NH Homesteader's journal

[frustratedearthmother]

Wow, I can't imagine doing 44 in one day. That's a lot of work! But, he did bring in some extra cash and you have less mouths to feed. Yep - not a horrible day at all!

 

[Mini Horses]

So -- the friends DID stay & help with all those 44, right??
I would ALWAYS do mine first....then if anyone left, take their live birds with them. I'd need more than $100 to clean it up and be sure propane full, no equipment broken....It's income but, not without possible issues. I'd do it! You should have a little contract, in case.

I'm not sure what it is that's so crappy about butchering chickens - but it just is, lol! I've never done it where I didn't end up covered with blood and guts and nasty chicken feather water.... It's just a PIA

Looks like you answered your own self! Blood, guts & feathers everywhere!!! Not a good time. Worse when it isn't even cold outside....all the flies, heat, sweat. Yep, nasty.

At that moment, being a vegetarian sounds pretty good. Then, we bite into a crispy baked bird and it's on!!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I don't even love chicken. I love pork!

We always do our birds first. We had to do 2 at the end because we had to catch them but yes, they stayed to do them. Then next month we have to do 19 meat birds and they have 3 turkeys (they had more than us this time), and they'll help us then also. They're not always good about staying to clean up, but they dumped the guts for us and DH only had to wash down and bleach the equipment by himself. It wasn't a bad day at all.

 

[baymule]

I am wondering if I want to order Cornish cross next year to process. I've just used old hens or roosters for meat. I have to admit that I miss the breast meat. Any input?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I do love those big ol' breasts!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I have a love/hate relationship with them. I hate genetically modified animals (and anything else), I hate that they're an unhealthy creature and they are dumber, lazier and smellier than regular chickens. But I LOVE the breast meat!

If you raise them the way conventional people do, they're kind of gross. But... You can raise them in a chicken tractor or free range them and feed them less and make them forage- and they're not so bad. Try some out if you're curious. They're also easier to pluck!

We have done batches of up to 100 at a time. This year we did 20. Next year we might still do 10 or 15 (my parents love them too) as we'll have more heritage birds.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I feel the same....we've raised 'em before and never confine them once they're past brooder age. They have to hustle just like the rest of the birds around here. I've never done 100....most we've raised was 30 I think. I haven't done any in several years, but I'm thinking about doing some more in the spring. Unless! Unless, I decide to get a Cornish roo and try my own cross. I know ya can't quite create "the" cross, but it'd be fun to fool around with it.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Doing 100 was AWFUL! I don't mind 25 or so at a time but more than that is annoying. We have our cornish roo to try some fun combinations. Also a cornish hen so we'll see what combination of male/female produces. I'll have to make a thread when the time comes, might be fun to share. The mixes we are doing will be all combinations of cornish, dominique, dorking and white orpington. Should be fun to document!

I'm not feeling so hot this morning. I don't think I drank enough water yesterday. Woke up at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep, ugh. I have to make some applesauce and do some laundry, other than that I'll be taking it easy today I think. And drinking plenty of water.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't think I drank enough water yesterday.

Me either - had terrible leg cramps last night...wonder if that was why?

I can't wait to see what kind of Cornish cross you come up with. I'll be at least a season behind you if I go ahead and get some in the spring. You got Dark Cornish? I would bet that Cornish and Dorking would be a nice cross.

Didn't ya'll process some Dorking cockerels yesterday? How did they look?

Hope you feel better!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yes dark cornish. We are most excited about that particular cross!

Dorkings look decent. Could have used a little more time maybe, they're a bit small. We'll be hatching early in the spring for sure. I am tempted to order dorkings and cornishes in the spring to add in but I'm not doing it!

I have 3 cull hens to make soup out of. I'm going to put them in the freezer for now and try to can them when my mom gets home from Florida, she has a pressure canner and I don't! Then the 4 cockerels will go in the freezer tonight and I cooked 2 cull hens for the dogs. I'll pull the meat off today and freeze meat and broth to go over rice for when I feel like spoiling them! Lol