When my kids were younger we had a herd of Nubian show goats, over 200 show rabbits (Florida Whites, Tans and English Angoras), four show horses, a few Blue-Butt show pigs, we raised three to four bummer lambs a year for the freezer, and a rather large flock of Rhode Island Red laying hens for eggs and meat. I brought home day old calves a several times from the auction in the next county and was only able to raise one successfully to freezer size (but our neighbor raised beef and we still buy from him). Our family was very active in 4-H and FFA. Most of our animals were for show and we hauled them up and down the state of California and flew/drove them to a couple of shows a year out of state. We attended the Quarter horse shows in Nevada and Oklahoma. We took our show rabbits to the Nationals in Houston, Texas one year. We were really into breeding, showing and selling the best...it was great fun. If anything need to be culled I let someone else handle it...usually one of the fellows that work for us on the ranch...I just liked doing the pretty stuff.
Now I raise animals to put in my freezer and on the table. I'm not interested in showing or selling breeding stock. I kinda' like the *mutts* of the animal world. They're smart and survivors. I picked out my chickens by looks and personality...and I'm glad I did. I have a bit of everything. Some nice big bottomed Light Brahmas, one old Rhode Island Red hen that's a real lady, a fluffy Cochin that reminds me of Mrs. Olsen of Little House on the Prairie, a Welsummer that's OCD and my new Silver Laced Wyandottes and Light Brahma chicks that aren't old enough for me to figure out who they are. I have ordered 50 meat chicks for processing. I swore I wouldn't do that again, but, it's so easy and inexpensive for me, I just think it's the smart thing to do. I will be helping Rudy (my hired-man) this year to butcher. I signed up for a poultry processing workshop on a farm not far from here. The idea of butchering a bird upsets me and that's why I need to learn to do this. It's a skill I think I should have...so I'm taking the class. I think I should be able to at least know how to grow, raise and process everything I eat. I think everyone should at least try.
The house we live in had a complete meat processing set-up in the basement. There was a walk-in ice plant with meat hooks hanging from the ceiling, a huge butcher block table, and a commercial meat saw. When we got the house we stored all of that stuff in one of the barns (except the ice plant/walk-in)...but I'm thinking they could be put back into service. We also have a huge hog scalding set-up next to my husband's office. I plan on setting up my chicken processing area next to the hog set-up...that way I can use the scalder for my chickens.
WARNING: I'm back from the Workshop.. following are descriptions and PICTURES!
The chicken processing workshop was great! There were only three of us, but that worked for me. I believe we really got the *special* attention I know I needed. We were allowed in the *rooster* pen to pick out our guy. I picked a Light Brahma since that's one of the breeds I raise. The young lady in the group picked a Barred Rock and the young man picked a Dark Cornish. We held our rooster while the instructor gave handouts and talked about humane, ethical butchering. We then carried our roosters to the killing area and one by one we killed out rooster. It was very difficult for me. I don't want to hurt anything so I tried to make it quick, but it took me two tries...I felt bad. We let them hang to bleed out for about ten minutes.
Then to the scalder where we dipped and swished the birds. Then on to the dreaded picking/plucking. It was a cinch! The feathers came out lickity-split...maybe 10 minutes. I've watched the men in my family pluck wild ducks and it takes them forever! I was impressed how well we did this crucial step...each of the breeds had a different skin color and body type...very informative.
Then we took them to the gutting table and cut off the feet, cut out the oil gland and anus. Then we did a T type cut in the gut cavity put our hand in and pulled the guts out all in one fell swoop!
TA! DA! Winner winner: chicken dinner! Awesome class! We chilled our birds, wrapped them up and headed for home. Great way to spend a Saturday!
 |
| BYE, BYE: Colonel! |
4 comments:
Thank you so much for posting this. We're raising 25 silver cross right now for our freezer. Last fall we raised 25 Freedom Rangers. They were gone two months ago. We're dying for chicken meat right now. We keep them in a large mobile pen that we drag around in the backyard of our suburban house. We do this because we like to meat the animals we eat. They are worth our time.
Good for you! I don't know how well I would do. My mother had to butcher chickens from the time she was a pre-teen. She always likes to tell the stories while we are eating dinner though.
I agree, that's something that everybody should know how to do. Just because. The last time we raised chickens for meat was an FFA project for your youngest, about 5 years ago. He got the cornish/rock cross, or something like that, and they were HUGE!! Had to part them out, because they were so big they didn't fit into a ziplock bag. They were really tasty.
~~Lori
This is such a good thing to know how to do. More people need to see that chickens don't have nuggets or come in a frozen bag from the grocery store. Thanks for posting .. even the pictures! Enjoy your trip to the cabin! We're spending Memorial Day at home .. visiting a graveyard memorial service .. and maybe heading to Spokane for a Civil War re-enactment weather permitting. Blessings to you .. Cathy
Post a Comment