Chicken Butchering Day!

I am excited to share abit about our big adventure we had last week with butchering and canning over 90 old hens and roosters combined. 

We had a rainy, rainy day and we needed the rain! Loni and her family set up the car port outside which was so nice and handy.  

We used a chicken plucker that her husband had made/ invented out of an old washer. Since it was also cold,  a nice fire going to keep our hands and bodies warm. Which turned out very handy as we added a rack to the fire and set the bucket on top that had the water in it to scald the chickens with. Kept the water hot.

 We had a team going, the homeschool children all helped ( four, ages 13 on down) some of us were inside doing the washing and cleaning out the chickens,  while the group outside did everything that involves the beheading,  and cleaning the feathers,  singing ( burn off the hairs) .  

   We were done with the big heavy part by 3:30!! Now a very late lunch, cleanup and start canning!!!

It took us 3 days total,  but worth every minute of our time and effort!! And 167 quarts later!!

I use my whole pieces for frying. I use my broth for gravies,  soups , you name it. It's so nice and handy for quick meals. 

  I personally got 28 quarts of chicken pieces.  And we cooked and deboned all the rest. Which we then add broth to the quarts.  Some we have full of chicken, some third way, my choice of preference for soups,  ect.

  I then brought all the picked off bones home and the skins, packed them in bags and put them in the freezer for later use in making my bone broth, which is so healthy and full if nutrients!