Well, I'm on the way....

[greentree]

Ok, I figured it out!! Did you talk to Michele?? She called me... I PM'd you!!

I am sorry we missed each other!

Thank you for trying !!

Nancy

 

[greentree]

We processed 3 of the birds yesterday!!! Not a bad job at all!! Except for that little throat-cutting thing, it was no worse that taking the supermarket chicken out of the wrapper!

I fasted them for about 10 hours. I had to put them in the show carrier, and rig water for them.

I hung some bridle hooks on my hitching post in the washrack. It is outsige on a concrete pad. Put the water in the turkey fryer to heat, made the cooler full of ice water, and a small styrofoam cooler of cool water. Craig, the designated executioner, backed his truck up and laid out his knives, a technique he learned on Marcus Welby, M.D. We hung the birds by zip-ties one at a time from the hooks, and cut them. I drained the blood into a bucket with some shavings, so I didn't attract too many varmits.

I used the Harvey Ussery instructions from a Backyard Poultry issue, and did not have any problem cleaning them. Plucking took the most time, but not too long. We plucked into a lined trash can that I also used for the intrails.

I have some commited to a lady live, and the smaller ones need to grow another week or so, so I may just cancel my appointment with the processor!! Craig said he would be happy to come help again. I paid him with dinner(not chicken, though), and a chicken...

Kind of fun, in a sick sort of way!!

BirdBrain, thanks for your support!!


Nancy

 

[blue90292]

good job nancy!

 

[greentree]

Thanks, Michele!! When you are ready to do some, I'll come down and help!

Nancy

 

[BirdBrain]

Way to go Nancy!!

We dispatched the last 26 this week and put them in freezer bags. Boy am I glad the job is over. We will enjoy the chickens in the months to come, but it is going to be beef for the next week or two.

Momma is left to do the other 12 (the younger ones) in about 3 weeks. I figured, after feed, shavings and cost of birds, that they cost about $5.50 per bird to raise.

 

[greentree]

Hey, girl!! Got your 'puter working?? Yeah, I would imagine after 26 you would be kind of tired of it!! How long does it take you to do each bird?

I had hoped the lady from the Mexican restaurant would take her birds today, but she hasn't returned my call yet. They are going to be really big when we get home from Ft. Worth on Sunday.

I figure I have about the same in mine.Have a great weekend, I am off to ride in the LBJ Grasslands in Decatur....

Nancy

 

[BirdBrain]

My computer is still in intensive care at my brother's. I hope he can do something for it. I am on my DH's computer.

I hope you have a great weekend in Decatur. It takes me about 5-8 minutes per bird if I am skinning them...much longer if I am plucking them.

 

[greentree]

I took 25 birds to the processor... one died on the trip. I left the 6 that are a bit smaller to grow. They looked GREAT!! He did a really nice job.

I brought home 24, so I netted 33 birds out of 50.

I think that's pitiful, but I am VERY glad that I did them. I can't wait to try a bigger batch of FR's, to see how they compare!! I will try them with the same management, then try them outside in a tractor, as an experiment.

Good Luck to everyone on theirs!!

Nancy

 

[BirdBrain]

We had one of our birds for dinner the other night. It was one of the skinned ones. I took it out of the freezer and let it sit in the fridge for a few days and then poured a can of mushroom soup with lemon juice and basil and baked it. Wow was it good. My oldest son looked at his plate as he was eating and commented that it felt good to say that this was one of our own birds.

Nancy, sorry you didn't have more to take to the processor, but considering your trials, I think you did just fine.

 

[greentree]

Your son is wise!!! I boiled one of the birds that I processed myself, and it was great!!! The store chicken does NOT smell like chicken anymore.....it kind of stinks when you boil it, to me.

The lady who said she wanted the birds live renigged, wants them processed, but I am not going to sell her any. I can't, legally, sell her the ones Crank did, besides, she would not pay enough to cover MY cost (I wouldn't either!!!!).

We are going to do the last 6 on Wednesday. Funny, now they don't seem all that interested in eating, maybe it was just the shear number of them that made them seem like fire ants.....

Nancy