We killed and plucked and butchered 6 or 7 chickens yesterday. I caught some of the roosters and put them in the chicken tractor overnight so they wouldn't be full of food and they would be easy to retrieve the next day. When Stef got home from work we started. Stef chopped their heads off and bled them out, soaked them in hot water and brought them to the boys. The boys plucked and then brought them to me. I, after Stef showed me how, butchered them. I was pretty proud of myself. A year ago I would have let the guys do all of the dirty work. Now, I'm pretty confident I could do it all on my own. I still "let" Stef chop the heads off, though, I think I will do it next time. I got pretty good and fast at eviscerating them though.
Some of the chickens were pretty skinny. The types we have are dual purpose breeds so they are not overly meaty. I am looking into getting more meat birds. They will grow out faster but not be good layers. I am going to go with either of two french breeds; Marans or Freedom Rangers. Cornish Xs are the usual meat bird for large scale and a lot of smaller scale operations, but they are very sorry birds. They gain weight at such a fast rate the rest of their body can't keep up and they are prone to broken legs and heart attacks. They also do not forage, basically they don't act very chickenish. I read somewhere someone called them Franken-chickens. That is a good name; very unnatural.
7 comments:
Tiff -- When I was a little girl, I can't remember where I was, but I remember it was a woman and I watched her break the chicken necks and cut their heads off. I watched the chickens flop around. At that time I was very fascinated in watching the chickens flop around, I didn't think of it being gross or anything like that, But being an adult I look back on it and I don't think I could watch that being done now. You are very brave, I couldn't do it. I remember though one time I got in trouble, my girlfriend and I got dirty in a mud puddle and I had to pluck chicken feathers off a chicken out by the corn field. Can you believe your Grandmother made me do that? I hated plucking the feathers back then. I thought it was horrible. I Love you! Have Fun!!. Mom.
I always had a feeling that deep down inside, Gma was really a big meanie! How Awful! :)
OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No.1 that was your Great Grandmother who chopped the heads off I was too squimmish!!!!!!
No.2Ed Warren of the hatcherly taught me to hang them and use a knife to bleed them .
That is the way Rabbis do.
I raised 300 chicks every year forever,killed, plucked...cutup,
frozed, canned and sold to the local grocery store.
And you all had to help ocassionaly.
Sorry for the trama, but every once in a while moms are mean.
love
also for what it is worth,Tiff..if they are still available Rhode Island Reds are a very good source for meat chickens
much love
Rhode Island Reds are a dual purpose chicken also. Takes 5 months or more to grow them out. The meat birds I'm looking at will grow out more quickly.
Actually it is fun thinking back on that time because it reminds me I was a kid at one time. It does my heart good knowing I was young once. And your Gma wasn't that mean. I think I complained so much having to pluck the feathers she didn't make me do the whole thing. I love you, mom!
killing, plucking, chopping...gives me the willies. BUT i do know, fresh chicken tastes yummy. i bought one from the local farmers market and dang it was good. the beer butt chicken recipe was good, let me know if you want it.
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