View Full Version : Farewell my ladies.......
BraggSurvivor
03-21-2008, 09:37 PM
....and thank you for your two years of hard service.
This morning we culled 18 of our two year old laying hens with intisipation of the arrival of 24 "new" girls next month.
My daughters and I got up at 6:30am (while still dark) and went into the hen house and picked out all the culls. We T post hung them and slit their throat with a sharp butcher's knife and let hang for two hours to cool down. Gave us enough time to start a fire, boil the water and have a cup of hot chocolate. Just before we dipped them in the scalding water, momma came out with a stack of flapcakes, hashbrowns, eggs and hot maple syrup. We quickly chowed down and went to work dipping, gutting and de-feathering. On a sheet of plywood wrapped in 6mm poly, we started carving,deboning and cleaning.
All in all it was a great day with the kids and the dogs feasted on pooled blood and boiled chicken heads
Here is a pic of the treats we enjoyed after all the hard work was done:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/Bructer/DSC00676.jpg
Ridge Wolf
03-21-2008, 09:46 PM
Oh.. I thought you were leaving.. so when is dinner? Mmmm good!! We used to watch them flop around the barnyard..
Those kids eat pooled chicken blood huh? and heads yet..
BraggSurvivor
03-21-2008, 10:00 PM
I use to chop over a stump but I found taking them out of the coop in the dark, hanging them by the feet with binder twine and slitting their throat works the best. They are quiet and calm, and with only two or three flaps of their wings, it is over. They are juicer and more tender (i believe) if done this way.
The dogs get the blood and heads. ;)
Ridge Wolf
03-21-2008, 10:06 PM
I use to chop over a stump but I found taking them out of the coop in the dark, hanging them by the feet with binder twine and slitting their throat works the best. They are quiet and calm, and with only two or three flaps of their wings, it is over. They are juicer and more tender (i believe) if done this way.
The dogs get the blood and heads. ;)
I have heard that they put ducks in an inverted cone to quiet them also.. Very good my friend.
catfish10101
03-22-2008, 12:18 AM
We used to just slice them and let them run around the yard with their head hanging by a piece of skin. Was kind of gory at first but then you start to enjoy the comedy in it.
nell67
03-22-2008, 05:15 AM
We just wring thier neck and let them flop around on the ground until they were done.The water was already boiling before we kill them and as soon as they stop moving we start cleaning them.
Turckey'sre too big to wring the neck,so their heads are chopped off,never killed a duck or goose.
Let me get this straight. Flapcakes, hashbrowns, eggs and hot maple syrup and none of us were invited? Seems a little rude to me to be telling us after the fact. But, just to show you there is no hard feelings, we're willing to accept a rain check.
BraggSurvivor
03-22-2008, 12:31 PM
We just wring thier neck and let them flop around on the ground until they were done.The water was already boiling before we kill them and as soon as they stop moving we start cleaning them.
Turckey'sre too big to wring the neck,so their heads are chopped off,never killed a duck or goose.
Hey nell, next time try bringing the chickens body temperature down to the cool of the morning. Plucking feathers and cleaning is 1/4 of the work and the skin (if you keep it, I butcher old layers) is perfect with no tearing or bruising.
nell67
03-22-2008, 12:50 PM
I've never had a problem with the skin tearing on them Bragg.The only fowl I have skinned was a wild turkey (no, not THAT wild turkey!)a friend brought for me to clean because he had never seen me clean an animal and thought I would get sick:D
LeaveThisLifeGuy
05-17-2008, 01:21 AM
....and thank you for your two years of hard service.
This morning we culled 18 of our two year old laying hens with intisipation of the arrival of 24 "new" girls next month.
My daughters and I got up at 6:30am (while still dark) and went into the hen house and picked out all the culls. We T post hung them and slit their throat with a sharp butcher's knife and let hang for two hours to cool down. Gave us enough time to start a fire, boil the water and have a cup of hot chocolate. Just before we dipped them in the scalding water, momma came out with a stack of flapcakes, hashbrowns, eggs and hot maple syrup. We quickly chowed down and went to work dipping, gutting and de-feathering. On a sheet of plywood wrapped in 6mm poly, we started carving,deboning and cleaning.
All in all it was a great day with the kids and the dogs feasted on pooled blood and boiled chicken heads
Here is a pic of the treats we enjoyed after all the hard work was done:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/Bructer/DSC00676.jpg
bragg, you're a bad***, so dont take this the wrong way, but is there a reason you slit the throats instead of just chopping off the head? I'm sure there is, but i don't know it. :confused:
DOGMAN
05-17-2008, 01:27 AM
Because then they would have run around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.
Wait! There is something WRONG here!
".....momma came out with a stack of flapcakes, hashbrowns, eggs and hot maple syrup."
DID MOMMA FORGET THE BACON?????
LeaveThisLifeGuy
05-17-2008, 01:38 AM
Because then they would have run around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.
right, but without sounding like a guy that is going to get laughed off this forum by each and every one of you, isn't there a quicker way? or is slitting necessary for reasons i'm obviously unaware of?
Alpine_Sapper
05-17-2008, 01:39 AM
DID MOMMA FORGET THE BACON?????
'twas on the grill. cooking over an open fire is the only way a REAL man does it, supposedly. besides, adds great smoke flavoring.
Read Braggs 03-21-2008, 10:00 PM post, above. Kinda' explains it all.
'twas on the grill. cooking over an open fire is the only way a REAL man does it, supposedly. besides, adds great smoke flavoring.
Okay! Now that I know, I can die with no worries.
LeaveThisLifeGuy
05-17-2008, 01:44 AM
Read Braggs 03-21-2008, 10:00 PM post, above. Kinda' explains it all.
ahhh, gotcha.
smwon
05-17-2008, 04:39 PM
That looks very good! I have always just chopped their heads off. Early morning while they are calm and quiet sounds like a very good idea!
I haven't done this a lot but the few times I have done it was just a quick wring of the neck. They do like to flop a bit.
We talked about adrenaline in a wounded animal in another thread so maybe they would be more tender if they died quicker because they would have less adrenaline flowing. Just a thought.
Speaking of the Bragganator, where is the boy?
We psuedo-sophisticated suburban types usually start by tearing into the wrapping paper from the meat store ... But, that don't work for venison. So, we just shoot them deer first. :D
Alpine_Sapper
05-18-2008, 01:35 AM
We psuedo-sophisticated suburban types usually start by tearing into the wrapping paper from the meat store ... But, that don't work for venison. So, we just shoot them deer first. :D
Depends on your meat market. :D I'm lucky in that San antonio has a few "specialty markets".
Can't buy venison 'round here. That's why Remington, Franchi, and I are such good friends.
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