife]

So, how many birds would you suggest to process a day the 'old fashion' way? I'm thinking 3 sounds like a good number but if 17 w/a plucker was a workout I don't know!

 

[Angelicisi]

Try 3 months worth of chicken for the family. Say a bird a week for 12 weeks?

10-12 at a time would be a decent number to make it worth it for us and give us time to grow the next set so there's no lapse. But it wouldn't hurt to do more if you skinned a few. The plucking part was the most time consuming I think before plucker. I do know my grandma could pluck a bird in about 3 minutes lol but she was all business when it came to dinner!