Ugh Easter chicks heading for processing .....

[StormyMoon]

I got the kids 6 easter chicks from TSC .... Big mistake 3 of them are some sort of meat birds ( The white ones ) which I was hoping was leg horns.
Only now they are gaining weight a LOT Of it. I started noticing the short legs first then the weight.

I got them on April 20th how long do I have till I need to do the deed?

I told the kids not to name them after I realized my mistake, and I got them new chickies to replace these 3.
We talked about how they will suffer if it is not done and they agreed even one of my kids would like to learn more about it.

For the first 2 weeks I had them on medicated feed, what do I feed them now? Is it to late to switch their feed?

I offered them a little cracked corn today till I can get them something else...

Can someone give me step by step instructions how to process a chicken? I could pay someone else to do it but I need to learn this since I am working on raising live stock.
Its I feel I need to learn.

If anyone can help me please I will be so grateful!

 

[Dogfish]

You'll have some pretty good looking chickens for 4th of July BBQ. Butcher last day of June, let rest for 3-4 days, Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
LOL Dogfish you paint a pretty picture

Can anyone offer me step 1, 2 , 3 so on , on How to process from beginning to end including temperatures of water and do's and don'ts ........cover the whole field if possible so I don't make any mistakes?

 

[kickenChickens]

I can offer info if you dont want to keep the skin on...I dont par boil mine I just skin'em

 

[Illia]

Everyone has their own methods, especially of actually killing the bird. Personally I prefer a quick removal of the head (my method is getting powerful tree pruners - quick, painless, humane, and mistake-free) Then, with the plucking - I do mine by hand, but some do with a plucker. I do mine with water that hasn't even hit boiling point and it works fine. After the bird is plucked, . . . Actually I believe there's a step by step pictorial thread here on gutting and all.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Easiest way to do it.

If you don't care about the skin, that's the easiest. No boiling required. I usually just take a good sharp, small knife to the breast, make a small incision, pull the skin up, then cut along the breast line down to the rump, then up to the neck, then gradually get the skin off the legs, sides, back, etc. And of course, cut the tail off.

I always skin mine unless I want a nice roast/rotisserie type chicken.

 

[StormyMoon]

I know this wont be easy , so I just have to suck it up and get the job done fast as possible.

Kickenchickens Is skinning them easy?

Illia do you happen to have the link?


Thank you so much for responding all of you!

 

[Illia]

The informational thread - But I'm no fan at all of bleeding out chickens, so I'd skip that part.



Skinning is indeed easy. The first couple times, if you've never skinned something before, may be a little messy though. (I don't mean bloody or anything, I just mean that you'll get "peices" off.) After a couple you'll get a hang of it, and it will be a VERY fast and easy job.

To me the hardest part must be raising Cornish X meat birds

There's a reason I do dual purpose "meat" birds.

 

[StormyMoon]

about how much dish soap per gallon of water will be needed to clean the bird?

 

[kickenChickens]

it's by far easier than plucking but....do YOU want the skin???
I hunt and process my own deer so I have a little differant way to skin'em.
1. get sharp knife and gloves.
2. hang chicken by feet where it is to be cleaned
3. Place bucket or trash bags under chicken to catch blood and organs
4. grab chicken by neck and cut off where the chest and neck meet
5. take the knife and split the pelt from the neck to the vent(hold the knife so that the cuuting edge is away from the meat)
6. cut the pelt all the way around the body parallel with the lowest rib(hold the knife so that the cuuting edge is away from the meat)
7. pull the top pelt off like a tee shirt
8. pull the bottom pelt down like a 4 y/o peeing(as far as it will go)
9. take the leg and feel for the groove around the knee
10. run your knife around that grove until its completly cut
11. take the upper and lower leg in a hand and bend until the knee dislocates
12. cut remaining connective tissue
13. repeat for other leg
14. now cut the abdominal muscles starting at the ribs back to where to hip bones join
15. only hard part place the chicken on a solid surface and split the pubic bones
16. now cut around the vent carefully not to puncure the intestines
17. reach your hand as far up the chest cavity as you can, squeeze and pull
18. reach in and remove the kidneys that are likely still there

rinse and let rest your done........you can go vomit now.