Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[WitchHazel]

Hi all

Today DH and I went to Hook Farm to learn how to dispatch and then deal with table birds. I managed to do the deed, and am pleased that I now know how to humanely slaughter a chicken.

 

We plucked the chicken we slaughtered, and then we had a "blue Peter" moment where Alisoj produced chickens she had slaughtered and plucked a few days ago, ready for us to prepare. Neither the chicken I killed, nor the "Blue Peter" chicken, had been prevented from eating before being dispatched, so it was a bit unpleasant dealing with the intestines and the crop.

 

Previously to doing this, i had thought it was a bit unkind on the chickens to starve them for their last 24 hours; now I still think it's probably a bit unkind, but would be so much easier to deal with the bird afterwards.

 

What do you do?

[Lesley]

We starved the first ones we despatched - just left water with them - and then gave them some bread and brandy just before despatching.

 

now, we don't do either - but it can be messy when dressing them

 

We're not growing any at the moment.....but may go back to 'no feed after 3pm' or something like that.

 

How lucky to find a course!

[WitchHazel]

Thanks Lesley, "no feed after 3pm" sounds like a workable compromise. If and when you get your next lot to grow on and you try the "no feed after 3pm" method, would you let me know whether that makes any difference in practice please?

 

I am so grateful to have been able to experience this before embarking on it for myself. The breed she had for meat was Cobb, and they were killed at 9 weeks. Apparently by 12 weeks they become too heavy to support themselves, and I'm sure I read something similar to that on the Forum.

 

I was really surprised at dispatching them so young; s in my mind (no idea where it came from) I thought I'd have the birds until they were about 14 weeks. Getting in birds at 5 weeks and despatching them at 9 weeks isn not the (rose tinted) picture I had in mind when I thought about giving birds a good life before eating them- especially as I now know the Cobb doesn't do much apart from eat.

 

Do you mind me asking what birds you raise(d), and what age you dispatch(ed) them?

 

Thanks

[eggypeggy]

That's really interesting.. I've been giving alot of thought to keeping chooks for the table. But had no idea they lived such a short life.

 

Would be interested in finding out what breeds people have too and how much do they cost each?

I think I would have to do a course 1st, would not be happy to do this with out advise, wouldn't want to get it wrong!

[Lesley]

We started with Ross/Cobbs and have since had Hubbards (same as Cobbs) and Coloryields (same but brown feathers)

 

We let ours grow for months

 

We plan to despatch them when they weigh about 6 lbs (live) so that we will have a dressed bird weighing about 4lbs........... but we still don't like doing the deed so we put it off. We have grown them for up to 10 months - they are a s big as small turkeys

 

They have a large run and usually have a straw bale to hop on to and some branches to perch on outside. We put the feed and water apart so that they keep moving and both of those are away from their little house so they have to be active. They still thunder up and down the run, flapping their wings, when treats are on offer in the afternoon

 

We've only had a couple go off their legs - out of four batches (about 50 birds in total)

 

The ones we despatch late weigh in at about 10 lbs - probably 15 lbs live weight. I have one in the freezer now.....ready for Clare for Christmas.

[WitchHazel]

That's really helpful Lesley, thank you for that.

[bronze]

I feed mine in the morning. At least when fed I can see the crop easily.

I have hubbards

Good to know you leave yours Lesley as since being pregnant I can't cope with the gutting so still have four from my last batch. Had thought they might be past it but they're happy and healthy so sounds like they might be ok as long as is this sickness isnt pregnancy long.

 

My lot are active and love to bombard me in the mornings but my goodness are they dim.

[Lesley]

I hope you don't have 9 months of sickness as well Bron - my daughter had that when pregnant with Lauren

 

I meant to add that we still roast the older chickens - sometimes we take off the top part - like a crown roast - and only roast the breast, which is enormous by then. We use the legs and thighs for a really good Coq au Vin or casserole or the thighs to make nuggets.

 

....and when we've been left with too many which all need gutting at the same time we end up skinning a couple and jointing them - no gutting to do then!

 

.....and the fox gets a good meal as we leave the carcasses at the top of the field for him - we can't use them as they still have all the guts in.

 

 

(sorry Bron )

[The Dogmother]

The chicken that I have from Lesley for Christmas each year is fantastic - 10lb and big enough to feed all of us, plus several cold meals and then soup from the carcass. As they grow for longer, the flavour is much better and the meat has more texture.

[Lesley]

Thanks Clare - I was hoping you'd come along........

 

I've always meant to ask if you found the legs roasted well or if you chopped them off and used them elsewhere? I don't eat much of the leg meat so I can't really tell, and Carl doesn't mind if the meat isn't as tender as breast meat.

[eggypeggy]

Bit of a novice at the idea of growing own birds for the table.. But do you keep them seperate from the egg layers? I presuming you do.

 

I don't think we have the space in our back garden for layer and 'eaters' for want of a better word. But, I like the idea of having free ranging 'goodlife' birds to eat.

 

Thanks for info.

[The Dogmother]

Thanks Clare - I was hoping you'd come along........

