Slaughtering meat chickens ???

[lorihadams]

We skin ours too....we have some requests for whole birds this year so it looks like we're gonna have to deal with it.

If you have an extra refridgerator that helps a lot. If not, clean out the fridge the night before and make lots of room for the meat to age. We only did about 6 at a time. We hung all ours on a pole over the fire pit and cut the heads off at the same time. I have a pic somewhere.....

found it! We hung them on a piece of metal conduit and zip tied their feet together above the rod so they would hang....this is pre-slaughter.

 

[me&thegals]

We have skinned and plucked. Skinned is faster for us, and the skinned birds are amazingly juicy and tender, even when roasted in an open oven! But, the classic vision of a roasted chicken includes a skin, so if you're selling....

Pat and others, can you tell me more about aging. We got 150 meat chicks today, so 8 weeks from now.... We did 100 last year, and they were great, but I'm always looking for ways to improve the process.

Also, at the risk of hijacking, does anybody have a great way for packaging? We used gallon-sized freezer bags last year, but I'd rather have a tight packaging method (like vacuum style) without breaking the bank. Any suggestions?

 

[Wildsky]

We have skinned and plucked. Skinned is faster for us, and the skinned birds are amazingly juicy and tender, even when roasted in an open oven! But, the classic vision of a roasted chicken includes a skin, so if you're selling....

Pat and others, can you tell me more about aging. We got 150 meat chicks today, so 8 weeks from now.... We did 100 last year, and they were great, but I'm always looking for ways to improve the process.

Also, at the risk of hijacking, does anybody have a great way for packaging? We used gallon-sized freezer bags last year, but I'd rather have a tight packaging method (like vacuum style) without breaking the bank. Any suggestions?

You can get most of the air out the bag, by putting the bag with the chicken in it into a large sinkful of water, the water will press the sides of the bag inwards, you can then close it up - don't get water in the bag...

 

[me&thegals]

We have skinned and plucked. Skinned is faster for us, and the skinned birds are amazingly juicy and tender, even when roasted in an open oven! But, the classic vision of a roasted chicken includes a skin, so if you're selling....

Pat and others, can you tell me more about aging. We got 150 meat chicks today, so 8 weeks from now.... We did 100 last year, and they were great, but I'm always looking for ways to improve the process.

Also, at the risk of hijacking, does anybody have a great way for packaging? We used gallon-sized freezer bags last year, but I'd rather have a tight packaging method (like vacuum style) without breaking the bank. Any suggestions?

You can get most of the air out the bag, by putting the bag with the chicken in it into a large sinkful of water, the water will press the sides of the bag inwards, you can then close it up - don't get water in the bag...

Thanks! Has anyone tried a vacuuming system or other tight packing method?

 

[BarredBuff]

Speaking of meat chickens my Dommer Roo is gonna be fried up SOON. I picked him up and showed him to a relative and when I sat him down him did the neck featherfly out and started to come on to me. Sorry for the hijack!!!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Thanks! Has anyone tried a vacuuming system or other tight packing method?

I have used a couple of different ones.

They are a bit tedious for me if I'm only doing a few items. Honestly I don't use it much.

When doing big batches it does make more sense.

I do like it if I have a big bag of salad greens. It stays amazingly fresh when vacuum sealed. I also use it often for cheese in blocks in the fridge.

It's best for me when I can take out a bit and reseal the same bag many times. I make bags for cheese extra long for that reason. I also don't buy the premade bags but usually the generic roll and made my own. However ... There is one generic brand that is NOT compatible with most brands.

I also wash and reuse the bags. You're not supposed to, especially with meat. So ... I usually make the bags long (cuz you have to cut them down a bit each time you reseal them) and use them several times before I put meat in them.

I also can't clean them after tomato based foods but ... One of the most convenient uses when you have kids is to put a portion of spaghetti and sauce in a small bag and seal it. You pop it into boiling water to heat, cut it open, pour it in a bowl and you have dinner. Lots of similar meals work as well.

You do have to watch bones as they can pierce the bags. And I only ever saw them so big, so I've never used them for anything like a whole chicken or ham or turkey.

 

[me&thegals]

Shiloh Acres--Thanks! Do you mind giving me details, like the name brand of the bags or the machine that vacuum seals them? We have 150 birds to be processed in October, so a good system would be worth a bit of $, especially if they can store longer without being freezer burned...

 

[Shiloh Acres]

You're very welcome.

My first one was a Food Saver brand. Worked great for years. The heat bar went out in it but the vacuum part still worked.

My current one is George Foreman brand. Got it cheap at Thursday Morning. It's a nicer, bigger one than my first one.

I like Food Saver brand and Wal-Mart's Great Value bag rolls. It was Black and Decker (my mistake, not generic really) that doesn't work. Unless I'm just not as smart as the bag and can't figure it out. It has a flap inside the bag that causes it not to seal properly. Maybe I got a defective box? Whatever the cause, I just canNOT get it to work and I tried with both those machines. It says on the box it works with most major brands.

If you're planning to do chickens, I think you'll probably need to cut them up. And if you're going to do a lot, make sure you check the machine and keep any liquid wiped out.

 

[me&thegals]

Thank you!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

You're quite welcome! Good luck processing all those chickens, and enjoy the fruits of your labors!