Tomorrow's the day.

[ZooSD]

My first time raising meat birds and they're 8wks old, tomorrow I'm going to start with the largest guys that are really having a hard time walking. I weighed a random pick today to see if they were as big as they look and it was 9.4lbs. It was not the biggest one out there. I haven't processed chickens in 35 years so I've been reading everything I can find on here and all of the wonderful information is swimming in my head. Does anyone have any "Oops, I wish I had...." suggestions. I'm doing this on my own since my family thinks it's totally gross.

 

[Elke Beck]

I prep everything the night before so that I am not running around on the day wondering where the Dickens the trash bags have gotten to, and how to I attach the cone again?

 

[ZooSD]

I prep everything the night before so that I am not running around on the day wondering where the Dickens the trash bags have gotten to, and how to I attach the cone again?

That's what I'm trying to do tonight. I feel like I'm at the store and forgot my list at home. I plan on doing 2 at a time, so 2 cones, sharp knife and backup knife, several clean 5gal buckets, large pot for heating water, ice for cold water bucket, fat chickens, garbage bags for feathers. What am I missing?

 

[Elke Beck]

I like to use surgical gloves because it is a messy process, and to me it is easier to shuck off dirty gloves and pull on a clean pair than to go to the sink to thoroughly wash my hands every time I touch poop..

I keep a roll of paper towels handy to dry the birds because I don't like to take the chance of cross contamination. Also, when things get slippery (and they will), paper towels make it easier to get a secure hold on the carcass.

I recommend since this is your maiden voyage that you do one at a time at first. Get a feel for how long it takes before you do two at a time. It is really hard to pluck when the body starts cooling, and it is important to build your confidence by being successful rather than becoming frustrated.

 

[ZooSD]

I like to use surgical gloves because it is a messy process, and to me it is easier to shuck off dirty gloves and pull on a clean pair than to go to the sink to thoroughly wash my hands every time I touch poop.. 

I keep a roll of paper towels handy to dry the birds because I don't like to take the chance of cross contamination.  Also, when things get slippery (and they will), paper towels make it easier to get a secure hold on the carcass. 

I recommend since this is your maiden voyage that you do one at a time at first.  Get a feel for how long it takes before you do two at a time.  It is really hard to pluck when the body starts cooling, and it is important to build your confidence by being successful rather than becoming frustrated.

 

Good point, I just bought paper towels and I have a box of gloves somewhere. I'll have to find them tonight.

 

[ZooSD]

I asked my husband a week ago to not schedule anything for today so I would be free to process chickens without interruption. That didn't work too well so I only got two done this a.m. and it was a little slower than I had planned. It took me about 35min per bird since I was giving my son chicken anatomy lessons at the same time. I made my cone out of a black plastic garden pot and it worked great! It fit a 9.5lb CornishX with no problems and wasn't too long or too short which I was worried about.

 

[Elke Beck]

Congratulations! It is tough the first time, but each time it gets better as you get more confident and develop your routine. It sounds like your planning paid off.

 

[redsoxs]

Hope the processing went well. Like riding a bike...or so I hope!

 

[ZooSD]

Hope the processing went well. Like riding a bike...or so I hope!

Surprisingly easy. I definitely have a couple of things to tweak so just about the time I get a good routine I'll run out of birds for camp. I have 12 more in this group and another 15 in 6wks.