07.25.12
Wednesday’s are chicken butcher days. We butcher 400-500 chickens each week, but this week we got to butcher and process a whopping 600! It was a long day, but we had a stellar team that got the job done with ease, craftsmanship, and sheer talent.
The photo is of part of the crew during lunch. Lunch is always highly looked forward to. It doesn’t matter what is served, we are starving and are practically ready to eat the table {don’t worry, no one has ever been so hungry that they nibbled on a raw chicken as it went past them on the processing table}
Everything is packaged, stored, cleaned, and straightened, and now it is time for dinner; and to sit down for longer than 30 minutes. Glorious!
9 Comments
leave one →
highheelsinthebarnyard.wordpress.com 
Holy!!–600–sometimes it take me all weekend to get thru 10!
:) It takes lots of practice to get good and fast at it- and a really good scalder and plucker are key ;)
Wow, that sure is a lot of chickens in one day! We just did a batch of 250 last weekend (which we do once per month) and feel like that takes us all day. We are thinking of upgrading our scalder and plucker, do you mind sharing what you use? Thanks so much it is so nice reading your blog as we are doing such similar things on opposite coasts! :)
Caitlin
Hi Caitlin- I think that no matter how many chickens you butcher, it feels like all day ;) The prep, the actual act, the clean up… it really is a whole day{s} process :) We use The Poultry Man equipment. You can find out all the details on Polyface Farm’s website. I think our site {aftonfieldfarm[dot]com} might actually have it on there too ;)
Thanks so much for the info! I figured you used the Poultry Man. My husband Chris has been drooling over it for a few years now! It will be next on the list! Thanks and have a great few more weeks of broiler season. We have until Sept. 15th and then we are done! :)
That’s a lot of chickens in one day! We did 70 and I thought that was a lot. They taste so amazing it’s great that you’re willing to raise that many. We had 65 that we pampered through our Indiana drought and heat waves in July. So glad they’re in the freezer now. That is a lot of hard work! Give yourselves a pat on the back!
Thanks Wendy! Give yourself a pat on the back as well! Job well done!
The next Wednesday that I have off, I’m gonna do me some pluckin’ and scaldin’
Yeah!