Should I withhold food and water before processing?

[Schroeder]

Is there value to witholding food and water from my Coturnix for a period of time prior to butchering? For how long?

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
Don't know if it matters with a certain breed (wouldnt' think it would), but with Bobs I've processed, just retrieve them from the pen (which has a gravity feeder), de-head them, de-wing and leg them, and remove skin/feathers, split the back, remove entrails, wash good, and head to the freezer or skillet. Can't get any better on taste!!

 

[SpringChickens]

I've done it both ways, and don't think there's a huge difference from withholding feed. The crop will be empty, but that's about your only advantage. (I've also only done chickens... maybe quail are different?)

 

[underground chickenman]

Quote:
Don't know if it matters with a certain breed (wouldnt' think it would), but with Bobs I've processed, just retrieve them from the pen (which has a gravity feeder), de-head them, de-wing and leg them, and remove skin/feathers, split the back, remove entrails, wash good, and head to the freezer or skillet. Can't get any better on taste!!

Randall: Do you have a picture of that gravity feeder? I am working on my pens and looking for ideas.

Thanks,

UGCM

 

[JJMR794]

Withholding Food Empties The Crop As Mentioned Earlier, This Greatly Aids In Processing As It Is A Lil Less Messy And You Dont Have To Worry About Contaminating The Meat With Gastric Contents. And Besides Feeding A Quail In The Cull Line Is Like Using An Alcohol Pad Before Giving A Lethal Injection To Someone On Death Row--- I Mean We're Killin 'em Right? Like In A Minute Or So? Do You Really Think He Will Have Time To Get An Infection? And If He Did Would It Matter?

Save The Feed You'd Use For A Last Meal And Give It To The Batch In The Grow Out Pen Instead, I Dont Know About Y'all But Gamebird Feed Has Gone Up In Price Twice Here In The Past 4 Months... In The Grand Sceme Of Things I'm Sure The Amount Of Feed Is Small Comparatively, But Even Tiny Grains Of Sand Add Up To Make A Beach..

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
Don't know if it matters with a certain breed (wouldnt' think it would), but with Bobs I've processed, just retrieve them from the pen (which has a gravity feeder), de-head them, de-wing and leg them, and remove skin/feathers, split the back, remove entrails, wash good, and head to the freezer or skillet. Can't get any better on taste!!

Randall: Do you have a picture of that gravity feeder? I am working on my pens and looking for ideas.

Thanks,

UGCM

I think I made sense in this thread explaining it

: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=271708 Let me know if I didn't

BTW, I wouldn't do anything different. Feed waste is no longer a problem.....Period!!

 

[saddina]

You can hold back feed, but never water. Holding back water just dehydrates the bird, making for a tougher carcass.