Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
coolers where they are weighed, labeled, and frozen or placed in the commercial
cooler for fresh pickup. During the entire process we strive to keep the chickens as
cold (35°F-40ºF) and clean as possible.
During cleanup, Michael's side is scrubbed and bleached. The buckets of feathers,
heads, feet, blood, and offal are hauled up to the composting bins where they are
layered with horse manure and straw (unturned, it makes a divine compost after two
years). He covers his equipment and cleans up all the buckets. I scrub down and
bleach all of the equipment on my side and drain the chill tank. The knives are
cleaned and dried and the aprons are washed in the washing machine. I place
everything on the counters to dry, air out, and get a little sunshine. Then we eat
lunch.
Training
It can be overwhelming to start processing alone. I highly recommend getting as
much experience as possible first: learn at the feet of the masters. In my case I was
lucky to learn the finer points from Joel Salatin at his farm while processing 200
birds with his family. Books, articles, and chat rooms cannot replace getting your
hands dirty next to an experienced farmer. Many times they may only let you ob-
serve, but that too will be very educational. Anything you do to increase your skills
and respect for the process will benefit everyone in the end.
