COVID-19 - Coronavirus 2019-nCoV

[MOPanfisher]

Just now, Al Agnew said:

We used to raise them for the eggs.  Not so bad if you can let them out to roam around all day, until the coyotes discover them and start picking them off.  Butchering chickens is no fun at all, though...been there, done that.

 

Yep, foxes used to be bad,  but cats and dogs killed a LOT.  Partly why a chicken killing dog is still a dead dog.  LOTS of memories butchering chickens, I was one who enjoyed it because as the chicken caretaker, every one that got butchered was one more I didn't have to take care of.  I was really good at catching them, got pretry good at head chopping, never tried to be good at plucking them but can still turn a whole chicken into frying pieces in just a few minutes.  Mom and grandma didn't have no time to waste on slow learning kids.  And unusual for some we always had fried chicken for super on kill days, later dad built a grill out of some old truck rims and we would begin butchering them as soon as they got big enough that one spit in half was just right to eat.  Dang just thinking about it brings back the smell of wet chicken feathers!

[snagged in outlet 3]

My grandparents had a nursery and garden shop and my mom raised, butchered and sold chickens on the road side before lambert STL airport was there as a kid.  Side job.  

[Mitch f]

18 minutes ago, Al Agnew said:

We have nieces who have little kids, and they are having to hire college age baby-sitters, which is fine except how far can you trust college age kids to not do stupid stuff occasionally and expose themselves?

Hey mommy, guess what we learned today? 😂

[Al Agnew]

16 minutes ago, MOPanfisher said:

Yep, foxes used to be bad,  but cats and dogs killed a LOT.  Partly why a chicken killing dog is still a dead dog.  LOTS of memories butchering chickens, I was one who enjoyed it because as the chicken caretaker, every one that got butchered was one more I didn't have to take care of.  I was really good at catching them, got pretry good at head chopping, never tried to be good at plucking them but can still turn a whole chicken into frying pieces in just a few minutes.  Mom and grandma didn't have no time to waste on slow learning kids.  And unusual for some we always had fried chicken for super on kill days, later dad built a grill out of some old truck rims and we would begin butchering them as soon as they got big enough that one spit in half was just right to eat.  Dang just thinking about it brings back the smell of wet chicken feathers!

When we did it (only a couple times but 100 plus chickens at a time), we had a chicken plucking machine, which really saved on THAT labor.  As for head chopping, found an article on building a confining device.  Big plastic funnel attached to the bottom of a bucket slightly bigger than a chicken's body, the bucket's bottom removed.  You grabbed the chicken by the feet and shoved it down into the hanging bucket head down, and it automatically stuck its head out of the funnel to see what was going on.  You grabbed the head with one hand and whacked it off with a sharp knife.  Chicken didn't flop around  because it was squeezed by the bucket, and the blood dripped straight down into another bucket.  That was my job, and it may have been the easiest job in the whole butchering process...catching the chicken was the hardest part of it.

 

[jdmidwest]

8 minutes ago, Mitch f said:

Hey mommy, guess what we learned today? 😂

Tattoos or the latest facebook challenge........

[MOPanfisher]

11 minutes ago, Al Agnew said:

When we did it (only a couple times but 100 plus chickens at a time), we had a chicken plucking machine, which really saved on THAT labor.  As for head chopping, found an article on building a confining device.  Big plastic funnel attached to the bottom of a bucket slightly bigger than a chicken's body, the bucket's bottom removed.  You grabbed the chicken by the feet and shoved it down into the hanging bucket head down, and it automatically stuck its head out of the funnel to see what was going on.  You grabbed the head with one hand and whacked it off with a sharp knife.  Chicken didn't flop around  because it was squeezed by the bucket, and the blood dripped straight down into another bucket.  That was my job, and it may have been the easiest job in the whole butchering process...catching the chicken was the hardest part of it.

 

Dang, where was you with that I formation when I was a kid!..  I caught them with a 3 foot piece if wire with a hook to grab their feet with.  Head chopping wasn't bad, after dad and I holdING hem uside down for a minute they was pretry calm, and would stretch their little heads out on a block of wood.  Still have my favorite head removing hatchet, saw it today in th shed.  I won't lie and say I never laughed at them jumping around with their heads chopped off, sisters screaming and running away etc.  I think we MAY have done close to 100 one day, but mostly like 48 or so at a time, otherwise we ran out of bu keys and pots etc to soak them in while processing, and I think Dad would get tired of it, don't know if we could ever outlast grandma.

[jdmidwest]

8 minutes ago, Al Agnew said:

When we did it (only a couple times but 100 plus chickens at a time), we had a chicken plucking machine, which really saved on THAT labor.  As for head chopping, found an article on building a confining device.  Big plastic funnel attached to the bottom of a bucket slightly bigger than a chicken's body, the bucket's bottom removed.  You grabbed the chicken by the feet and shoved it down into the hanging bucket head down, and it automatically stuck its head out of the funnel to see what was going on.  You grabbed the head with one hand and whacked it off with a sharp knife.  Chicken didn't flop around  because it was squeezed by the bucket, and the blood dripped straight down into another bucket.  That was my job, and it may have been the easiest job in the whole butchering process...catching the chicken was the hardest part of it.

 

Before or after the head came off??

My job was catching the headless chicken going down the hill and taking it to the scalding vat.  I got bloody and a whiff of the stinking last chicken I delivered.

I graduated to head chopper later.  Made a mislick with the axe and cut across the eyes.  I still see that one clearly in my mind.

[fishinwrench]

36 minutes ago, jdmidwest said:

You are going to need a bigger shop. 

Still drinking that funky Crown Royal?

Naw, the only Crown we have is Sugarbritches peach crap, which is ok if you're into "flavored" whiskey.   I've become fond of JB Devil's Cut for sippin' whiskey.... It started out cheap but is now up to 27.00 a fifth.  Whiskey season is about over for me though.  I switch to tequila and beer for the warmer months.

[wily]

We let em loose in the backyard and try to shoot em in the head with a pellet gun...that’s the funnest part.  They can dip and dive with that head.

But I hate butchering chickens...we boil water in turkey fryer and pluck the feathers...you get about an inch of feathers stuck to your fingers and thumb...what a mess

 

 

[N9BOW]

1 hour ago, MOPanfisher said:

We go through a lot of eggs too.  One of the things mom can and will eat for breakfast, so at least gets some protein. Get them locally good dark yellow/orange ones from chickens out earing bugs and such, even have a rooster, so says the bullseye in them. 

I hear ya..My mom loves a rooster bullet too.

a fried egg in her Heart Healthy Butter (Smart Balance) she eats like a bird so it makes me feel good to see her enjoy her breakfast... Between an egg or her Smuckers PB&J uncrustables I can get her to eat that.

If you are having trouble getting protein intake for your Mom, try Ensure or Boost or If you need real high protein try Premier.