| User | Post |
|
3:22 pm
March 11, 2009
|
Suzanne
| | Stringtown Rising Farm/Walton, WV | |
| Admin
| posts 4809 |
|
|
I'm opening a topic specifically for questions/discussion about butchering/slaughtering. All farm-related topics are welcome on the forum, but this is a topic that some people aren't comfortable with, so I'd like to have a clearly marked topic for those who want to avoid it.
Carry on. 
|
|
|
|
|
3:50 pm
March 11, 2009
|
beeyourself
| | |
| Guest
| |
|
|
epona4 said:
Georgia,
I would be grateful if I could see your photos! I would really like to find someone who knows how to do this and work with them a couple times before I fly solo. I think my biggest concern is if I can do it quick and as painless as possible.
GeorgiaZ said:
Look at photobucket my sign in is georgiazamora and the password is georgia1
Look at butcher day. We tried the pithing thing but just didnt work for us. So it was the chopping of the heads, fast and easy, as long as you hold on tight to those feet and hold it down in the trash can until it stops kicking. Sounds bad, but just dont think about what youre doing and it gets easier every time. It took us about 4 hours from start to finish to do 9 hens. but we were just learning and know it will go a lot faster this time.
|
|
|
3:53 pm
March 11, 2009
|
beeyourself
| | |
| Guest
| |
|
|
epona4 said:
The plan is to keep the hens and send most of the roos to freezer camp. Which will be difficult because neither of us has ever butchered anything before. But I feel strongly that if I am able to raise my own meat, then I should. I'd like to be able to do this with most of our meat. I'd like to know that my food was raised right and treated well. But I also know that I have limitations and I might not be strong enough to do it. But I gotta try!
CindyP said:
and you're working on the garden debate, too!!! hehehe!!
I found a great tutorial online for my brother for butchering/skinning chickens in one process….if you want to take a look. He found it very helpful and that's the only reason he continues to have meat chickens………the other way was just getting to be too much for him.
CTR is definately the highlight of my morning, too! I live in the city, but because of this forum, I found I can have chickens, and my garden is expanding, we are living healthier by cooking from scratch (even the high sugar content is healthier than take-out!).
|
|
|
4:47 pm
March 11, 2009
|
GeorgiaZ
| | |
| Guest
| |
|
|
So sorry!!! I was not thinking at all!!! I humbly apologize! We had discussed this a few months back in much more detail than this so I was not thinking to curb it. That said…
Thanks for this thread!!!
Since so many of us are trying to go more self sufficient and do our own thing, and it is the way of life on the farm, even tho I dont have a farm. And now that we have this thread, ask away! Ill tell you all I know from my experience of it. But I only do chickens!
|
|
|
5:03 pm
March 11, 2009
|
beeyourself
| | |
| Guest
| |
|
|
It's cool Georgia!  We needed this topic…and those that don't want to experience the blood and gore – don't have to read it! (I hunt, so it doesn't bother me, but I respect those that get queasy over it too.)
|
|
|
7:57 pm
March 11, 2009
|
Birdi
| | Western Maine | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 234 |
|
|
Hubby and I home process our own turkeys. Last year we did 12 in a 2 day weekend. It was a little harder handling them at first just because of the size of them…they weighed in around 25-30 lbs each. The process is fairly easy. I am a document person and I had a ton of pictures taken of all aspects, by my son who did not really want to be involved. I made him photographer. I will share with anyone who is intersted. I had 10 years commercial poulty plant experience in WV and although this was quite different…some practices helped us greatly. Who'da thunk I would've ever used that knowledge again.
I have my own little ritual…I thank each animal for its sacrifice to my family. It is very important to us that we know where our food lives. And this is just yet another part of that dream.
As far as the processing of the meat…we did some that were skinned (no de-feathering required) …which I cut up, cooked and canned. A few of the beauties were used as whole birds for roasting. I cut up a few in half, and one or 2 in meal packages. It all worked out very well. And very delicious.
Thanks for having the courage to talk about this difficult subject…or at least give it a thought. It isn't as gruesome as one would think. The value far outweighs the discomfort.
|
"simple pleasures make my heart smile"
|
|
|
11:22 pm
March 11, 2009
|
GeorgiaZ
| | |
| Guest
| |
|
|
Wow Birdi! That is a big job! Chickens are one thing but turkeys are huge! And heavy! I cant even imagine! My hens are probably a good 8 to 10 pounds now and that is big for a chicken! I cannot imagine holding a turkey thru that process!
|
|
|
12:33 am
March 12, 2009
|
Flatlander
| | |
| Moderator
| posts 648 |
|
|
This is something we would like to do, but the feathers….
