suburban meat birds

[Dinogrrl]

@RUNuts Depends what I'm in the mood for as far as if I want the skin or not, so I'd probably be better off learning both ways then .

 

[K0k0shka]

I butcher my chickens in my urban/suburban backyard. I checked with animal control first, and they said there are no restrictions other than it has to be done in a humane way. Nothing about prying neighbors, so they have no legal grounds to complain. I try to do it somewhere in the back out of direct view, but I can't hide it 100% unless I go into the basement. I try, but won't bend over backwards to wrap myself in tarps or tents, because what goes on in my backyard is my own business. Especially if it's not illegal. Peeping and spying neighbors should mind their own business. They don't seem to spend much time outside anyway, so I haven't had anybody see anything yet. On the days when I've butchered, there hasn't been anybody else in their yard at the time. And it goes so quick that there just isn't much to see. I wouldn't call it messy either, or smelly (I have kids - I've seen MUCH bigger messes from them! Ha). I don't see why you'd need fans, or why you couldn't do it in a basement or garage. I use a cone with a bucket underneath it, which I lift up on some blocks while the bird is kicking, to cover the end of the cone and catch the blood drops, and there's no mess beyond the cone and the bucket. I put the bird on a large cooking tray on a table for the plucking and gutting, with a trash bag lined bucket next to it. Everything stays on the tray and in the trash bag. It's really no big deal.

 

[Dinogrrl]

@K0k0shka thanks for the info! It's good to hear that people have done this in the sort of housing situation I'm in without too much fuss from neighbors. I agree that what goes on in someone else's backyard is their business unless it's blatantly interfering with someone else's well-being (I'm adamant that yappy dogs being left outside are a far bigger nuisance to neighbors than a few backyard chickens!), and perhaps one day in the future when I'm more comfortable with the process myself I'd risk just doing it out in the open on my patio.
(The fans would be for if I work in my garage because I live in the South, my garage is not ventilated or A/Ced, it gets nasty hot in there unless it's the dead of winter, in which case I'd need heaters instead!)

 

[3KillerBs]

(The fans would be for if I work in my garage because I live in the South, my garage is not ventilated or A/Ced, it gets nasty hot in there unless it's the dead of winter, in which case I'd need heaters instead!)

Unless it's one of *those* winters when you'd still need fans in January on a sunny day.

 

[Dinogrrl]

True, there's really no telling what sort of winter you'll get around here!

 

[Compost King]

I processed chickens in my front yard in the City of Salisbury one time. Nieghbors came over and chit chatted and got free thighs and drumsticks. It all depends on your neighborhood. I now process them on the Kitchen Table, as I got better and faster with processing I also made less of a mess, it helps that I skin chickens and do not pluck them. so not many feathers escape to the floor. If I processed my first Chicken in the kitchen It would have been a mess. Once I learn the little tricks to make it easy I can do it with little to no mess.

 

[Molpet]

I processed chickens in my front yard in the City of Salisbury one time. Nieghbors came over and chit chatted and got free thighs and drumsticks. It all depends on your neighborhood. I now process them on the Kitchen Table, as I got better and faster with processing I also made less of a mess, it helps that I skin chickens and do not pluck them. so not many feathers escape to the floor. If I processed my first Chicken in the kitchen It would have been a mess. Once I learn the little tricks to make it easy I can do it with little to no mess.

Yeah the first one I had blood all over my clothes... got a plastic apron and after a few batches, realized there's no blood on it any more

 

[Compost King]

Yeah the first one I had blood all over my clothes... got a plastic apron and after a few batches, realized there's no blood on it any more

True! you get so good at it that its not even a mess. I even have a bucket lined with a chicken feed bag (paper if I compost, plastic if I have to put it out with garbage) and as I removed stuff it falls right in with no effort on my part I became so organized with it. I skin them hang the skin over the edge of the table, then I remove the guts and they hang with the skin. I can cut off the tail at that point and they fall right in the bucket. a few stray feather have to be recovered but no mess, not on me, not even on the table although I still bleach wash the table before and after along with the knives used. However I am always going to be covered in blood because I am too cheap to buy a cone for the not so fun deed.

 

[Molpet]

However I am always going to be covered in blood because I am too cheap to buy a cone for the not so fun deed.

I got some used cones that they don't fit right in. I cut up a Kitty litter jug and it works great

 

[Compost King]

I got some used cones that they don't fit right in. I cut up a Kitty litter jug and it works great

I have some Tidy Cat jugs that might actually work for that.