Hubby built an Automatic Chicken Plucker! New Picture

Full Quiver · Postby **Full Quiver** » July 5th, 2008, 5:58 am

Now we want to see a pic, better yet a video, of the chicken losing it's head. :lol:

How often do you guys eat fresh chicken.

BTW, did it taste like chicken? I bet it did!

Tracy · Postby **Tracy** » July 5th, 2008, 9:47 am

Full Quiver wrote:
How often do you guys eat fresh chicken.

We raise and butcher chickens in the summer, and put them in the freezer. We're planning on putting about 50 in for the year. We're back at it today--17 down, 6 to go. Then we'll order a a new batch of chicks to grow for round 2. :shock:

Yep...they taste like chicken. Really yummy chicken.

paul · Postby **paul** » July 5th, 2008, 9:49 am

Tracy, do you deep fry them or bake them ?

Tracy · Postby **Tracy** » July 5th, 2008, 9:59 am

paul wrote:Tracy, do you deep fry them or bake them ?

I cook them three ways-- I bake them, pressure cook them, and put them in the crock pot. The fresh chicken makes delicious stock for soup, and I've put about 16-18 chicken feet into the freezer for the stock; chicken feet are supposed to make super healthy stock for soup. It looks a little creepy though--having those feet in the freezer. :shock:

We're also freezing the livers and necks, and my son is freezing the gizzards for fishing bait. My son and daughter both are working hard on those chickens!

paul · Postby **paul** » July 5th, 2008, 10:03 am

never thought of chiken feet for stock. Sure have knawed on many of them in third world countries. Not much there, mostly sucking the salt brine.

Tracy · Postby **Tracy** » July 5th, 2008, 10:17 am

paul wrote:never thought of chiken feet for stock. Sure have knawed on many of them in third world countries. Not much there, mostly sucking the salt brine.

I have heard of people eating them! I'm impressed that you tried them. It kind of grosses me out washing and freezing them, but I think I'll be glad to have them this winter, to make "Jewish Penicillin,"--ie. super charged chicken soup.

I'll bet you've eaten lots of interesting things on your travels!

Steve · Postby **Steve** » July 5th, 2008, 10:47 am

Tracy,

We used to buy fresh chickens from a guy here in TN, but the state shut him down. So much for the state supporting agriculture! They were the BEST chickens we ever tasted...I even got to go help slaughter some one time! :twisted:

Do you guys use cornish? Who do you order from? We are about to get some more layers, and got our last batch form Welp in IA. The best thing about them is the shipping is included in the price!

Looking forward to seeing a vid!

Tracy · Postby **Tracy** » July 5th, 2008, 11:39 am

Steve wrote:Tracy,

We used to buy fresh chickens from a guy here in TN, but the state shut him down. So much for the state supporting agriculture!

Yep--the government supports big Ag producers (that's where the lobby money is). It's a shame. It is even against the law for us to sell our raw milk here in Ky. There are several families that we know of who are interested in buying it, but it is against the law. Crazy. There are ways around it of course. But it makes me nervous.

Do you guys use cornish? Who do you order from? We are about to get some more layers, and got our last batch form Welp in IA. The best thing about them is the shipping is included in the price!

This is the first year we have used the Cornish Cross for meat. They have grown really fast. We'll do them for our next round, mainly because we don't really have the time to grow the others before cold weather.

Our layers are all different kinds. We order from Hoover Hatchery. I think they are in Iowa.

There really is nothing like fresh, clean, homegrown chicken.

Steve · Postby **Steve** » July 5th, 2008, 4:40 pm

Tracy wrote: There are ways around it of course. But it makes me nervous.

Cow boarding!!!! That's how we have to do it in TN. I wish we could buy "cow's milk" down here without jumping through hoops. Some sell it as a "pet food product" and others go the cow boarding route.

I have lobbied our legislature to allow it, and there is a neat website called www.tennesseansforrawmilk.com that talks about it, but for now, no go.

Jude 2