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25 Responses to Polyface Processing Overview
I have heard about Polyface farms via the books from Michael Pollan. I believe this is the way to do it. Nice work keep it up. Hope to find something likewise in the Netherlands!
Very nicely done! I am considering making a How To Video on the topic of processing chickens on a friends New England farm. This will be hard to match!
Amazing. I live in Omaha, NE and am so grateful to have a small flock of hens. This morning one of the “hens” crowed. I am not allowed to have roosters. This and other Joe Salatin videos have helped me immensely. Thank you so much for sharing them.
Well, we are going to process about 100 birds tomorrow for the first time. Thanks for the video; it’s very helpful. It’s going to take us more than the two hours you guys took; but the kids should have a great experience helping out. Keep up the posts.
This is disturbing to watch but also wonderful – much better than the standard factory types. It is so amazing how quickly this goes!
It would be great to buy chicken minutes after this was done strait from the source. I bet it tastes better.
watercoloreddreams
October 29, 2011 at 7:41 am Reply
@amyro – here in America, the by-products of industrial-processed chickens (feet, head, guts, blood) get rendered (high heat etc) into a feed that is mixed with corn and antibiotics and often fed right back to the chickens, cows, and pork which we then eat. So, the government has actually ‘deemed’ this by-product as ‘safe to eat’. The beauty of this video & Salatin’s refusal to ‘feed’ into the industrial system, is that the consumer can actually see where their food his coming from directly.
@amyro – here in America, the byproducts of industrial-processed chickens (feet, head, guts, blood) get rendered (high heat etc) into a feed that is mixed with corn and antibiotics and often fed right back to the chickens, cows, and pork which we then eat. So, no, the government has actually ‘deemed’ this by-product as ‘safe to eat’. The beauty of this video & Salatin’s refusal to ‘feed’ into the industrial system, is that the consumer can actually see where his food his coming from directly.
@jamison607 The rubber fingers “pull” the feathers right off the bird. The scalding before hand loosens the grip of the skin on the quill of the feather. Then the pluckers job is made easier.
Thanks for this! I’m working up to an Agriculture degree and I’m hoping to raise birds just like this. This kill process is the part I need to get used to. Thanks for posting this!
I could be wrong (I often am) but I believe most of that is discarded because the government has deemed it in our best interest that we don’t consume them. In many factory farms, the organs go for rendering into byproducts. I think Polyface composts what they can’t sell as food.
2nd try on this comment – 1st didnt register my questions are what happens with the feet, heads an organs? are they sold separately? used for something else? would really like to know. nice video.
I have heard about Polyface farms via the books from Michael Pollan. I believe this is the way to do it. Nice work keep it up. Hope to find something likewise in the Netherlands!
evharten
October 29, 2011 at 3:57 am
Very nicely done! I am considering making a How To Video on the topic of processing chickens on a friends New England farm. This will be hard to match!
BigNate84
October 29, 2011 at 4:20 am
Amazing. I live in Omaha, NE and am so grateful to have a small flock of hens. This morning one of the “hens” crowed. I am not allowed to have roosters. This and other Joe Salatin videos have helped me immensely. Thank you so much for sharing them.
TheZoowarden
October 29, 2011 at 4:50 am
@maxedart Do you eat the chicken livers? Weston Price reckons they are good for you !!!
ThePhantomLash
October 29, 2011 at 5:21 am
I would like to work at this farm. This is farming with integrity.
Crunchy68
October 29, 2011 at 6:00 am
I’m predominately Vegetarian,and have NO problem w/ this…THIS is HOW it SHOULD be done. I met Joel recently, and he’s is a brilliant passionate man…
impalapez
October 29, 2011 at 6:01 am
Well, we are going to process about 100 birds tomorrow for the first time. Thanks for the video; it’s very helpful. It’s going to take us more than the two hours you guys took; but the kids should have a great experience helping out. Keep up the posts.
JL
JSLaw1
October 29, 2011 at 6:48 am
those rotary pluckers are awesome.
KallyJones
October 29, 2011 at 6:59 am
This is disturbing to watch but also wonderful – much better than the standard factory types. It is so amazing how quickly this goes!
It would be great to buy chicken minutes after this was done strait from the source. I bet it tastes better.
watercoloreddreams
October 29, 2011 at 7:41 am
@amyro – here in America, the by-products of industrial-processed chickens (feet, head, guts, blood) get rendered (high heat etc) into a feed that is mixed with corn and antibiotics and often fed right back to the chickens, cows, and pork which we then eat. So, the government has actually ‘deemed’ this by-product as ‘safe to eat’. The beauty of this video & Salatin’s refusal to ‘feed’ into the industrial system, is that the consumer can actually see where their food his coming from directly.
maxedart
October 29, 2011 at 7:54 am
@amyro – here in America, the byproducts of industrial-processed chickens (feet, head, guts, blood) get rendered (high heat etc) into a feed that is mixed with corn and antibiotics and often fed right back to the chickens, cows, and pork which we then eat. So, no, the government has actually ‘deemed’ this by-product as ‘safe to eat’. The beauty of this video & Salatin’s refusal to ‘feed’ into the industrial system, is that the consumer can actually see where his food his coming from directly.
maxedart
October 29, 2011 at 8:12 am
Thats amazing how they do this…
PhilosopherKG
October 29, 2011 at 9:11 am
@jamison607 The rubber fingers “pull” the feathers right off the bird. The scalding before hand loosens the grip of the skin on the quill of the feather. Then the pluckers job is made easier.
hisblood27
October 29, 2011 at 10:07 am
Thanks for this! I’m working up to an Agriculture degree and I’m hoping to raise birds just like this. This kill process is the part I need to get used to. Thanks for posting this!
PDXMILO
October 29, 2011 at 11:03 am
Very humane kills. Good job guys
takadi
October 29, 2011 at 11:49 am
How does the plucker actually work? the mechanics of it?
jamison607
October 29, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Could probably sell the feet to asian markets and use the guts for dog food.
CrustyRim1
October 29, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Thanks
dmacosta1
October 29, 2011 at 12:52 pm
I could be wrong (I often am) but I believe most of that is discarded because the government has deemed it in our best interest that we don’t consume them. In many factory farms, the organs go for rendering into byproducts. I think Polyface composts what they can’t sell as food.
HeadTater
October 29, 2011 at 1:11 pm
2nd try on this comment – 1st didnt register my questions are what happens with the feet, heads an organs? are they sold separately? used for something else? would really like to know. nice video.
amyro
October 29, 2011 at 2:08 pm
excelente video, muy claro e ilustrativo.
saludos desde Mexico
hernanycynthia
October 29, 2011 at 2:38 pm
I’ll bet those chickens taste like chickens are meant to taste!
Pambie36
October 29, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Nice to see how you treat the animales !!
69henric
October 29, 2011 at 3:35 pm
This is a really great video. Very professional, education, and nicely shot. Well Done!
niceandblue
October 29, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Thanks for this video. It’s exactly as described in Omnivore’s Dilemma, and the detail you captured in each step is great.
elainevdw
October 29, 2011 at 4:01 pm