Long and busy day yesterday as it was butcher day. Started as normal with picking the squash and cucumbers. Moderate numbers from each and they were quickly into the cooler.
First step was to get the the basins all washed and rinsed out. I setup 4 basins since we were not planning on processing all the birds.
The stands are Wheeling brand, galvanized, with two 15 gallon tubs with drains in the center. Even though the setup is about 35 years old it all still works perfectly. A true testament to galvanized metal.
With the butcher area setup and the scalding water heating up I went out to get the first batch of birds. 5 birds for the first batch and, having not butchered in some years neglected to remember that they would be flapping a bunch and so hung them too close to the fence.
Many times when butchering fewer birds I will use a knife to kill with which I did for these first 5. It proved to be a lot harder than the normal way of using the machete and a block. After they started bleeding out and flapping about a couple of the birds broke wings hitting the fence.
DOH!
Lesson learned.
With the scalding water at 170F we set to work on the first 5 birds. Dunk the feet in the water for about 30 seconds then flip the bird and dunk the rest for about 20 seconds. Onto the plucker for a minute to get almost every feather removed, then singed in the flame and inside to the cutting table.
The first 5 birds ready to be gutted. 
She got 4 of the birds gutted and into the cool water in a basin outside.
We decided on 4 birds for the next batch after a bit of lunch. This time it went MUCH smoother and the birds ended up in WAY better condition. No broken wings.
First step is the scalding pot. The bird comes out with the feathers soaked and very easily removed.
Onto the plucker to remove the feathers and most of the skin from the legs and feet. If the legs are scalded properly the skin will come right off in the plucker. Many times there is just a little skin left to worry about.
With the feathers removed the bird is rotated in the flame to singe off any of the little hairs. Some birds are FAR hairier than others. I have not determined a correlation yet between male/female and the hairiness, though I haven't paid THAT close of attention to it yet.
With the 4 birds down I got the last 3 for the day and hauled them to the house.
Finally after getting all 3 of the last birds plucked and in the house I cleaned up the mess of feathers left in the basin. The plucker stands in the basin so most all the feathers end up in it which makes things a bunch cleaner.
While
I also made a quick tomato cucumber salad from our Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, one of each type of cucumber, and a big bunch of our chives with some salt/pepper and organic rice vinegar. I put a lid on it and set it in the fridge until we were ready for dinner.
Some bags and some cartons for the freezing. The smaller batches of things got put in the bags while the half and whole birds got put into the milk cartons then filled with water. This helps keep them from getting freezer burned.
Speaking of freezer burned I had to empty out on of our freezers as it held 10 year old stuff. There was a bunch of giblets from ducks, chickens, and some meats of various other animals. I took all of it out and then dumped it in the bone yard. Let the wild animals have a good time with it. This made almost an entire 7 cu ft freezer empty and ready for the birds.
The feet got left till the end as 
The last bird to cut up could easily be a meme for some political or other group about now.
The chicken came out of the oven and looked amazing. The bird weighed 7 pounds before going into the oven. Each breast is a bit over a pound. One half of a bird is perfect for a meal for our family.
The day ended with 11 birds in the freezer and one cooked bird in the fridge. We have 17 birds left, 9 Cornish and 8 Rangers. The Cornish will be next weekend and the Rangers probably in 2 weeks as they need to get bigger still.
Today I have to get picking beans again since I neglected it this weekend, cleanup, organize, likely wash the boys clothes, and likely a slew of other things that will pop up and require my attention.
The butchering setup will be getting a more permanent home not far from where it is now. I will be making a spot for it under the carport so that I have the gas line available for the burner. There will be a bunch to do to get to that point but yesterday saw me formulate the idea and general design considerations.
For more information about our farm:
Fleming Family Farm
FLEMING FAMILY FARM, LLC
Sustainable & Organic Methods | Heirloom Produce
