Successfully raised meat birds for the first time

[LTAY1946]

Amazon! They were cheap I think $5

Thank you.

 

[Kiki]

We hand plucked! The Cornish x weren’t so bad but the freedom rangers were more difficult
Hoping to get a plucker next time since we plan to do more. Would save ALOT of time

How long did it take you?

 

[LTAY1946]

We hand plucked! The Cornish x weren’t so bad but the freedom rangers were more difficult
Hoping to get a plucker next time since we plan to do more. Would save ALOT of time

We bought a Yardbird Plucker through HomeDepot. There are so many to choose from now but I wanted to know I was getting one made in in the USA out of stainless steel. If I read all the specs right I'm going to be a happy camper. I've watched the company video some months back. I want to order a lung removal tool now. They can be bought from the factory. At least they could when I was looking at the factory site. I had ordered the lung removal tool from MMcM and the order was cancelled because they could no longer get them.

 

[Molpet]

We hand processed a big rooster of over 20lbs for my daughter to use as dog food. She told us it was real rubbery.

I pressure cooked a half CX rooster for 2 and half hours. It made great pulled chicken. He was over 2 years old

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

For the freedom rangers (mcmurray hatchery) they behaved more like our layers, seemed to forage more and move around more in general. The roosters were pretty aggressive with me and the hens. The didn’t seem to blow through the feed as quickly but of course grew slower. They were more difficult to hand pluck and a lot feistier in general
The Cornish X grew amazingly fast but were very dirty I’d say and did not forage or move around much and instead just laid near the feeders. They were much easier to process as far as plucking and handling went. I also liked that they all looked the same and had no distinct personalities( made me not get attached to any of them)

The real test will be the taste! We haven’t had any yet but I’m planning on roasting 1 of each and doing a side by side comparison

I also think since the Cornish x grew out faster they were more cost effective

Thanks for the info! At what age did you process them (both breeds)?

 

[FunClucks]

We bought a Yardbird Plucker through HomeDepot. There are so many to choose from now but I wanted to know I was getting one made in in the USA out of stainless steel. If I read all the specs right I'm going to be a happy camper. I've watched the company video some months back. I want to order a lung removal tool now. They can be bought from the factory. At least they could when I was looking at the factory site. I had ordered the lung removal tool from MMcM and the order was cancelled because they could no longer get them.

FYI.

Once you get the hang of it, you can pull the lungs out attached to the trachea and intestines. You just have to reach all the way inside the bird from the back end incision and wrap your hands around things the right way, and have a good grip when you pull out the insides.

I did 21 CX this past March at 5-9 wks and saw no need for a lung removal tool. My fingers did a fine, quick job when my initial entrails pull wasn't sufficient.

 

[Gwhite3678]

How long did it take you?

I think it took about 4 hours total including set up/ clean up for the Cornish x. We did 8 just my husband and myself
And maybe 5 for the freedom rangers but I actually had to finish them alone so it’s hard to compare exactly

 

[Gwhite3678]

Thanks for the info! At what age did you process them (both breeds)?

Cornish x : 8 weeks
Freedom rangers: 10 weeks

 

[imacowgirl2]

I pressure cooked a half CX rooster for 2 and half hours. It made great pulled chicken. He was over 2 years old

This is fabulous information! I pressure cooked one for 30 mins and he was still rubbery — I wasn’t sure how long to go for!

 

[imacowgirl2]

FYI.

Once you get the hang of it, you can pull the lungs out attached to the trachea and intestines. You just have to reach all the way inside the bird from the back end incision and wrap your hands around things the right way, and have a good grip when you pull out the insides.

I did 21 CX this past March at 5-9 wks and saw no need for a lung removal tool. My fingers did a fine, quick job when my initial entrails pull wasn't sufficient.

I second this. I have a lung remover tool and used it all of two times…once you figure out how to get your fingers around the lungs, they come out so easy!