We have thirty-two broilers to do in all. We were only able to handle seven today. Not that it was such hard work, but we were set up outside on the picnic table and anytime the breeze was not blowing (most of the time) there were those pesky flying buggers buzzing us.
This is only our second time raising meat chickens, but we have figured out the best way for us. I am not very good at this whole thing, but DH has all kinds of experience processing wild game. He says the chickens are 'just like a pheasant'.
So this is what we did: The birds have not been fed since the night before---fresh water only for the last twelve hours. First thing in the morning, I got up and separated all of the layer pullets out and locked them into the coop with food and fresh water so they could eat. Then two by two, we take the meat birds over to the picnic table (which is out of sight of the chicken run). DH dislocates the necks to kill them quickly and humanely as possible. We then hang them upside down from a rod between two trees using twine. He cuts the jugular veins so that they bleed out. After they have stopped flapping and the blood stops flowing, we can start cleaning them.
We have decided that for us, we do not need the skin, so we do not bother with plucking them. We simply skin them and this seems to go alot faster for us than the idea of plucking the birds clean of all those feathers. Outside at the picnic table, we get them skinned and gutted. The remainder of the whole chicken then goes in a tub, the livers, hearts and gizzards go into a bowl for the cats and all of the waste goes into a wheelbarrow to be hauled to the burn pit. We have a large cutting board on the picnic table and a couple of sharp knives to get the job done. All of the carcasses are hosed off before going into the tub.
At this time, we take them inside the house to finish up. Using a sharp pair of kitchen scissors, I cut on either side of the spine to remove the legs. Another short cut with a sharp knife separates the leg (thigh and drumstick together) from the carcass. The final once over and rinsing under fresh cool tapwater, then into a clean tub. I filet the breasts, removing all of the bone. Using the sharp filet knive, I slice on either side of the keel, keeping as close to the ribs as possible. These then are rinsed and go into the tub. The wings are disjointed with the knife, rinsed and into the tub. Last, but not least, the neck is cut off and this goes into the bowl for the cats.
Not to waste anything good, all of the carcasses, bones and all go into the stock pot. I will add water, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaves, salt and pepper. When this is all cooked down and full of flavor, the solids are strained out. I will can them by the quart using the pressure canner, of course. Wish I had a lot more carcasses as I could always use more chicken stock than what we will get from the number of birds that we need.
Viola! Well... seven down and only twenty-five more to go.
