Tomorrow is the day

[MontyJ]

Five of the roosters from CX group one weigh an average of 7 pounds. I'm hoping for 5 1/2 pound fryers once processed. The rest of the CX will have a little more room in the coop tomorrow night. I'm going to let all five rest in the fridge for 24 hours then four will go to the freezer. One will be the guest of honor at my birthday party on Sunday. I'll probably have 40-50 people here so the bird will be for those lucky few that always show up early. They have learned over the years that some really good stuff gets cooked on the grills while the smokers are doing their thing.

Don't worry, I won't post pics of the processing. But I can't promise that there won't be a few BBQ shots

I'm thinking grilled bourbon-bacon bites from the breast, and just grilling the rest of the pieces.

 

[baymule]

Can I come to the Bar-B-Que?

Congrats on growing the CX to this point. It is a good feeling knowing that you grew them yourself, you know how they were cared for and what they ate. The butcher part......well, that's not the fun part, but it's just part of the process.

Happy Birthday!! Are you OLD yet??

 

[MontyJ]

Can I come to the Bar-B-Que?

Congrats on growing the CX to this point. It is a good feeling knowing that you grew them yourself, you know how they were cared for and what they ate. The butcher part......well, that's not the fun part, but it's just part of the process.

Happy Birthday!! Are you OLD yet??

Everybody is welcome to my BBQ! Am I old yet? DW calls me a seat cusion. She says it's more polite than calling me an old fart :/

ETA: Interestingly, the forum changes the word used for the passing of gas to "wind". I know it's a four letter F word, but really?

 

[baymule]

Can I come to the Bar-B-Que?

Congrats on growing the CX to this point. It is a good feeling knowing that you grew them yourself, you know how they were cared for and what they ate. The butcher part......well, that's not the fun part, but it's just part of the process.

Happy Birthday!! Are you OLD yet??

Everybody is welcome to my BBQ! Am I old yet? DW calls me a seat cusion. She says it's more polite than calling me an old fart :/

ETA: Interestingly, the forum changes the word used for the passing of gas to "wind". I know it's a four letter F word, but really?

snort you old WIND bag!

 

[bj taylor]

monty, I hope you have a fabulous birthday!
I also wish I was as matter of fact about the processing as you are. I for one, wouldn't mind if you posted processing pics. I try to glean as much as I can from such. my day is coming & I dread it

 

[Jared77]

Did you do the cornish game hen sized CX? Wondering how those turned out. Did they have the percentage of meat to bone that you'd expect on a game hen?

Happy birthday by the way

 

[HotPepperQueen]

Happy Birthday! My first time butchering CX was very slow but once I got the hang of it, it went just fine. I have 89 CX to butcher next weekend. Hopefully most of the snow melts by then so I can do the dirty parts outside and keep the mess out of my garage.

Here is the most helpful link I have ever read-

How to Process a Chicken

 

[vfem]

I create a brine for mine while they rest.

I heat a pot of water with salt, garlic powder and pepper. Let that cool. Then add it to a cooler with an extra pot of water and 5-10lbs of ice. I through the carcasses into the cooler and cover to let rest overnight. I then pull them out and bag them. Then into the fridge for another day. Then if I want to eat 1 we do, the rest go into the freezer. Always so tender!!!

 

[MontyJ]

Thanks for the well wishes folks! My birthday isn't until Tuesday, but I hate partying on a week day!

The 5 CX are processed and chilling out in my big cooler with 20 pounds of ice and water. Everything went great. I did all 5 in about an hour and forty-five minutes. DW was good to her word and did not kill, pluck or gut any birds, but she did keep the scald water at 150 for me She couldn't watch the killing or gutting, but she did watch the plucking, so there is hope for her yet

Did you do the cornish game hen sized CX? Wondering how those turned out. Did they have the percentage of meat to bone that you'd expect on a game hen?

Happy birthday by the way

I didn't get to do any game bird size. When they were the right size, I had put them on antibiotics for a few days and by the time I decided to pull them off of it, and the 4 days to clear it out, they were too big. I discovered that the window for game birds is very small! They start out slow, but once they hit 1-1/2 pounds or so, it's off to the races. The roosters I butchered today would have been 7 weeks old tomorrow and all weighed right around 7 pounds. I weighed one after processing it and it weighed 5-1/2 pounds + liver, heart and neck. I'll weigh them all when I bring them in after chilling in the ice water, but I can tell they all are pretty much the same.

I though about brinning these like you do Vfem, but since they are going to be fryers or BBQ, I decided not to bother.

BJ, there's really nothing to it. I think the worst part for a lot of people is getting past the taking of a life. Being a hunter, and having raised and butchered pigs, I don't have that problem. I knew this day was coming when I brought the chicks home. Maybe I can give you some advice that may help. First, don't get attached to them. Raise them for what they are, meat birds. Their goal in life is to end up on your dinner table. When the time comes, don't dwell on it. Turn that little emotional chip off if you can. I know it's hard, but you CAN do it. When you put the bird in the cone, or on the block, don't hesitate. Use that knife or swing that hatchet immediately. If you struggle and hesitate, your only hurting yourself and the bird. Don't think about taking a life; instead, sing a little song, look at the clouds, do anything to occupy your mind as the bird bleeds out. It will be over very quickly. Once the bird is dead and scalded, it gets easier. Once it's plucked, it's just another cooking chicken.

Trust me, it's normal to feel a little pang of hurt or guilt. You have a problem when you don't feel that anymore. You should begin to worry when taking a life no longer means anything to you. That is when you have begun to lose your humanity.

BJ, you can do this.

 

[Carol Dee]

OMG Sorry I laughed! But .... Happy Birthday you old Wind Bag.
(O.k. so now I bet I am NOT invited to the party!)
Hope you all have a really fun day.