Salad Bar Chicken

As an homage to my hero, Joel Salatin (who raises Salad Bar Beef), I thought that might be a good title for tonight.  And, well, OK, it wasn't a salad bar, it was an olive bar, but still.

I had the pleasure of reconnecting with an old high school friend and discovering that we share a love of poultry.  He also has the good fortune to work at a salvage company.  When he mentioned crates, of course I had to jump on it.  Heck, even fiberglass ones that collapse.  Easy to clean, tough, easy to store.  What's not to love?  And he even was willing to trade for some longtail (Phoenix/Yokohama) chicks.  SWEET! 

When I was there picking up crates, he showed me the old salad/olive bars that his company had bought from a grocery store doing a remodel.  HMMM.  So many possiblities!  A brooder?  Maybe . . .but these had stainless steel inserts with a drain.  Sounds like a great slaughtering table!  I mentioned that I was interested, and sweetie that he is, he held on to one for me.  Heck, not only do they have food grade tubs, but underneath are plenty of shelves and a cabinet, plus some really great lockable casters.  It's about 7 feet long, about 4 feet wide.

Well, since Scott was off this week,  I thought it'd be easier to pick one up if he came with.  Off we headed.  The one with my name on it was mostly stripped (the compressor was taken out, the styrofoam lining was out, but that steel tub was in there, and Nathan had kindly left the lights in (with wires to be hooked up!).  WOW.  Now what would you expect to pay for a setup like that?  LOTS, right?  Nope.    $40 for a perfect slaughtering table?  YES!

It rolls like a charm, but he was nice enough to load it onto our trailer with a forklift.  It fit almost perfectly.  I mean, if I'd measured the thing, it couldn't have fit any better.  We got it strapped down and headed for home so we'd be home in time for Caitlin coming off the bus.  We did have to stop once and readjust the ties, but we made it in plenty of time. 

You've never seen a woman so happy about a salad bar . . .without any salad in it, even.  I can't wait to get it cleaned up, hook up an extended drainage pipe, and USE IT!! 

Sorry it's kind of a dark pic, but I can't get my phone to cooperate tonight.  I'll post better ones soon!