Now somebody told me that the hutterites will do my chicken for 3 dollar and the turkeys for 6
You (wel Me in this story  ) will bring them alive and get them back bagged and all.
We don't have meat chickens or turkeys yet…but I thougt I dould trick myself by using the hutterites.
Have to become a bit more "farmer" before I can takkle the job myself.
|
|
|
8:37 am
March 12, 2009
|
epona4
| | |
| Big Chicken | posts 56 |
|
|
birdi,
I am on the same page as you! I haven't processed any animals yet, but I want to be able to thank them, both verbally and physically by giving them a good life and treating them with respect. I will never be a vegetarian, I know this. So for me, I would really like to be able to raise all of my own meat. (minus fish!) But, we are starting out slow. We only have 4.5 acres. So we're not ready for beef or pork yet.
ANYWAY, this year it's chickens and geese. The geese come in as goslings in April. We are hoping to have two breeding pair who will raise goslings for us next year. Depending on how things go with the chickens and geese, next spring we may add a few turkeys and some khaki campbell ducks.
I would be very interested in seeing what you've documented with your turkeys.
|
|
|
8:40 am
March 12, 2009
|
epona4
| | |
| Big Chicken | posts 56 |
|
|
Suzanne,
Thank you for opening this topic. I'm really sorry if it was offensive to anyone. It is a rough subject for many people.
|
|
|
8:53 am
March 12, 2009
|
Suzanne
| | Stringtown Rising Farm/Walton, WV | |
| Admin
| posts 4809 |
|
|
Not to worry! Nobody was super upset or anything. (I don't think.) It's a natural topic to come up, but if it comes up in other topics where people aren't expecting it, it may be jarring for people who are uncomfortable with the subject. I just wanted to have a clearly labelled topic. People know what they're getting into if they open this topic, LOL. Sometimes a discussion will develop in another topic that will end up in this direction, so when that happens, just bring the discussion over here. I pinned this topic under the Barn forum so it will always be easy to find. (And easy to avoid from the other perspective.)
|
|
|
|
|
9:46 am
March 12, 2009
|
generic
| | |
| Hatchling | posts 1 |
|
|
The chickens and turkeys that I've slaughtered were pretty easy, actually. We (my kids and I) built a wood fire outside under half a 55 gallon drum for hot water for scalding. The birds will hold still and even stretch their necks out if you hold them by their feet and lay them on a chopping block. I have an ancient video of my then 10 year old son doing this with me. Some people tie the legs so they can be hung upside down for the blood to drain. Some people just let them run around first (like a chicken with it's head cut off). Then just dunk them in the very hot water for a minute or so. This scalds them and loosens the feathers, which then come off in handfuls. The only thing left are the pin feathers (the tiny ones that are more like fuzz), which can be singed off with the fire. (Some people use a propane torch.) My son and his cousins still talk about the year we did turkeys and smoked them with a hickory wood fire in a smoker as being the Best Thanksgiving ever.
As far as being gruesome, Every animal we eat is slaghtered in some fashion, but when you do it yourself, at least you Know how it was done.
|
|
|
12:58 pm
March 12, 2009
|
Linda
| | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 458 |
|
|
I can remember as I was growing up my grandpa cleaned chickens. He had a cone made out of metal nailed to a tree. He would stick the chickens down in the cone pulling the head thru the small end and then chopping it off and leaving it to bleed out. He then scalded them in the cellar in a tub of very hot water and plucked them. I don't remember anything about pin feathers. Then my grandma would put them out on newspaper on the table and gut them and wash and freeze them. Before my time they had a bussiness of delivering frying chickens. I can remember one time when I was older and I helped clean a few. The smell of the inards got to me and there was no way I could eat that chicken when we cooked it that day. I remember eatting a bologna sandwich. So I don't know if I would be able to do it now or not.
|
|
|
1:08 pm
March 12, 2009
|
epona4
| | |
| Big Chicken | posts 56 |
|
|
I can remember one time when I was older and I helped clean a few. The smell of the inards got to me and there was no way I could eat that chicken when we cooked it that day. I remember eatting a bologna sandwich. So I don't know if I would be able to do it now or not.
