Needing some encouragement - butchering chickens this weekend

[ohiofarmgirl]

ok Tanks - you might need therapy - HA! just kidding...love the dream! who else but us dreams about home butchery! whooot!

Free - you'll be just fine. and i think wet feathers are pretty darn stinky too. we'll help you pray for courage.

java - i had to go and get a new goat-puccino.. honestly that cracks me up every single time! i dont know why its so funny..other than i'm wildly immature. that reminds me - i gotta go ask The Big Man to pull my finger... i'll be right back..... *runs off yelling "hey honey!...


.....* comes back...*

ok he didnt fall for it.

anyway

HFR has a great point - you dont have to do it all in one day. i think we did our 12 over a couple days. if you start getting tired or stressed you'll just have a bad time or get hurt.

and...btw...

WELCOME hobby farm rookie!

 

[freemotion]

If you are plucking by hand 10 at one time may be alot. Hand plucking can take a while to do it right. I just processed 3 big girls 8 pounds a piece in the paper. Good luck.

I would be working with my dad, and we may not do all of them in one day. Probably not. What did you mean by "in the paper?" Dressed weight?

And

 

[freemotion]

OFG, we all know that you don't need TBM to pull your finger for you to cut the cheese!

I'm pretty immature, too. Makes life more fun.

 

[Javamama]

OFG, now you are gonna think about it every time you butcher

Tanks, my analysis is you dislike your MIL and want to give her a reason to start something. And you hang out here too much

 

[journey11]

I thought of something else...

We found it was quicker plucking if you tie the scalded bird up by the legs from a tree branch or something. My husband used a piece of thick wire. Then you have BOTH hands free to pluck faster!

(And you'll get faster at all of it as you go, each time it gets a little easier!)

 

[urban dreamer]

I have never butchered a chicken but if the killing part is hard for you try this:

When I was in A&P we had to disect cats. I couldn't stand the thought of skinning the cats so I brought an old sock and covered it's head. After that it wasn't a problem for me. I couldn't see it's face and after the fur was off it was like any other skinned animal. So mabey covering it's head will help? After the feathers are gone I imagine it would be hard to look at it other than as chicken (food).

Oh and Good Luck!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

OFG, we all know that you don't need TBM to pull your finger for you to cut the cheese!

I'm pretty immature, too. Makes life more fun.

ohmigosh i walked RIGHT into that one! baaaaaad!

ha! java - you bet!

one of the hens ran off with one of the um... er... nads....this last time. we laughed so hard. eeeeewwwweeeeuuuuuu!!!!

and yep UD - it goes from "someone you know" to "just meat like you get from the store" really quickly.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Don't know if I already said this, but we just did 5 cockerels, and three ducks. For three people and a chicken plucker, it took us three hours. We would have been done sooner, but the ducks' feathers were not cooperating, and they took a long time to pluck. And we are experienced at butchering animals.

 

[curly_kate]

Thank you for so much good advice. Sounds like my idea for the "cue cards" is not such a bad idea after all! DH was out gathering the materials for the killing cones & other stuff. I think I will need to find a way to rig up something to hang them from when doing the plucking. And I like the idea of the sock over the head. This is sounding more and more like something we will be able to do!

 

[hobbyfarmrookie]

If you are plucking by hand 10 at one time may be alot. Hand plucking can take a while to do it right. I just processed 3 big girls 8 pounds a piece in the paper. Good luck.

I would be working with my dad, and we may not do all of them in one day. Probably not. What did you mean by "in the paper?" Dressed weight?

And

I wrap then in plastic cling wrap then in frezer paper.