Cornish Cross Spring 2019

[Beekissed]

After all these years the smells don't bother me as I kill....the flies and yellowjackets do, though, so I try to avoid killing in hot weather and start a daybreak if I have to do so.

I don't ice my birds at all...small carcass animals just don't spoil that fast, no matter how hot it is outside. Think of how long they would "cure" wildfowl hanging in a larder to soften~or rot~the muscle fibers back in the day. And they still had the guts in them!

That's the modern day thinking that everything must be cooled down immediately or it will grow bacteria that will kill you. Just doesn't happen that way, especially if one is using clean methods while doing their butchering. Trust me, after living off grid and killing and processing chickens, ducks, turkey, wild turkey and deer, I can tell you that down through history people just didn't have a vat of ice or even that cold of water to ice down a carcass. They didn't even have cold storage to store it in while they figured out how to preserve it for the future, unless they were Inuit.

Since none of these birds will be eaten while raw, what airborn or surface germs they come in contact with~very few if you are doing it right~is just inconsequential. No need to be icing them at all, IMO.

 

[baymule]

Somebody?

 

[baymule]

It was a friend of my neighbor (the one who helps me) who had never shot pig. My neighbor gave him the gun and encouraged him to try. I wasn't out there when it happened or I would have shot them both instead!

I don't blame you! I would've been mad too! They can go use their own damn pig for target practice.

 

[baymule]

Bee, I would LOVE to see pictures of your skinning operation. Please tag me if you post them. I used to do all the slaughtering by myself. I was off Saturday-Sunday, DH was off Sunday-Monday. So I did slaughtering on Saturdays. All he ever knew was chicken magically appeared. Bless him, he wants to help, there are limits to what he can and will do, but I'll sure take his help. He is good at pickin' chicken! We'll be slaughtering old layers this fall, I always skin them. Pics of your skinning tree would be awesome.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I do believe the odor does get sucked up into the nasal passages.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Can you tell me what your ratio of "chicken bits"/broth/rice is?

 

[baymule]

Carson and Trip will eat a few rounds of guts, Paris is politely disinterested. Parker was our gut eating champion. Just days before he died last summer, we butchered chickens and he ate beyond his fill. We were glad that he got that slaughter day meal to enjoy.

I am tired this morning! Just that drained, jello for muscles kind of feeling. Got to go to Tyler today, run errands, it will be a day of rest, LOL.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's awesome!

 

[baymule]

I like your gutting technique! I've been cutting from the end of the breast bone to the rectum, cutting around the rectum, then reaching up in the body cavity and dragging the guts out. I'll try this when I slaughter old layers this fall. Do you leave the head on when you clamp the chicken in the vise? Do you preskin the neck then clamp down on it? I'll be skinning old layers and this looks interesting.

 

[baymule]

Bee, on your hose nozzle, there should be a "jet" stream. I put that up against the rectum and gently fill the rectum with water, then push down to empty the water. Any poop in that stretch of intestines will flush out, then I don't contaminate the meat should an OOPS occur. But on bigger animals, I do cut around the rectum and tie it off with a piece of string from a feed bag.

I really like your cleaning system. I love your skid table. You have an ingenious way of adapting things no one would ever think of, to suit your needs. Do you ever scald and pluck?

Thank you for posting the pictures and the method that you use. I think I have a pretty good system, but then along comes Bee, and I like a lot of yours even better.