I charge $3/lb on my pasture raised, free range chickens. This batch averaged just a fuzz over 5.2 pounds dressed I round down to keep things simple.



The layers just crowd around to get the extras I throw to them: heart, lungs, kidneys, livers (what I don't keep), etc.



There were 8 weeks and 2 days old when I butchered them. The packaging really helps sell the finished product, add the fancy label and it looks like it came from the super market.

I'm impressed, pintail.

Pin, do you use chicken tractor?

No. I have 1/2 acre fenced off into ~600sqft runs. I put food and water outside of the coop and the birds literally flock outside. Most of them will stay out there for the majority of the day, as its partly shaded. They even chase bugs-something most wouldn't expect from a meat chicken. By allowing them to actually be a chicken on pasture, I find they do not consume as much commercial feed. However, it does take a few extra days to make weight.

When I do my larger batches of 50 plus in the fall, I butcher over several days. I cull the largest first, wait a few days, cull the next largest, wait a few more days, and finish the rest. I will butcher the large batches over a week or so. By doing this, I find I get more consistent weights (I shoot for a 5 pound carcass).

My meat birds LOVED chasing bugs. They'd fight over anything they could get their beaks on. My boys would drop in worms and watch them run around fighting over them. One chicken would grab the worm and take off running. 5 or 6 more would take off chasing him, trying to take it away. The boys called it "chicken football".

Post a video .I would love to see that thing in action.

Here's a generic gif found online. There's all sorts of videos on Youtube.

How long do you scaled them for? I usually grab 2 birds by the feet and dunk the up and down in the scalder for about 10 seconds, then 20~30 seconds in the plucker... I would love to know exactly how your process goes from after being bleed out to ice bath. Thank you!

I dunk them in a pot of 150* water with a squirt of dish soap for about 10-15 seconds or until the wing feather slip easily. Then I cut off the feet, as they have a habit of getting caught under the bottom plate in the plucker, and let them spin for 15-20 seconds. There are usually a few stray feathers to remove, but it doesn't take long. Since we withhold feed for 12 plus hours before processing, I free the crop first before I dress the birds. After dressing, I use my hook on my knife to remove the lungs/kidneys etc that didn't come out, and rinse with clean water.
Next, I have a primary cool down bucket with fresh water and ice that the birds go into, 2 at a time until I finish 2 more. This shocks the heat out of the carcass and doesn't melt all the ice in my coolers. When I get 2 more dressed and ready, I transfer the 2 in the first ice bucket to a cooler full of ice and place the newly dress birds in the primary bucket. I use the same assembly line set up if its just me doing the processing or me and my wife. I have 4 kill cones, so I do batches of 4 at a time. I sanitize the work station (plastic table or my stainless table, the primary cool down bucket, and knives) after every 4 birds. I let the birds rest 24hrs on ice to get rid of the rigor mortis before I package.

the things sticking out what are they

They're rubber "fingers". You can buy them or I just used rubber fuel line. They're primarily what pulls the feathers off, just friction.

Friends of mine raise a good number of chickens for the market. I suggested they pack the integrals in pint milk type cartons and contact the fishing bait shops. Now the cartons sell for nearly as much as the chicken. Roy