Updating My Book on Poultry Processing

[vyieort]

Hi folks!

My name is Adam Danforth and I wrote a few books on slaughtering and butchering that came out a couple years back. (I think some of you have mentioned them from time to time on here.) One covers poultry (and rabbits, sheep, and pork. I'm working on expanding the poultry information into its own stand-alone book and would love to have some feedback from you all to help make it as useful as possible to those processing and butchering on-farm. From traveling and teaching for several years, I'm always amazed at what innovative tips and tricks homesteaders and backyard raisers come up with that can improve a process and challenge long-held assumptions about what is best.

Some things that I would be honored for you to consider:
- what are some of the greatest challenges you face in slaughtering and/or butchering poultry?
- what information or questions have you had trouble finding answers to?
- what graphics, diagrams, or visual information would you love to see in a book?
- if you've read my previous book, what do you think was missing that you would like to see in revisions?

Or, anything else you'd like to share. Any and all help is much appreciated. I want to make this the most useful poultry processing book out there.

Thanks for any help.

 

[BantyChooks]

Hi folks!

My name is Adam Danforth and I wrote a few books on slaughtering and butchering that came out a couple years back. (I think some of you have mentioned them from time to time on here.) One covers poultry (and rabbits, sheep, and pork. I'm working on expanding the poultry information into its own stand-alone book and would love to have some feedback from you all to help make it as useful as possible to those processing and butchering on-farm. From traveling and teaching for several years, I'm always amazed at what innovative tips and tricks homesteaders and backyard raisers come up with that can improve a process and challenge long-held assumptions about what is best.

Some things that I would be honored for you to consider:
- what are some of the greatest challenges you face in slaughtering and/or butchering poultry?
- what information or questions have you had trouble finding answers to?
- what graphics, diagrams, or visual information would you love to see in a book?
- if you've read my previous book, what do you think was missing that you would like to see in revisions?

Or, anything else you'd like to share. Any and all help is much appreciated. I want to make this the most useful poultry processing book out there.

Thanks for any help.

I don't process very many birds at all, so I'm perhaps not the greatest source of feedback out there, sorry. I haven't read your book, but one of the things I found most frustrating in others was the lack of information on various kill methods. I like having a bit of science involved, i.e. studies referenced or information on length of time to unconsciousness. Also, lots and lots of different tools represented and rated would be nice.

One thing I made up for myself when I started was a literal step by step walkthrough. Not just a regular walkthrough, an insanely detailed one including steps like "Pick up the bird, take it down from the hanger, and walk over and put it on the table." Knowing exactly what I was going to do, and I mean exactly, helped me get around to actually doing it. I imagine it might do the same for other folks.

I also appreciate a good DIY section in anything, with ideas or idea starters on how to jerry rig different pieces of equipment such as cones, tables, wash stations, pluckers, or anything else, really.

For step-by-step images, I prefer photographs, especially focused, close up ones. There is an article somewhere on here that was the best I've seen yet. It made it much clearer to me where exactly cuts had to be made.

As for greatest challenges: getting clean water to processing site is one for me, but that's only because I am too cheap to buy a specific hose for the job. I'm NOT rinsing my fresh chicken with the same hose that has sat in the poopy duck pool for the past three months, lol!

 

[Acre4Me]

Good luck.

First, people seeking out info are likely to be new/newer to the task. Or they want to improve upon their first one or two experiences, or are going to be butchering a larger number of birds than they previously butchered. So, detailed info and diagrams as previous person stated. Also ways to set up the work area when processing small number to when processing large number of birds. Address food safety: How long between kill to chill can it be, and what are the food safety risks a backyard home processor faces.

What are necessary items vs helpful/nice to have. For example, butchering 10 chickens? A plucker is nice to have, but not exactly necessary. But, butchering 30 birds, it starts to seem more necessary, 50 birds... so, what are the plucker options and how can a handy homesteader create their own, vs what is commercially available.

Might be interesting to have stories of various backyard processors and their process, including smaller processors and newer processors. These stories can be inspiring and educational.

Maybe talk to some hatcheries to see if some of their smaller meat chicken customers would be willing to help. Obviously, they would not give you personal info on their customers, but they may be willing to pass on your info to a few customers that they think might be interested in talking to you.

Post your request for info at a feed mill or at the farm supply store.

Personally, I don’t have much experience here. Spouse has butchered a few roosters, and we are getting ready to butcher first small batch of 12 meat chickens next week.