Transporting home after processing

[DairyQueenMS923]

I am raising cornish crosses for the first time and will be bringing 30 of them to be processed at a facility about 30 minutes away.

What is a reasonable way to transport that many birds home in a way they will not stay too warm? Also, recommendations for cooling them quickly at home before bagging and freezing?

 

[Simimaus]

I am raising cornish crosses for the first time and will be bringing 30 of them to be processed at a facility about 30 minutes away.

What is a reasonable way to transport that many birds home in a way they will not stay too warm? Also, recommendations for cooling them quickly at home before bagging and freezing?

maybe some coolers with ice?

we raised 25 of them last year. Our processing facility bags and freezes them for us. we picked them up frozen. $4 a chicken. 45 minute ride home Still solid frozen.
raising 25 right now too. Butcher appointment for 6/25

 

[Parront]

I am raising cornish crosses for the first time and will be bringing 30 of them to be processed at a facility about 30 minutes away.

What is a reasonable way to transport that many birds home in a way they will not stay too warm? Also, recommendations for cooling them quickly at home before bagging and freezing?

Coolers is the way. It is good to know if they will be frozen for you, that is the way to go, the processors have freezers that can freeze them much faster than a home freezer ever could. If they are not frozen for you you will really need to ice them in big coolers because the home freezers just can't freeze a lot at once. I processed my own and the most I ever did at once was 15. I had chickens in my garage frig, a cooler and the kitchen frig trying to cool them down after processing. Cooling is the most important part, and your processor will do that. Check to see just what they are doing, then you can make better plans. Even if they charge a little more it is worth it for them to bag and freeze them for you.

 

[DairyQueenMS923]

Coolers is the way. It is good to know if they will be frozen for you, that is the way to go, the processors have freezers that can freeze them much faster than a home freezer ever could. If they are not frozen for you you will really need to ice them in big coolers because the home freezers just can't freeze a lot at once. I processed my own and the most I ever did at once was 15. I had chickens in my garage frig, a cooler and the kitchen frig trying to cool them down after processing. Cooling is the most important part, and your processor will do that. Check to see just what they are doing, then you can make better plans. Even if they charge a little more it is worth it for them to bag and freeze them for you.

They do not freeze. You wait for the slaughtering and cleaning to be done, then they bring them out in large trays. I don't think I can obtain enough coolers for this many chickens. They 7sed to cool them completely but apparently no longer do.

 

[Parront]

They do not freeze. You wait for the slaughtering and cleaning to be done, then they bring them out in large trays. I don't think I can obtain enough coolers for this many chickens. They 7sed to cool them completely but apparently no longer do.

Wow. Maybe you could get those big barrels that they use for rain barrels and ice them in those? Layer of ice, layer of chicken. They used to ship chickens in barrels and wooden crates. You will need lots of ice to get them started cooling down. They are hot and melt ice faster than you think.

 

[Folly's place]

You can do them in two or three batches; get straight run chicks, take the bigger birds (cockerels) first, and the the rest in another week or two.
The processor we use has them shrink wrapped and chilled when we pick them up, so they go into a cooler, and then the freezer.
Don't put too many in your freezer at once, especially if not chilled first!!! Take bags of ice, lots of ice.
Mary

 

[iwltfum]

They do not freeze. You wait for the slaughtering and cleaning to be done, then they bring them out in large trays. I don't think I can obtain enough coolers for this many chickens. They 7sed to cool them completely but apparently no longer do.

Maybe check craigslist. Garage sales? Usually the big box stores have large coolers for sale at this time of year, but who knows with the state of things right now. Even if you brought them home somehow without coolers - which would be a little iffy, you will need at least two 120qt coolers to ice them down in to cool them off before putting them in the freezer. If you put that many into the freezer at once, the middle ones will not cool down to a safe temperature in the right amount of time. You might have to shell out a little money for a couple coolers this year, but, hey, you'll have them for the next batch.

 

[3KillerBs]

If it's not a long drive you can even ice them in big storage totes. If it's a longer drive and the ice might melt stop to buy more ice partway.

 

[Parront]

Maybe check craigslist. Garage sales? Usually the big box stores have large coolers for sale at this time of year, but who knows with the state of things right now. Even if you brought them home somehow without coolers - which would be a little iffy, you will need at least two 120qt coolers to ice them down in to cool them off before putting them in the freezer. If you put that many into the freezer at once, the middle ones will not cool down to a safe temperature in the right amount of time. You might have to shell out a little money for a couple coolers this year, but, hey, you'll have them for the next batch.

Ditto on big coolers!

 

[shaw613]

My processor doesn't freeze, but she's very careful about cooling them well and then bagging. I've used coolers before, but my coolers aren't large enough for more than a few birds. Last year I took large plastic storage totes along. They hold several birds, and then I put bagged ice on each. Worked great .... I have a 50 mile drive and wil do it again next week. Don't know where you are, but here we all have lots of large plastic tubs from our beef minerals. They work great as well and are free.