Look at my great carcasses! Thank-you Pigeon Lake Processors!

This is the first year I had the chance to put some of my Heritage Cornish in the freezer. These guys are culls from my SOP breeding program, not the meat cross Cornish. I purposely sought out this breed, not only for their incredible beauty but also for the fact I can cull them and get a lovely carcass. I took in 3 old birds, two and a half years old, and 6 young ones, about 8-10 months. Both hens and roosters. I was so excited to see them all finished I could barely finish my day at work before I drove back to the processor.

The old birds ranged from 5.1-6.8 lbs. The young ones were 3.0-6.4 lbs. The skeletons were nicely muscled, and I was very pleased with the result. I plan to eat one on Saturday, so stay tuned for an update! Here is a picture of a couple...

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I also had an extra silkie. I shall have to find just the right recipe for this little guy. Apparently he caused quite the stir at the processors when the feathers were plucked!

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Finally, the extra Houdan roosters. Sadly for a dual purpose bird they produce a scrawny carcass that only is fit for soup or dog food. Toybarons and I are working on this, however! Here is what the Houdans look like all processed. (Sorry Toybarons!)

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Pigeon Lake Poultry Processing is a fabulous local business. They go out of their way to make sure the customer is happy. I am lucky, they are 40 minutes from door to door. I have had them process both chickens and turkeys. Their packaging is excellent. They also do ducks. They can take 20 at a time now and when they get their wax plucker they will be able to do 200 a day. As you can see they also will grind the meat. I had them put the whole bird with it's giblets through the grinder for dog food. Bone and all! I can't wait until they start to do rabbits!

Thanks, Cam!

So you can sell the silkie to who ever you want now? I hear that if you find the right person you will be payed handsomely.....

So what does Cam charge?

Thanks for posting the pictures, I'm a picture person... hehehe  

You? A picture person? Nawwwww!

Processing including bagging and labelling is $4.40 per chicken. Grinding is $1.32 per Kg.

You can buy a frozen Silkie in the Superstore for $10. I wonder if they would be more valuable in the Asian market, fresh?

Beautiful carcasses! Very cool that Pigeon Lake Processors will grind up the not so impressive carcasses and package them so nicely. Good job all around.

Schipperkesue wrote:You can buy a frozen Silkie in the Superstore for $10.  I wonder if they would be more valuable in the Asian market, fresh?

Is that bird in the super store the same size as your? $10 a KG? Or $4.90 a pound...Good price for farm fresh chicken?

The ones you buy in the stores might be slightly different. There is a lesser known large size Silkie out west.

The ones I have seen in the store are the same size as mine, but often include the head and feet...adding more weight but giving less meat.

Schipperkesue wrote:The ones I have seen in the store are the same size as mine, but often include the head and feet...adding more weight but giving less meat.

Ahh so the larger ones must be sold in BC only. That would be traditionally the way they are sold I think.

You must remember that there is never a part lost of a animal in many cultures.

call ducks wrote:

You must remember that there is never a part lost of a animal in many cultures.

My culture included!

Schipperkesue wrote:

call ducks wrote:

You must remember that there is never a part lost of a animal in many cultures.

My culture included!

Great

We don't have that much of an Asian Market right now. Most of the people from Asia that are around here are Uni. students (for such a small province we have a good selection of high quality post secondary schools...)

I could never understand why grocers sold packaged chicken backs and necks for soup (I callem backs and beaks)...and it isn't all the inexpensive either....to make broth...well I would rather buy the 2kg bag of dunrite chicken parts frozen and poach them...remove the meat from the bones and return the bones to the stock to make soup... but maybe it's just me ....lol

Silkies in B.C have been bred on a commercial scale for more than 20 yrs. They are approximately one and half times the size of a show silkie. Some are just a black skinned bird, with more feathers than the true silkie we all know.

They look good Sue.

I think it is funny they labelled the Silkie. Like you would think it was anything but....

Thanks, Coopster! Actually I asked them to write 'Silkie' on it. I turned 50 last year and didn't want to forget...just in case!

Doug occasionally looks into the deep freeze as well....   

Schipperkesue wrote:Thanks, Coopster!  Actually I asked them to write 'Silkie' on it.  I turned 50 last year and didn't want to forget...just in case!

Doug occasionally looks into the deep freeze as well....    

Your still young. Give it another two years. (I know from my experience with mom....)

just as a side note. You are quite a bit younger than I thought you were!

call ducks wrote:just as a side note. You are quite a bit younger than I thought you were!

Ouch!  Now that is painful!

Make a silkie/cornish cross and hit the Asian market. The black skin is dominant.

Fowler wrote:Make a silkie/cornish cross and hit the Asian market.  The black skin is dominant.

I am visualizing this breeding.... Silkie on Cornish...nope. Cornish on silkie...uh, uh!

I think I need to AI!

Schipperkesue wrote:

call ducks wrote:just as a side note. You are quite a bit younger than I thought you were!

Ouch!  Now that is painful!

No No No.... I think that is good. I always thought wisdom came with age... Takw Fowler - hey is fairly wise and old hehehe   

Fowler wrote:Make a silkie/cornish cross and hit the Asian market.  The black skin is dominant.

They already have silkie broilers Not well known about though!

Schipperkesue wrote:

call ducks wrote:just as a side note. You are quite a bit younger than I thought you were!

Ouch!  Now that is painful!

Because of your vast experience and knowledge.......


Call duck, just for reference for you, when dealing with women, always and I mean ALWAYS say you thought they were YOUNGER than you find out they are.  You may follow that up with "I always wondered how someone SO young could have so much knowledge and wisdom".  LOL, it will get you much further in life!   



(just to make you feel better Sue, people always think I am older than I am too...   )

coopslave wrote:

Schipperkesue wrote:

call ducks wrote:just as a side note. You are quite a bit younger than I thought you were!

Ouch!  Now that is painful!

Because of your vast experience and knowledge.......


Call duck, just for reference for you, when dealing with women, always and I mean ALWAYS say you thought they were YOUNGER than you find out they are.  You may follow that up with "I always wondered how someone SO young could have so much knowledge and wisdom".  LOL, it will get you much further in life!   



(just to make you feel better Sue, people always think I am older than I am too...   )

Coop I am guessing you are between 45-50.


Ohh Sue. I forgot you are 50 years young! Not old

See Call ducks, you are learning already. 45 is a good guess for someone my age!   

Call Ducks, do you really need some lessons from a couple young gals like Coopie and I?

I must say I do appreciate being considered experienced...especially when I consider myself a mouthy know-it-all. I must say thank-you for that, CD!

Sorry to give you such a hard time. I can't resist teasing!

Schipperkesue wrote:Call Ducks, do you really need some lessons from a couple young gals like Coopie and I?  

I must say I do appreciate being considered experienced...especially when I consider myself a mouthy know-it-all.  I must say thank-you for that, CD!

Sorry to give you such a hard time.  I can't resist teasing!

Hahah all in good fun right!