Raising our 1st set of CX meaties

[SlipsWife]

I read through this thread on Friday and I should have asked the question then when I saw the post. Did you say you order pullets for your CX? Is there a reason for pullets over cockerels? Do they mature faster?

 

[Angelicisi]

For CX they're cheaper and honestly in my straight run orders, sizes were really close. Close nuff for me to save .50 cents each lol

I read through this thread on Friday and I should have asked the question then when I saw the post.  Did you say you order pullets for your CX?  Is there a reason for pullets over cockerels?  Do they mature faster?

 

[Angelicisi]

Tomorrow we are processing 17 almost 12 week olds.
Yay! Then tearing down a hoop coop and building a walk in coop and an outdoor brooder. Well the processing part tomorrow lol then next week a lot of buildings being done!

 

[SlipsWife]

Following your post makes me want to try meaties.

We need to try our few packing peanut males first before committing to the real deal.

I think if we separate our layers (which have turned into pets) from possible dinners it will be easier.

 

[Angelicisi]

So we are getting ready to process 17 birds today.
Waking up now, having a coffee going over checklist for set up so far. We are Lolly gagging a bit lol.

We fed them all dinner yesterday of FF and corn with warm oats, around 5pm. By 11am we plan on physically processing. Last time we processed they were fed dinner around 2pm and had completely empty crops, we read that was good but found out having a tiny bit of somethin in the crops makes them soooo much easier to locate and remove. Empty was like a weird flap I had to study each time to make sure it was the crop. Then I got one crop that had feed in it and grass and it was so easy to grab and remove.

I have 2 kids (4 and 5) and no family or friends here so whatever we do we must work around them too, tons of other animals we have to do rounds on and its just the hubby & I processing so things take a little extra time for us balancing lol

We are pulling out equipment now and sanitizing it. We cleaned and sanitized after last process and put everything away. Even tho we did that, we do it again beforehand to be sure (i'm a lil CDO...its like OCD- but the letters are in the right order)

We are filling ice baths (3) we are making more ice. We are setting up a sort of assembly line of kill, scald, pluck, gut, inspect, dry,inspect, bag, seal (we use shrink bags) and fridge to rest.

I'll be back

 

[foreverlearning]

Following your post makes me want to try meaties.

We need to try our few packing peanut males first before committing to the real deal.

I think if we separate our layers (which have turned into pets) from possible dinners it will be easier.

I don't know about the rest of people but I find it easier for me to process hybrid birds like the cornish cross then duel purpose. The broiler type birds stay with you less time and after fighting them to fill the feed bowl and their need for feed they seem easier to separate in my mind. My main flock are spoiled pets now and it would be really hard on me if I had to process them. I do let my meaties roam with my layer flock but they have their own coop and are not allowed in the layer coop.

 

[Angelicisi]

Set up going well...
Cones mounted, birds collected and penned (whew)

Plucker set up, scalder at temp and holding

Work table set up and tools clean and ready. Eater hooked up.

Drying rack, Resting cooler, Barrels of ice, buckets of ice each designated for a bath in ice at a point in processing or for individual keeper parts (feet, livers, necks,organs & animal bucket -damaged parts or parts we don't eat but don't waste either)

Bout ready to start!

 

[Coralietg]

Good luck with today! I bet your birds are going to dress out huge!

 

[kuntrygirl]

So we are getting ready to process 17 birds today.
Waking up now, having a coffee going over checklist for set up so far. We are Lolly gagging a bit lol.

We fed them all dinner yesterday of FF and corn with warm oats, around 5pm. By 11am we plan on physically processing. Last time we processed they were fed dinner around 2pm and had completely empty crops, we read that was good but found out having a tiny bit of somethin in the crops makes them soooo much easier to locate and remove. Empty was like a weird flap I had to study each time to make sure it was the crop. Then I got one crop that had feed in it and grass and it was so easy to grab and remove.

I have 2 kids (4 and 5) and no family or friends here so whatever we do we must work around them too, tons of other animals we have to do rounds on and its just the hubby & I processing so things take a little extra time for us balancing lol

We are pulling out equipment now and sanitizing it. We cleaned and sanitized after last process and put everything away. Even tho we did that, we do it again beforehand to be sure (i'm a lil CDO...its like OCD- but the letters are in the right order)

We are filling ice baths (3) we are making more ice. We are setting up a sort of assembly line of kill, scald, pluck, gut, inspect, dry,inspect, bag, seal (we use shrink bags) and fridge to rest.

I'll be back

Good luck!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Set up going well...
Cones mounted, birds collected and penned (whew)

Plucker set up, scalder at temp and holding

Work table set up and tools clean and ready. Eater hooked up.

Drying rack, Resting cooler, Barrels of ice, buckets of ice each designated for a bath in ice at a point in processing or for individual keeper parts (feet, livers, necks,organs & animal bucket -damaged parts or parts we don't eat but don't waste either)

Bout ready to start!

Looks like you're all ready. Keep us posted.