I am new to this BYC keeping life. We aren't to the point of having a whole lot of chickens to process at one time yet. Eventually, we are hoping to put 52 birds a year into the deep freeze. As for right now, I am using an old card table, with a plastic table cloth. It has been "finding out what I need as I go along..." for the most part. DH and I are starting to collect processing supplies and utensils. Getting educated as to what works and what doesn't. I only processed my first cockerel the other day. Figuring out what steps, in what order, and what supplies to have on hand. So.....does anyone else out there use a portable set up for processing? Instead of having to find supplies all over the place.....or realize you need to go purchase or order stuff? I have no pics myself yet. Just ideas.
The most simple station we ever set up was 2 Hefty bags on the tailgate of the truck. Then we bought a cheap table, and put it on the tailgate. Now we just have chairs and sit and do the deed with the table on the ground. We have a propane boiler with temp gauge We use a large piece of wood with 2 screws in it to hold the neck, an axe and then hang them upside down on a O ring with S hook into our homemade wood pile holder and into a bucket. It's not really too complicated. We have: Table 2 sharp knives scissors lung scraper paper towels and Lysol wipes propane boiler thermometer 5 gallon bucket of cold water hose small bit of rope for the legs 5 gallon empty bucket for the blood trash can we have a homemade plucker but I rarely use it axe and axing station (wood as described above) cooler filled with cold water and ice Here's the plucker: We use a piece of 2x6 and then some metal rope stuff (I think it's called plumbing tape) to attach it to the 2x6 then clamp that to something (like the tailgate) and also to make the trigger depress. It's then on a cord that we can turn off and on.
Ahhh yes...some sort of clamp to mount the drill driven plucker. I am thinking of almost a vendor cart/workbench/processing cart thingy. Keep it all together and wheel it to whatever location on the property as needed. I hadn't thought of the tailgate option. DH and I both have Nissan Frontiers, so they might be lower(?). My truck has a shell on back too, so I use it to store dry recyclables till I can take them to the dump/recycle place. As far as sanitizing the surfaces, I use bleach and hot water and sunshine. But it is all a work in progress.
Peruvian...great pics!! Thanks! How high is your processing table? And I am thinking I might need to get another cone. I have one.
