With a Bak Bak Here and a Bak Bak There

Uriah started his own little business called "Bubbsie's Best Broilers."

Back in May, he bought 100 peeps, diligently fed and cared for them. 

 

They soon grew old enough to go out in the range huts.  Each day, the huts would be moved ahead onto fresh grass in the morning and in the evening.  They also were fed chicken feed.  

 

These kind of birds are "genetically modified" to grow quickly.  So fast that they eventually out grow their legs and can barely walk.  Their pastime is sitting around panting and it is common for them to have heart attacks. However, we never push our birds and since they are outside and feed on grass, they never get gross.  If you have the opportunity to peek inside a conventional meat chicken house, you will understand what I mean by gross!!  Even at 8 weeks, grass fed birds can jump and fly. 

Normally these chickens are ready to be processed at around 6 weeks old, but ours are usually ready more like 8 - 9 weeks, for the feed we use is not medicated nor hormone ridden.

 Last Friday, it was processing time.  The night before, the broilers were loaded into the cattle trailer so the process could begin early in the morning.

 My, what big chickens Uriah raised!  Uniquely colored, too!   :)  These kind of roosters  eventually have back problems.

  

They are taken out of trailer and put head first in cones for execution, which was George's job, with some help from Uriah.  It is not a coveted job!

They are then put into the scalder, which rotates them around 3 - 4 times in 155 degree water.

 

from there to the plucker

Onto the work table where they are gutted.  Everyone filled in wherever help was needed.  Ben was the runner man.  He went for more ice, equipment parts, etc..

 Carried into the milk house for further cleaning

From there they came to me for final inspection and tucking of wings and legs.

 

plopped into barrels of ice water to cool and then hung up to dry

Once dried, they went into bags, got weighed and distributed into freezers, or to customers.  

Busy and tiring day, but so worth it!  

And it certainly is nice to not have to move those chickens around anymore, though!

Are you hungry?  :)

Until next time.............