Scalding and plucking~ VS ~skinning the whole thing

4H kids and mom

Cooped Up
12 Years
Mar 10, 2007
974
11
171
Southern Wisconsin
We are going to be doing some of our Cornish next week (about 7 or 8 of them) and I'm wondering if its worth the hassle to pluck them. I've heard that the smell with scalding is kinda gross and then you still have the "hairs" to worry about. This true?

My DH loves the skin. The kids and I don't care one way or another. I usually pull mine off because I try not to eat all that fat.....
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So which is easiest, cleanest, quickest? Is there a trick I can learn so I can skin some but leave the skin on some to appease the DH?

Also, there is a 'meat market' in town that will process the birds for me, (cull them, clean them, pluck them, dress them, USDA inspect them, wrap them up nice, etc) for about $2.50/bird. Is it worth it?

I don't mind the idea of doing it myself, but $2.50 to have someone else do it, doesnt sound that bad to me. Anyone ever done this? What was your experience like (good or bad)? How can I be sure I get MY birds back?

Lastly, about how long will it take to 'process' 7 or 8 birds of about 5 pounds each? I would be doing this myself while the DH is at work.

Thanks!
 
My wife plucks the chickens beautifully I love the way they look after she plucks them better than a professional. She tells me the trick is not to use scalding hot water but a warm water right off the stove.
 
I think we all need Baryarddawg's wife!
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I would pay the money to spare myself the experience, probably. If I had to, I would do it, of course, but it would probably be pretty traumatic at the ripe old age of 40 to kill & dress them-- especially alone!
 
2.50 does sound like a deal. Consider if you do 2 an hour is your time worth $5 an hour? heck do 4 an hour 10 bucks an hour.

Me..well the wife goes to bed around 10, and when I don't join her
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, I have a couple hours that I can get them done...

I also do not have a processor in town... would have to drive an hour to get to one. Not worth it at these gas prices.
 
We scalded & plucked ours. It does smell, but it's not that bad. We processed 10 chickens in about 5 hours -- with an additional hour off about midway for a lunch that neither of us really felt like eating.
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We have 15 more meat birds coming (not sure when; the co-op says the hatchery is behind for some reason) and I plan to find someone else to do the work. I like knowing I can do it . . . but I'd really like having someone else do it!
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Mom always plucked, --you mentioned the "hair" on the chicken. Mom singed it off--worked perfectly. She would just roll up a magazine page, light it and run it over the chicken, singing off the few scattered hairs after plucking. (Hmmm, that looks funny. I am trying to say Singe, not sing!. LOL)
 
I skin for my own use because it is cleaner and much quicker in general. With cornish, there aren't really those little hairs to worry about because they are so young. I wouldn't pay 2.50 for someone to do it but that's just me and I'm poor.
 

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