culling / butchering and me

[aart]

We began to pressure can over 2 years ago and after 4 months, purchased a second canner to run 2 at a time. Meat goes on sale, we purchase as much as the store has. Chicken on sale last spring, $1.17# boneless breast, I bought 120# and went to work. Bone broth, homemade and canned. purchased beans in 50# bags, just wish they didn't take as long as meat.
Was I apprehensive the first time I pressure canned? yes, I did a trial run with water only , up to pressure and house intact. I was and am on a roll. We want at least 2 yrs. Also electric/solar generator and batteries.
A couple of family members said, we're coming to your place (acres w/woods and pond). I replied, If you bring food. One said I'll pay you, I told my brother, you can eat your money, we'll eat the canned food. My sister is buying a canner Friday (as I took ours to her home and showed her). Next week, I'm going over again to do there first run. We gave them jars, beans and some supplies. Now they are going to begin to store. I wasn't mean but I am not canning for 6 additional people.
I'm waiting longer than you do, until about 18ish weeks. Then sit in the fridge for 3 days, then into the jars.

@C Siena OK, sounds like you have preservation down.
So then the issue you're having is slaughtering that many at once?

 

[C Siena]

@C Siena OK, sounds like you have preservation down.
So then the issue you're having is slaughtering that many at once?

Due to arthritis in my hands, I am thinking it will take me 2 rounds to butcher 5. I don't think my hands will hold up (due to pain) for butchering 5 the same day.

 

[aart]

Due to arthritis in my hands, I am thinking it will take me 2 rounds to butcher 5. I don't think my hands will hold up (due to pain) for butchering 5 the same day.

No one else in your family that can help or do the whole job?
Is there a local processor nearby that could do it?
Or you could just spread it out over a few or more days.

 

[FunClucks]

Due to arthritis in my hands, I am thinking it will take me 2 rounds to butcher 5. I don't think my hands will hold up (due to pain) for butchering 5 the same day.

I don't have arthritis in my hands, and it takes me 1.5-2 hrs to process each chicken (no automatic plucker) from start to cooler of ice. Doing more than two chickens a day is very much a struggle, even on Saturdays when I have "unlimited" time. 4 per day is the most I've ever done. No one to help me, so there is that. When I had to do 21 CX, I ended up processing them from 5 to 9 wks old, it just took that long to find time slots to process all of them. Don't forget to consider the weather if you're doing them all outside - when it's freezing or super hot, it's hard on the body/hands. Other folks can be faster, but this has been my experience.

 

[C Siena]

No one else in your family that can help or do the whole job?
Is there a local processor nearby that could do it?
Or you could just spread it out over a few or more days.

I think I can do 2 cockerels in a day, wait 2 days and process the other 3.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I think I can do 2 cockerels in a day, wait 2 days and process the other 3.

That's how I've been butchering my chickens, 1-2 birds every other day. So far I've butchered all that needed to be gone, but will have a few more to do once ready(They're still growing).

Butchered a total of 12 birds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Due to arthritis in my hands, I am thinking it will take me 2 rounds to butcher 5. I don't think my hands will hold up (due to pain) for butchering 5 the same day.

We all have our limits and we process them differently. There are so many different variables. Do what you can at your pace, we are not competing with each other. Here is wishing you the best.

 

[C Siena]

We all have our limits and we process them differently. There are so many different variables. Do what you can at your pace, we are not competing with each other. Here is wishing you the best.

Thanks. I've only processed 1 and I peeled off the skin w/feathers (instead of scalding and plucking) and saved/froze the feet. The bird was tough, so I cooked it longer in the pressure cooker. He was 8 months old and I don't remember how long I kept it in the fridge.

 

[LaFleche]

I think I can do 2 cockerels in a day, wait 2 days and process the other 3.

That's how I do it since my hands go on strike after doing three.

There was a time when I was able to do 10 at once.

 

[dfalchek]

We are on our third small flock of city chickens and for some reason, with this flock, we have become hesitant to cull. We got cold feet or something, even my wife, who was a biology major. We finally got our chicken dream teams of sorts -- started with eight and lost two to illness. We decided to keep these girls a fourth year and in 2025, they have got to go by our hand. I don't want to farm this job out as we feel it is the owners responsibility. They inhabit a space of livestock and pet for us, I guess. This flock is special somehow, or we are getting older. I think we just need some encouragement.