 

I've always meant to ask if you found the legs roasted well or if you chopped them off and used them elsewhere? I don't eat much of the leg meat so I can't really tell, and Carl doesn't mind if the meat isn't as tender as breast meat.

 

We eat and enjoy every single s"Ooops, word censored!" of it. Obviously the thigh meat tastes different as the muscle is different and worked more, but it is still delicious If the legs don't get eaten straight off, then I keep them in the fridge for munching on cold...YUM!

[TAJ]

I am so tempted to have a go - a local hatchery can let me have two different types of meat chicks (1 day old) at 65p - 90p each - no minimum order quantity. We could have them indoors with a heat lamp for the first few weeks and then in the garden. Hubby happy to do the cull/dressing - that is the bit I really need to give more thought before I go ahead - I would be happier if they could just go away one day and come back oven ready.

 

I certainly am no farmer and admire those on here that can do the dispatch themselves.

 

Tracy

[myles]

Hi, we withdraw food from all the meat birds the night before, we used to seperate them but that felt to mean, so now it's just like they've run out of food.They don't eat in the dark anyway. Then next morning despatch the ones we marked out the day before, ie the big ones. We do a maximum of seven at a time because thats as many as we can hang in our cold store (converted old upright freezer). We hang for 3 days then draw, dress or joint and freeze.

 

Anne

[daj198]

So glad I stumbled upon this. I'm a bit confused about the whole gender of meat birds thing. People seem to say that "if you want meat birds you'll have to have a cockerel", but why? Surely the meat birds are male, female or mixed? If you do get male meat birds, do they crow, or do you dispatch them before that stage? There are houses that are right by the bottom of my garden so I can't have crowing.

 

I'd appreciate your advice- as you can see, I'm a bit confused!

[Lesley]

I think the confusion probably comes from the fact that people who hatch their own replacement layers will despatch the cockerels to use as meat birds.

 

If you want to buy in day olds to rear then you ususally get a mix of either. The specialist meat birds will all have plenty of meat - cockerels from hatched layers generally have a bit less meat but still taste good.

 

You can tell which are cockerels before they need to be despatched and will either despatch them as soon as you notice the different feathers or wait for the first few practise crows (which aren't too loud) and despatch them then.

[TAJ]

Well we have bought the brooder cage and a cone for dispatch today, just need to get the chicks, lamp & feed now to get started with our first 'meat birds'.

 

Tracy

[Lesley]

Well done!

 

Will you wait for Spring now? Fertility of eggs is dubious at this time of year and it would also mean chicks would be going outside in the Winter - or would need to stay inside for a long time.........

 

If you intend to keep your table birds outside it is better to use a ceramic heat light - this provides heat but no light and the chicks become used to darkness at night from day one. If they are used to an infra-red lamp they can become stressed when they are first put outside and darkness falls.

[TAJ]

I have put pictures under chickens section - we got them yesterday and they are 3 weeks old today. We had a giant rabbit cage as a brooder and they have a brick built shed at the end of the garage - however (as said under chickens) the heat lamp bulb went after 5 hours, so they are now in the house with the heatuing on 24 hrs.

 

I blame OH - he said what would happen if the bulb went? - I explained it was good for 5000 hours (as per the box it came in) and then it went after 5!

 

Anyway a good excuse to have them in the house for the weekend at least - the cats haven't even relaised we have them as yet and the chicks are locked in the dinning room for now.

 

Tracy

[Lesley]

You won't want them in your dining room for too long Tracey - they make the most incredible amount of dust and mess!

 

(I've added a warning to the title in your thread in the Chickens section - and I might still have to move it to this section if it becomes more graphic! )

[TAJ]

We now have a replacement heat bulb and a spare, so they are off the dinning room table - they didn't make too much mess as they are in quite a deep brooder - but I notice already they can flap to the top of it - which is about 50cm high and spread the hemcore.

 

Do people use infared bulbs or ceramic bulbs? We bought infared, but have since read ceramic are more reliable & allows them to have darkness at night unlike the infra red.

 

Tracy

[Lesley]

I thought I'd written this recently? - perhaps it wasn't to you?

 

We use the ceramic bulbs as the chicks are to live outside, are then used to night-time arriving and they don't panic when they go out. Ceramic bulbs provide heat but no light.

[Duck-Noob]

Reading this thread very interesting but i dont think i could actually go through with the deed.

is it possible you can pay someone to do this deed and collect the chickens oven ready?

a long shot i know but no harm in asking

im in north east area but willing to travel within reason.

[daj198]

There are abattoirs that will dispatch, pluck and dress chickens for a fee. I'm not aware of any near you. Try google

[Lesley]

Reading this thread very interesting but i dont think i could actually go through with the deed.

is it possible you can pay someone to do this deed and collect the chickens oven ready?

a long shot i know but no harm in asking

im in north east area but willing to travel within reason.

 

If you have any pheasant shoots near you then there will always be someone with a plucking machine to do all the pheasants. Ask around - they will usually do a few hens as long as it is during the pheasant shooting season.

 

We've had some of ours done this way - they do remove the wings though as it is easier and quicker for them. £2.50 each bird or £3.50 if they are large.