Packing Chickens for Slaughter

Everyone's process might differ slightly depending on your scale and how you're planning to process your birds. The take-aways for this time in your chicken rotation is the feed restriction and packing birds at the right time.
You restrict feed 24 hours before slaughter and give the birds plenty of water to help ensure the crop and the gut is empty for processing. This makes the slaughter process cleaner because there is no feed in the crop and no manure in the gut.
Packing up at night, at sunset depending, or even the morning of is important because you don't want those birds sitting packed in crates in the heat. They are putting off a lot of heat, especially broilers, and if they're packed like that and sitting int eh sun they could overheat and die. You can even go as far as putting a fan on them to increase air circulation if they have to wait in your trailer or truck for a bit.
Worst thing you can do is cover them with a tarp while they're sitting there. It traps the heat and CO2 in and the birds will over heat and or suffocate.
If you follow those simple guidelines then your pre-processing should go smooth.
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[@dough3438]

John, I cannot thank you enough for all your videos AND your book has been a godsend for my wife and I. I built the chicken tractor a couple yrs ago and it's has worked out phenomenal. Thank you and God bless you and your family!!

[@PondRiverFarm]

I love how you jam pack tons of information into a quick and concise video. Thank you.

[@TheApprenticeFarmer]

John, as always great video. Keep 'em coming. Where do you source your crates? I know Premier1 has them for $61 but wanted to see if you found a more affordable option somewhere in chicken land.

[@cavemanjoe7972]

Have you looked into getting certified as a processor? You could also build or revamp a 'clean room'-type facility out of a shed or old trailer for compliance purposes, but I guess you'd also need to invest in at least a small walk-in cooler/freezer to go that route. I'd be interested in finding out the margins for doing it yourself this way versus having them butchered and if the various equipment and expenses would be worth the trouble of getting certified. Love the videos, John. Keep 'em coming.

[@chevy6299]

Very good question, lets hope John answers it.

[@nightshadep]

Where do you source the crates? I did a quick search, but normally you have done a lot of homework. I am guessing you know the most cost effective place to work with.

[@franklinnottaro]

BSRGDS FROM VENEZUELA........THANKS FOR GOOD INFRMATION

[@annakeffer9827]

Does packing them night before reduce stress?

[@jackmack9325]

does having someone do you butchering kill your profits?

[@robertjohnson2374]

What about water? Do you provide water in the crates?

[@cavemanjoe7972]

+Robert Johnson No, there's no water in shipping crates. Water makes birds poop, and you don't want that happening when they're stacked on top of each other.

[@charliealexander1096]

What will you sell your birds for? What id your cost to process ea chicken? Thanks

[@farmmarketing]

We sell our chicken for $6 a pound and it costs us about $4.75 per bird to process them. Almost an entire pound of sold meat goes into the processing costs.

[@elliotfrench1820]

What store do you order your chicks from? How much does it cost for you to have your chickens processed like that?

[@CiecieNewson]

Summer hair = No hair. So much to think about. Starving them before they die. Okay, not starving. Thanks for explaining the need for that. I would never have considered that. Is it the processes that request that or is that an extra you provide to help ensure business?

[@farmmarketing]

Restricting feed is actually requested by the processor. They want their part of the "process" to go cleaner so they pretty much demand it.

[@mcriser]

I'm retired and live in Louisiana, I have good pasture and I'm thinking of doing this. If you don't mind me asking, about how much do get for your birds retail?

[@bmarcelf]

Mind sharing the costs of processing in these facilities nowadays (2021)?

[@workhardgainbig6784]

Hey, i would like to get the same crates that you have. Where did you buy them? how much? And are they reliable? Thank you

[@kayhoude5136]

Hi , my chickens are 5 weeks old but they have runny poop and stuck on their back side , what can I do ? I only feed them chick starter thank you for your time . great job on the videos thank you for your time.

[@dhzinck]

Is this something you do once a week, once a month or once every 8 weeks? Thanks.

[@dreamtime1730]

Ever Chicken I have gotting in Canada has bruise right to the thy bone. why is that happing to are Chickens? They look pretty betting up. Is it a stander for Canada to mishandle Chickens?

[@jazfarm5726]

How far do you have to transport them and what is the processor charging?

[@farmmarketing]

I have to drive over 2 hours and the processor costs $4.75 for a whole bird bagged and labeled.

[@cheriettejackson4248]

Thanks so much for showing us how this is done!

[@farmmarketing]

Hope it helps.

[@renielmendoza1743]

what qas the dimension of your crates?

[@LibiaTikvah-Rut]

Mean; that’s abuse! Please go Kosher, where they dont treat chickens so horribly. They cannot die hungry nor thirsty! They cannot be packed up like that!

[@Cvan732000]

John...this is my first year doing this following you. I have about 44 in tractors and I have no idea when I should take them to butcher. Do you weigh them first or go by age by week? Mine are 9 weeks this weekend.

[@farmmarketing]

9 weeks for cornish cross? They're probably pretty big! I process at 8 weeks. about 5.5-6lbs live weigh gives about 4-5lbs dressed. Process them soon.

[@WhiteSoxxx]

what do you mean better insurance rate?

[@rodrigolopez651]

where can i find these crates?

[@ruthraybarrett1266]

John, what is your average processed weight for your Cornish Cross?

[@farmmarketing]

They usually dress out to about 4-4.5lbs. That's my goal.

[@charliealexander1096]

A what age do you butcher the chickens? How do you find a processor?

[@farmmarketing]

I process them at about 8 weeks +/-. There's only one USDA facility in the NorthEast so it was just a matter of tracking that down and scheduling in there.

[@MrTheknowabout]

How did you you build those tents.

[@farmmarketing]

farmmarketingsolutions.com/plans

[@MrTheknowabout]

John Suscovich Thank You.

[@coronatimes676]

How many pieces of chicken can we carry in one box??

[@johnpauljacob4596]

10

[@jennapicard6892]

Do you raise ducks

[@VikasKumar-ih5tm]

How about letting them live? They look cute :)

[@PrattFamilyHomestead]

good stuff thank you

[@jimh3500]

What's in that brown bottle?😜

[@tilauncensored6799]

I was so sad watching this video 😔

[@juliapicard8438]

Same

[@johnparkhurst825]

I was drooling

[@chrisskipper3995]

Thanks for humanely killing the chicken. One question, do they wonder around the farm? I don't like people abusing animals. I know you don't. Just one more question, if a chick is not doing well do you get a vet?

[@biglou4452]

Wow.....

[@Surajsk6065]

I want carte