Butchering Day

[ducks4you]

Sparkles, you should go over the Backyard Chickens. I spent a good year there and there are numerous stickeys by meat bird people that really help. I've also researched online. There is one site written by a large man who convinced me that your whole hand can fit inside of an average chicken's body cavity. I have perfected gutting my chicken carcasses, and consider it bragging rights that I can remove all of it without breakage INCLUDING removing the gall bladder with the liver intact!
Really, once you de-head the bird, it becomes a piece of meat. For anybody here who hasten eaten farm raised, fresh chicken, the taste is incredible and not at all like the "tastes like chicken" jokes.

 

[grow_my_own]

We raise and process our own chickens, and I wouldn't have it any other way! We have been doing dual-purpose birds, but I want more breast meat, so we are going to try red broilers this year.

 

[peteyfoozer]

WE did our first meaties last summer. I have 33 this time, playing in the yard. They don't get a lot of commercial feed as they run around and eat grass, weeds and bug hunt in my garden for me. THey are not nearly as destructive as laying hens. They are gaining nicely, none are having the problems often mentioned like leg, or heart issues. My LGD's keep them safe from hawks and owls and they live outside full time so no stinky coop! The only problem is they come charging across the yard when they see me. It looks like a herd of little dinosaurs!


Mr Potamus chicken sitting...

chasing my neighbor to the house....

We bought a turkey fryer for scalding and are putting the plucker together so we can process our own this year. We only did a few DP's last year and took the meaties into town. Hopefully we will get good at it!