Killed My Meat Birds

[krawnden 1,036]

 

Prefer to do chickens and turkeys dry, but son much easier to wet pluck ducks and geese.... We use the big metal boilers, not sure on temperature but the waters not boiling but there's a fair bit of steam coming off it, it's to hot to put your hand in but not hot enough to boil the birds

 

Plucking dry gives a crispy skin.

 

Krawnden do you save the heads for the dogs?

 

 

Sure do. There's virtually no waste whatsoever as heads and feet go to the dogs and most of the innards either go to the dogs or ferrets. I'm sure there are people on here who'd be horrified at that idea but my dogs and ferts have always ripped into them with gusto, as I'm sure a fox or other wild carnivore would do, so I don't have a problem with it.The only thing I don't let them have is any big lumps of internal fat. The feathers are mineral-rich so they, together with the blood-soaked wood shavings, go onto the compost heap to be recycled into fruit and veg. Coupled with the fact that the birds have as stress-free an end as is humanly possible, and this is something I really think more people ought to have a go at. No being crammed into cages for a long journey to an abattoir for my birds. I don't even bother shutting them in a small 'catch area' on killing day. They are literally still wandering around pecking at the grass nearby as I'm scalding one of their mates. When I'm ready for the next bird I just walk quietly up to it, pick it up and 15 seconds later it's dead.

[gamerooster 1,179]

What do you lads fatten your waterfowl on? I've found barley or wheat does the job with as much grass as they want, not done any this year as moved house but when we did them they had access to two huge ponds, done the chickens one year but the poor sods went of there feet, if I was going to do it again I'd go for a slower growing type that you can free range

[PeskyWabbits 464]

I feed mixed corn to my muscovies, in 'celebrations' plastic tubs, topped up with water. They gag if it is dry, like when Grandma gave us porridge oats and sugar in a paper bag to keep us quiet. It only took two mouthfulls.

 

They also get dandelion leaves and grass clumps or lumps of turf. Ducks and hens are great for disposing of the stuff you can't put in the compost heap.

Nettles, docks and buttercups go in barrels topped up with water to make a nitrogen rich liquor to water on the veg patch later.

[Rabid 1,936]

I find too much wheat makes them pile on fat under the skin, so I mix it with some barley, and pellets, either growers or finishers, they also get kibbled maize, but mostly they are free range and anything they find is on the menu, plenty of grass.

I also like my birds to have a stress free end, I don't do anything fancy, just go in and pick them as I am ready for them, I try not to do too many in one day or it becomes a chore

Edited November 29, 2015 by Rabid