Cornish Cross Spring 2019

[CrealCritter]

I mentioned that in my email, but they chose to reimburse me for the original 17. I got an email from TSC asking about my "experience". I will answer that after I slaughter any survivors and lower the boom. I will write them a scathing review-politely. I kinda have this way with words....


We are about 1 1/2 hours from a place that raises CCX on pasture and sells the meat. They also sell chicks. I wanted to order from them and go pick them up, but they were sold out until May. I didn't want to get such a late start, but heck-fire, I would have been a LOT better off waiting and buying from them.

TSC--NEVER AGAIN!

Bay, I thought you might like to know... My 3rd oldest son drove large USPS mail truck in between Saint Louis distribution center and down state southern IL town post offices for almost 2 years. He did mention to me that USPS does take special care in carefully handling of live fowl but its against regulations to have them in the cab of the truck with the driver. My son did say he always made sure live fowl was the last on the truck and the first off the truck.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Looks good and should function well for ya! I'm not sayin' nothing about how long they were in the brooder, lol. I know "somebody" who once had them in there til' their heads were just about brushing the top...stuff gets away from ya. We know all about how surgeries will slow ya down and flip your "to do" list upside down!

Congrats!

 

[baymule]

Thanks FEM. I feel like I’m just running around putting out fires. I hadn’t even finished feeding this evening and a friend came over to cut two trees we said he could have for firewood. I put the log chunks in the tractor bucket and dumped them in his trailer. The sheep are enjoying the tops now. Came in at 8:00, took shower and I’m done.

And I had 17 EE chicks in a box in a bedroom...... in the pictures of the CCX tractor you can see an A frame small coop. It is now in the backyard and the 17 chicks are in it.

I feel accomplished today.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Good that you can work together on this project. It makes it go so much faster. I do it alone, and am
SO, SO S-L-O-W!

 

[Beekissed]

Good that you can work together on this project. It makes it go so much faster. I do it alone, and am
SO, SO S-L-O-W!

I do it alone too, LG, so I feel ya....but I don't worry too much about speed of processing. Slow and steady usually gets more done ~and done well ~than faster folk.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

And, again... one who is far removed from the food chain has not an inkling of a clue how many hours went into the lovely BBQ chicken that you produce!

 

[Mini Horses]

I have to do it alone when butchering. No one wants any part of that portion of "farm to table" Because of that lone worker situation, skinning is where I am going. Rarely eat any fried anyway. A few will be left whole to bake....maybe. I dislike plucking.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, while the bird is hanging/ laying with skin & feathers pulled down over his ankles, I would think a sharp pair of kitchen scissors (small pruners?) would cut the rib cage at the backbone with reasonable care.... I would suspect that anyway. Then it would be laid open?

Beekissed will clear us up!

I'm for fast & easy.

Bee, I agree about the butchering of years past. But, I have a large cooler & I throw a bag of ice in it. Then the carcasses. It makes me feel OK if I want to take a break, get slow, etc. Plus helps with the flies. Makes it easier to move them from the barn side porch where doing and to the house, also. It has wheels. As much convenience as all else.

Grandad would butcher a chicken, grandma would wash it up in cold well water, then lay it on a platter with a flour sack towel over it until she cooked a couple hrs later. I'm still alive! They were into their 90s before passing.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/How_Temperatures_Affect_Food.pdf

Condensed version:
The “Danger Zone” (40 °F-140 °F)
Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 ° and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the “Danger Zone.” That’s why the Meat and Poultry Hotline advises consumers to never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour.

Ice is cheap.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hmmmm….I might or might not have said something like that! Idon't tolerate no crap when butchering. I had promised that pig a quick death and it didn't happen. Might sound crazy - but I cried a few tears for that pig.