Butchering A LOT of chickens

[Birdinhand]

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention. CX can be sensitive to cold and heat, and you have to keep them dry. So when planning your growout period, bear those things in mind. If they get heat stressed too badly they can die, if they get wet and chilled by lying on the wet ground or getting rained on they can die, and if the day/night temperature fluctuation are too much they can develop ascites I think - I was reading about CX issues that can be caused by tractoring. They're more sensitive than normal chickens to weather, so I'd recommend researching that ahead of time to make sure you avoid the problems.

This is one reason I kept mine in an open air covered run with good tarp coverage - I wanted to be sure they didn't get wet. Many folks have tractored successfully, but research beforehand is recommended.

Agree with all that too. Mine are in a covered run. The ideal time for grow outs in the northwest is late summer. No heat lamp needed if timed with the hot weather getting cooler each week as the birds grow and feather out. If you can eliminate the heat source all together a variety of challenges are eliminated right off the bat. With no heat source, they need a place to “nest”, preferably a corner with hay that has sides that block draft.

 

[wantsomechicks]

Those are super cool. Unfortunately, I don't think there are any of those around. I even heard some extension offices rent poultry processing set-ups, but ours doesn't.

 

[Birdinhand]

Those are super cool. Unfortunately, I don't think there are any of those around. I even heard some extension offices rent poultry processing set-ups, but ours doesn't.

Well, you sound thoughtful and risk averse and that’s really what it takes to avoid the dangers… it’s not “that” hard to figure it out. Just remember that they are basically warm blooded reptiles that have normal flora that don’t bother them but can make us sick… and avoid getting that muck on your food prep surfaces. There are great videos out there on butchering.

By starting with a small batch the first few times you can begin to get a feel for where “the pinch points” are to determine how you can “partition” up the stations and tasks. One person can do all the stages (I do for 25-30 birds in a day) if they are careful to wash and clean hands and surfaces diligently.

I don’t think any of us are trying to deter you from going down the path, to the contrary, there are few things that bring me such a sense of pride and relatedness to my food for me and my family than mastering every step. I wish you well with your venture, let us know how it goes!

 

[wantsomechicks]

Well, you sound thoughtful and risk averse and that’s really what it takes to avoid the dangers… it’s not “that” hard to figure it out. Just remember that they are basically warm blooded reptiles that have normal flora that don’t bother them but can make us sick… and avoid getting that muck on your food prep surfaces. There are great videos out there on butchering.

By starting with a small batch the first few times you can begin to get a feel for where “the pinch points” are to determine how you can “partition” up the stations and tasks. One person can do all the stages (I do for 25-30 birds in a day) if they are careful to wash and clean hands and surfaces diligently.

I don’t think any of us are trying to deter you from going down the path, to the contrary, there are few things that bring me such a sense of pride and relatedness to my food for me and my family than mastering every step. I wish you well with your venture, let us know how it goes!

I appreciate the feedback and encouragement. I'm impressed that you can do 25-30 birds/day solo. I have 4 sons and a DH, so hopefully we'll be able to get an assembly line going. Starting with a smaller number seems like a good idea while we work out the system.

It's funny but I don't even eat much meat. I just prefer "vegetarian" food...beans, veggies, eggs, dairy. But all the guys in my family are big carnivores. It makes me feel good to know where our food comes from and that the animals are treated well.