Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:26 pm (GMT 0)
Hi KK, last year was the first time I raised chickens for the freezer. (I do not use my old egg laying chickens as meat birds). I raised them specifically for the meat, they do not live long enough to lay eggs. they are ready to butcher at about 6 weeks of age. Egg laying chickens take 4-6 months to start laying eggs. Thats a lot of grain verses the 6 weeks for the broiler chicks. So it depends on what the purpose of the chickens is, as to what kind you are going to start with. Not all egg layers are nice and meaty like the broilers are.
When they are mature the easiest thing to do is use 2 nails set in a log or heavy plank at least 18" long, just wide enough for the neck to slide through the top, and then gently pull the chickens so the head is caught in front of the nails stretching the neck. Using a SHARP hatchet swing down and through the neck, severing it in one clean swing. Do NOT let go of the bird at this point. You need to hang it by its feet or slide it into a cone to keep it from flopping all over and bruising up the meat. Then you pluck it, then you clean the entrails out, carefully so as to not break the bile duct. Then you pack them in ice for a couple of days so the meat ages a little bit. this makes the meat tenderer. If you use it right away the muscles aren't relaxed, they are tough.
It takes me 1/2 hour just to pluck the bird.... obviously I still need a little practice to speed up the process. it is a bit of work, which I don't mind, but the meat was the best I have eaten.
OR you give the birds away or sell them and let someone else do the work. Or you could pay someone to do this for you.
10x15 seems kind of small for 10 birds. I have about 60 chickens in a pen that is 100'x60' (approximately) plus their coop which is 12x12.
My broilers do not go in this space. I keep them outside in the grass, fenced in and with a cover for them. And I move them to clean grass everyday. Broilers are very messy birds.
There are video tutorials on-line to see the process, too. Hope this helps.
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