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A Farm of My Own:  butchering chickens ?  |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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karla
True Blue Farmgirl
1308 Posts
karla
Pella
Iowa
USA
1308 Posts |
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justbe
Farmgirl in Training
48 Posts
Kris
Garland
Texas
USA
48 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 08 2011 : 07:05:43 AM
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It's best not to give them any food that morning. Though there have been times that I have processed my chickens without fasting. You just have to be careful. Best of luck.
Kris
www.krishundt.com
Farmgirl #1761
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
- J. R. R. Tolkien |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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Tammyb
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Tammy
Bluffton
Ohio
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2011 : 5:44:00 PM
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We raise our meat birds once a year ... you will love the taste!
Agree not food for 24 hours then only water.
Tammyb
Live to leave a legacy
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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faithhavenfarm
Farmgirl at Heart
5 Posts
Susie
Missouri
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2011 : 2:21:12 PM
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We have raised meat birds for six years now. I'm a complete city girl, replanted in the country! The first year we took our birds to be butchered. The second year we took them and watched. The third year we took them and helped so we could learn! The remaining years we've done it ourselves. I wouldn't commit to it until my husband built a whizbang chicken plucker, which he did. Then he made our "two woman evisceration station". We have stainless steel cones, a thermostatically controlled scalder and an excellent system. Our birds are beautiful! We do about 100 a year so that we can share and sell a few. We were butchering for a friend but she does her own now. I don't think that she always withheld food (a must!) the night before. It was icky working with her birds at times. We've also grown and processed turkeys. Before moving to beef, we grew out lambs. Excellent choice! This year I may have a problem though. We have chickens, turkeys, lamb and a beef to butcher! I have to get my freezers empty! 
"Trust in the Lord..."
Proverbs 3:5,6 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2011 : 2:37:27 PM
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I sure wish there was a place near here that would do it for me. I would gladly pay $2. a bird. I am getting ready to do 6 meat birds in a few weeks. They grow so fast. I hope yours are good.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2011 : 3:15:34 PM
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I never knew there were places to do it for you either! Awesome! I end up doing it myself. Not raising any this year..just turkeys and ducks. They DO grow fast! (the chickens) I agree..only water the last 12 hours or so of their lives.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Tammyb
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Tammy
Bluffton
Ohio
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2011 : 7:30:32 PM
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Once your family tastes those birds they may enjoy raising them since they taste so good. We are raising our turkeys this year.. I have 4 along with the meat birds. Yumm
Tammyb
Live to leave a legacy
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1143 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1143 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2011 : 8:50:09 PM
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They are delicious. this will be year #2 of raising our own meat. So far, we've done turkey, guinea, and chickens. We also bought a pig and had it butchered. BEST PORK EVER.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2011 : 2:26:35 PM
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What type of chickens do you guys find best for meat birds? We are still learning and we have layers, one of which we just butchered and she was skrawny, next time I want to get better birds for eating.
Liz
In God We Trust |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jun 17 2011 : 6:03:19 PM
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I got 6 Cornish cross meat chicks from the feed store a few months ago. I started letting them out to eat grass over a month ago. They got really big really fast. In fact, they got to where they'd take a few steps, then plop down. Then they got to where they wouldn't even go outside. So I figured it was time for them to go to freezer camp. I butchered all 6 yesterday. I put them in a cage up off the ground with just water the night before. They were all pretty clean. It went well. They were 3 1/2 to 5 pounds. Not too bad. I have one in the fridge brining right now that I will cook tomorrow. It looks good already.
A friend bought some other meat birds, not Cornish, a few weeks after I did. Hers are still small. She doesn't let hers out though.
I would like to try some of the Freedon Rangers next time. They are a red bird that takes a bit longer to grow out but are good at ranging and not getting so big and fat so fast. A rangier bird, I guess.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2011 : 06:59:56 AM
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We don't have a fence to keep the free range chickens in one area, but will do this next spring for the meat chickens. We let our layers go where ever they please, but if you drive by my farm, you may get the chance to see me chase them (sometimes waving a neon pool noodle, and we don't have a pool) out of my flower beds, and vegetable gardens.
Farmgirl #800
http://pioneerwomanatheart.blogspot.com/
http://scrapreusedandrecycledartprojects.blogspot.com/
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2011 : 07:35:49 AM
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Kristina you made me remember my grandmother running through the garden flapping her apron to get the chickens out. OMG that was a lost memory till now!
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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A Farm of My Own: butchering chickens ? |
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butchering chickens ?
