Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[Jennc-123]

Have done these, but can't imagine putting a carcass in soapy water.
Would make those suckers slickery and heard to pull out.

I don't find it slippery at all, surprisingly. It also makes me feel like I'm getting bacteria off of it because of the soap .

 

[CindyinSD]

I don't find it slippery at all, surprisingly. It also makes me feel like I'm getting bacteria off of it because of the soap .

I put a squirt of Dawn in when I scald them, to improve penetration of the water through all the plumage to the skin. When I see a great big crop of dark pin feathers though, that's when I stop plucking and get out the skinning knife. The cost-benefit analysis has shifted. I like the skin on, but maybe not quite that much.

 

[Jennc-123]

I put a squirt of Dawn in when I scald them, to improve penetration of the water through all the plumage to the skin. When I see a great big crop of dark pin feathers though, that's when I stop plucking and get out the skinning knife. The cost-benefit analysis has shifted. I like the skin on, but maybe not quite that much.

I am cheap so less time is better. My kids like the skin, otherwise I'd just skin. Good thing they're learning to pluck

 

[Compost King]

thought I would share my latest rooster culling. I felt bad doing this because this was one of my better roosters behavior wise but I needed to cut down on crowing roosters and this guy was the loudest of them all. Barred Rock about 4 months old. I also had 1 too many birds in that coop so why not take out the rooster?

This was the oldest rooster I ever skinned and I had to use channel locks to pull the skin off the bottom of the drumsticks. He also had many more feathers than the birds I am accustomed to skinning which made it tough to get a good grip on the skin to pull it off.

 

[Molpet]

thought I would share my latest rooster culling. I felt bad doing this because this was one of my better roosters behavior wise but I needed to cut down on crowing roosters and this guy was the loudest of them all. Barred Rock about 4 months old. I also had 1 too many birds in that coop so why not take out the rooster?
View attachment 2385126

This was the oldest rooster I ever skinned and I had to use channel locks to pull the skin off the bottom of the drumsticks. He also had many more feathers than the birds I am accustomed to skinning which made it tough to get a good grip on the skin to pull it off.

Ha wait until you try to skin a rooster over a year old. The middle of the back is super glued on.
I usually harvest cockerels around 16 weeks, they aren't that bad compared to over a year.

 

[Compost King]

Ha wait until you try to skin a rooster over a year old. The middle of the back is super glued on.
I usually harvest cockerels around 16 weeks, they aren't that bad compared to over a year.

Yeah it was a lot easier than I was expecting. there was a point on the back where it seemed glued but not super glued so it eventually peeled off.

 

[aart]

The middle of the back is super glued on.

Yes! Even the younger ones I used a knife to cut thru that attachment.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Missing this thread being active lately. Well, not being active.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I have decided that I DO NOT like to butcher in winter.... so yes less active here... still have a few extra roosters that should go but ... eh they are fine till it warms up some. still have folks asking about butchering turkeys too....

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Two new knives coming for the holidays - and we don't get near so cold here as most, but yes, I'm definitely careful in picking days to butcher. Cold cold hands are not quick and careful hands, and wool sweaters aren't well suited to sanitary butchering.