Sooo ready to be done!

[brandywine]

It's amazing what you notice when it is "relevant to your interests," that was invisible before.

I'm planning to raise some meat birds next year, and have been reading the threads in this section for insight.

Yesterday I was in the poultry tent of the farm show (setup day), and "noticed" the dozen or so pens of meat birds there for the 4H/FFA competition. All cornish x rocks, of course.

Oh. My. Gawd.

They are disgusting and pitiable. I totally see why you are ready to be done.

They in no way resembled the other poultry there for the regular show, or my own pullets, or any other barnyard chicken I've ever seen. They were filthy, stinky, half-naked, bloated, and seemed to be barely hanging on to life. The ride over to the fairgrounds seems to have half-killed them, and it was not a terribly hot day. None of the other fowl seemed uncomfortable.

Freedom Rangers -- or some reasonable facsimile thereof -- it shall be! I'd be embarrassed to have visitors see animals like the farm show birds on my farm, and I'd feel guilty for keeping them alive. (Also, I don't have much interest in cossetting critters who are born looking for a comfortable place to die. Too much work. They gotta meet me halfway on the Will To Live scale.)

If you go to the online archives of the radio show This American Life, there's an installment of their annual "Poultry Slam." I don't remember which year -- maybe the second or third time they did it. One story is an interview with a poultry rescuer, who is crazy in oh-so-many ways, but here's the one of interest: At one point she starts on a rant about the horrible condition of some two-year-old "rescued" woulda-been broilers that she is keeping, how they can't walk properly because they were never meant to live this long. And the host, Ira, sort of gently points out that the people who bred them for slaughter wouldn't have allowed them to get to the point of suffering like that, and takes her to task -- it is her, the vegan chicken lover, who is keeping them alive in their suffering. (And I have to think -- as animate props for her diatribes against carnivores, not out of love.)

Now, having really looked at the broilers, I can only imagine the godawful condition of the chickens that city boy Ira was seeing.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Well I have spent the day getting ready. I'm pretty pleased with myself. I have a long driveway that ends in a sort of parking lot area, which is right outside the barn. In this large area I have set up our prosess area as little stations. We have the dispatch area with tree stump and nails in it, large tree branches hanging low over head for tying the dispatched birds up to bleed out onto the cement. We have a hose nearby for washing blood away down a small hill right near the tree stump and tree branches.
Next we have our grill set up which has a large side burner for heating out scalding water.
Then we have a small table with an old cleaned out recycle bin under in for plucking, there are also trash bags handy and my grippy gardenings gloves and needlenose pliers.
After that there is a long table that I scrubbed down really well with bleach water for removing the innards, etc. There is a gut bucket under that table. There is also a hose with an adjustable nossle at that table to provide water for rinsing, etc. I have another bucket for bleach water and some rags at this table too.
Everything now is packed neatly into the 5 gal buckets which are clean and new ready to just be taken out tomorrow morning.
At the end of the circle is a large cooler that we will fill with ice water as the birds final stop.
Back at the very beginning we have an old dog crate with a sheet over it away from the dispatch area so that we can load 4-5 chickens into the crate, bring them over covered, remove one at a time and do the deed while keeping the others calm.
We are using an axe that we just bought and is nice sharp. I also bought a filet knife, not a great one but it'll do for this year.
Inside the barn we have a fridge already plugged in and cold to accept the finished meat so that it can age for a couple of days before going into the freezer.
We got alot done today and I feel very ready for tomorrow. My husband is bringing home ice tonight for the cooler from work and alot of ziplock bags since I never got a vac sealer. I had something come up financially and couldn't swing it this time. I hope the meat will be okay freezing in Ziplocks?

I have taken away the grain and provided double fresh clean water and a nice new bed of hay. I noticed today that they are getting pretty heavy and are walking funny. Like little Sumo Wrestlers actually

Poor things. I talked to them a bit, not that they understand me, but I told them that I would make sure it was quick and then they would be in chicken heaven and that even though they have stunk and been not so pretty that I enjoyed having them and that we really appreciate them for the food they will provide us by giving up their lives, especially now during hard times.
I feel kinda nuts, but I had to say it, more for me than them.
I think I might get a little emotional tomorrow when they all come running up to me because they'll want food but hey, it's life on a farm...
I've had alot of people I know lately say to me "But I thought you were an animal lover?!" or "I just don't understand how you could do that." and I do LOVE animals, it's not a matter of that. They are unrelated to me.
I have spent the majority of my life rescuing animals, have gone broke for their surgeries and vet care, etc. In a roundabout way I almost feel like I am raising my own because I love them.
I do love them.
I have cared for them twice a day every day and more often when they were little, would I do that if I didn't care for them?
I have handled them, not too much as to get attached to them, but enough that they do not fear me and come to me looking for goodies knowing that I will care for them, knowing that I will protect them from predetors and the elements.
I ask the people that doubt me as a loving and caring animal person, would I do those things if I did not love them to some degree?
For every uber expensive, disease free, drug free, and chemical free, humanely, lovingly treated chicken I have outside right now in my meat bird pen I have taken a stand and not purchased a chemical laden, tightly caged, un-loved, abused and neglected factory rasied meat chicken.
Would I do this if I didn't love Chickens in general?

Anyway, that's what I want to say to my friends and family when they ask me how I can do this. I know I don't need to explain it to you guys, you understand. lol
I'm just rambling on...
So, hopefully tomorrow I will get some pictures. And I will certainly let you all know the weighs and how many we did. Thanks for your support.

 

[blue90292]

 

[Redfeathers]

It's hard to do, but once it's done it is sooooo nice. I had the birds all taken to a processor and was able to leave them and go out for breakfast, then come back to freshly bagged and chilled birds. It was emotionally easier for me to do it that way. I have processed a rooster and it was difficult for me to do up until he was skinned, after that it was more scientific and interesting and I was able to let it go. Eating the first one didn't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would.

Good luck with everything, we are all proud of you!

 

[Ladysonja]

Oh PineBurrowPeeps - I can feel the pain in your words... Do not let what others say to you get you down or think that you do not love your birds or that you are wrong in putting home grown food on your table. Some folks just don't get it!

When the tire hits the pavement in these rocky unstable times, they will be knocking on your door asking for one of your birds for their dinner table one day... Then who will be laughing last.

Sounds to me like you have a great system in place.

I learned a lot of information from your post. Thank you for sharing and keep your chin up.

I have two Barred Rocks named Christmas and Thanksgiving Dinner... I'm not sure how I will feel when their day comes, but I know where chickens come from and it's not from the chilled meat section at the local Wal-mart!

Maybe we won't have to use a Brine (sp?) solution to juice up our chicken meat before cooking... Non-Brine Chicken meat is so dry tasting no matter what way you fix it. I'm interested in how Fresh Chicken tastes over chemically grown chicken?

Chin up... and good luck...

 

[blue90292]

how are you doing? hope everything went well yesterday.