Linda,
My mom grew up on a farm. She remembers my Grandma wringing the chickens necks and then haning them on the line. Growing up I alway knew that my mom would not eat chicken and I didn't know WHY until I was a teenager. I just figured she didn't like the taste. No. It was just bad memories.
|
|
|
1:28 pm
March 12, 2009
|
Linda
| | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 458 |
|
|
epona4
I like to eat chicken just don't know if I could eat ones that I had cleaned. There was just something about that smell mixed with the wet newspaper that just turned my stomach that day. I never tried it again. But growing up on a farm I was taught that you ate what you raised and they weren't to be pets and what animals you had had to earn their keep.
|
|
|
2:25 pm
March 12, 2009
|
beeyourself
| | |
| Guest
| |
|
|
We'd go over to my grandma's house for dinner…and she'd catch two chickens (one in each hand)…and wring their necks at the same time. Grandma was this short fiery little German lady…I'd give anything to have a video of her doing that!
I've said this before…grandma would use/eat almost every part of the chicken. She put the feet in her homemade noodles…and yes, I ask my mother to verify my memories…and she did!
|
|
|
2:49 pm
March 12, 2009
|
Heather
| | |
| Big Chicken | posts 23 |
|
|
 Butchering chickens is something I just started getting involved in because I couldn't find homes for all these stupid roosters running around my yard that were hurting and attacking my girls! I didn't want to have to butcher them but after I got that out of my mind, I was ok with the thought. My 6 year old daughter LOVES butchering time. She's weird but hey, at least maybe she won't have a fear of death like her mother! The 2nd time we butchered, my brother did it while my daughter held them. I still to this day, haven't watched the actual chopping of the head. My problem is with it's eyes watching me. After it's headless, I can do everything else. And the meat is YUMMY! Of course, my first course of action is to try and find them homes, but if I can't, we butcher and it keeps meat in my freezer! Oh yeah, and we don't name the roosters we know that could end up on the table.
|
Lovin' life in the country…even with an ornery goat that outsmarts me!
|
|
|
8:19 pm
March 12, 2009
|
Birdi
| | Western Maine | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 234 |
|
|
epona4…you can do it all with 4.5 acres…I am doing alot on just 4. My biggest challenge is that I can not grow enough hay thats needed. I purchase and barter from a farmer nearby.
generic…i use a wood fire and a drum for scalding the feathers. It makes it much easier for us. Only, I am really glad that I have a really tall hubby…I am only 4'9" and would have some trouble alone. The setup would have to be changed for sure.
|
"simple pleasures make my heart smile"
|
|
|
9:14 pm
March 12, 2009
|
WV_Hills
| | |
| Guest
| |
|
|
I wonder how a turkey fryer would work for scalding the chickens before plucking. The turkey fryer is designed to hold enough oil (or water) to cook a turkey, so a chicken should fit nicely even with the feathers. The thermostat should hold the correct temperature, and the propane tank hookup would mean I could have the hot water available in the yard where I want to do the processing without having to heat and carry water from the kitchen, or building a fire to heat a drum full of water. I'll probably want to skin most of the chickens just because it's easier than plucking, but I'd like the option to have a few whole chickens to roast.
What do you think of the turkey fryer idea?
|
|
|
11:41 pm
March 12, 2009
|
GeorgiaZ
| | |
| Guest
| |
|
|
Heather said:
Butchering chickens is something I just started getting involved in because I couldn't find homes for all these stupid roosters running around my yard that were hurting and attacking my girls! I didn't want to have to butcher them but after I got that out of my mind, I was ok with the thought. My 6 year old daughter LOVES butchering time. She's weird but hey, at least maybe she won't have a fear of death like her mother! The 2nd time we butchered, my brother did it while my daughter held them. I still to this day, haven't watched the actual chopping of the head. My problem is with it's eyes watching me. After it's headless, I can do everything else. And the meat is YUMMY! Of course, my first course of action is to try and find them homes, but if I can't, we butcher and it keeps meat in my freezer! Oh yeah, and we don't name the roosters we know that could end up on the table.
Your daughter is not weird! My sisters were 3 and 8 when we first started raising rabbits for our dinner. Daddy would announce butcher time and I ran in side to hide with mama. Gia and Gina could not wait to skin them and pull the guts out! They had to examine every little organ with a stick. Grooooosed me out totally. Im ok with it now, but I was such a girl!
|
|
Contact
Login 
Register 
Search 
Home
Print this Post 
