Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[LBurt6]

Hey Kitsap county friends do you know any good butcher shops in the area. I've never butcher a chicken before. My DH wants to give it a go but he's not always home (Navy) so I was looking at butcher to do it for me if I need to.

 

[Handyhens]

Hi guys!
I live in western Washington

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Hey Kitsap county friends do you know any good butcher shops in the area. I've never butcher a chicken before. My DH wants to give it a go but he's not always home (Navy) so I was looking at butcher to do it for me if I need to.

It's pretty easy to do. How many chickens are you processing?

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Hi guys!
I live in western Washington

Welcome!

 

[CharterChick]

Hey Kitsap county friends do you know any good butcher shops in the area. I've never butcher a chicken before. My DH wants to give it a go but he's not always home (Navy) so I was looking at butcher to do it for me if I need to.

I don't know about butchers but I looked at You tube and learned how! I only do 1 or 2 at a time though.

 

[CharterChick]

Met with Ochochicas today and bought some BEAUTIFUL eggs! I got them all the way home and to the counter and didn't drop them!

Thank you for meeting with me. I can't wait to see the look on the kids faces when they see all the colors of the eggs for them to try to hatch! DH looked at the bcm eggs and liked those the best. He didn't know the brown was that dark.

Here is one of the bcm eggs with my flash light i just bought... I can see through it pretty good!







This is one of the RIR eggs as comparason...






This is the flashlight it's 600 lumans found it on amazon for $13.99.... Here's the link if anyone wants info.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LL0YXWO/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1

 

[LBurt6]

[quote name="CharterChick" url="/t/717207/washingtonians-come-together-washington-peeps/28020#

I don't know about butchers but I looked at You tube and learned how! I only do 1 or 2 at a time though.
[/quote]

We've got three cockerels from this last hatch that will have to go to the pot. When we hatch again will have to eat the boys. So only a few at a time.

 

[CharterChick]

We've got three cockerels from this last hatch that will have to go to the pot. When we hatch again will have to eat the boys. So only a few at a time.

I tried it a few ways and everyone is different, but I prefer the "off with your head" approach. I've seen people say that its more humane to cut the jugular but I can't do that. My chickens all know me so they are never stressed out about it. Plus I won't do it unless they are all cooped up. I can't butcher a chicken in front of it's buddies! It's never "easy" to do it yourself, but if you think of them as food it helps and if they are a mean little rooster that attacks you, that also helps...

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Fair enough, I did say "easy" which, emotionally, no, it isn't that easy ... But it is easier than putting a pet dog or cat to sleep. Or, at least, it was easier for me than it is to put a dog or cat down. And, truth be told, in my family, it's always been me that's had to deal with these decisions, so, in one sense, I'm used to it.

It helps that I tell the chickens that the deal is feed them, then they feed me. I also apologize profusely as I'm doing the deed.
Once they've bleed out it also helps to just think of the body as meat. And try not to look at the head when you're first learning to process them. That still upsets me.

 

[LBurt6]

Thanks for the advice, I'm glad my DH will be home for this first go around. We've both looked at videos and blogs so finger crossed we get it right the first time.