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

[Parront]

See, now those are the kinds of things I always forget to think about until I'm in the middle of everything and my hands are all bloody.

I used to do all the birds out in the garage and scald them, pluck them, put them in the ice chest like a fish on ice. Then do the cleaning in the kitchen at the sink with a lot of clean running water. No bloody hands.

 

[aart]

I'm used to skinny little layer types that scrape my hands when I reach in past the pubic bones.

Haha! Yep...and 8wo CX just gut easier than older layers, fascia hasn't gotten tough yet.

I must not be doing it right, because it took me way longer than 10 minutes.

First few I did took longer, now after a few dozen slaughtered..... kill to chill is ~15 minutes.

Key to plucking is the right temp scald water(I get 140°F out of water heater then up to ~155 on propane burner) and some practice. I have these spring clamps on a board about head height with a garbage can underneath for plucking. Most the feathers just peel right off.

 

[Molpet]

I must not be doing it right, because it took me way longer than 10 minutes. I swore "never again" after trying it twice.

CX are easier to pluck or skin than a older heritage cockerel. Night and day

 

[Parront]

Haha! Yep...and 8wo CX just gut easier than older layers, fascia hasn't gotten tough yet.

First few I did took longer, now after a few dozen slaughtered..... kill to chill is ~15 minutes.

Key to plucking is the right temp scald water(I get 140°F out of water heater then up to ~155 on propane burner) and some practice. I have these spring clamps on a board about head height with a garbage can underneath for plucking. Most the feathers just peel right off.
View attachment 1847438

Those look very efficient.

 

[aart]

Those look very efficient.

They work very well, I couldn't imagine plucking without them!

 

[Parront]

They work very well, I couldn't imagine plucking without them!

I am getting some! Where did you get them? Are they for holding brooms?

 

[aart]

Where did you get them? Are they for holding brooms?

Hardware store.
Yes.... broom, or other such handled things, holders.

 

[Parront]

Hardware store.
Yes.... broom, or other such handled things, holders.

Thanks

 

[BantyChooks]

Haha! Yep...and 8wo CX just gut easier than older layers, fascia hasn't gotten tough yet.

First few I did took longer, now after a few dozen slaughtered..... kill to chill is ~15 minutes.

Key to plucking is the right temp scald water(I get 140°F out of water heater then up to ~155 on propane burner) and some practice. I have these spring clamps on a board about head height with a garbage can underneath for plucking. Most the feathers just peel right off.
View attachment 1847438

The guts practically fell out. It was amazing.
Yes, a proper method of securing would've made it much easier. I think they were scalded properly—the plucker we were using was taking all the feathers off. It broke during the last few birds, hence why hand plucking had to be utilized. The wing feathers pulled out easily.

I plan on adding some more equipment over the winter. I've done enough now that I know what types of knives I like and such. A more secure hanging method is on that list; right now (if I use one at all) it's a baling twine loop over a tree branch. Tends to slip.

I do my butchering as a more spur-of-the moment thing, when I have some time that I don't need to be using to do something else, I have a bird I don't want in arm's reach, and the weather happens to be good. Unfortunately, that often means I end up doing it after dusk, which doesn't help me finish the bird any faster. I keep meaning to buy a hose head too so I can run one out to the area I have set up rather than having to haul the water out there in jugs. I don't want to gut them on my counter. I get that a lot of people do... I just don't.

CX are easier to pluck or skin than a older heritage cockerel. Night and day

I've tried both; I still suck at plucking on either type.
The feathers were easy to pull... I just must not be pulling enough at a time, because it took forever. <<shrugs>> I'll figure it out eventually.

 

[RUNuts]

I've also heard of using wax for duck plucking. Ever tried that? Does it really work?

Um. Kinda. The wax is to pull ALL the down off.

Duck feathers are water proof, so add a dash of dawn degreaser in the scald water. Pull the outer feathers and dip in wax for the down. If you dip in wax before pulling the outer feathers, it pulls the outer feathers and some of the down. I never got it down to where I was happy with it and we didn't scald right. I know so much more now.

After getting the majority of the down off, there are little hairs on the duck skin. All over. Roll the carcass over the lit burner and singe these hairs off. I usually singed the hair off my knuckles while I was at it. Be careful.

Yes, a proper method of securing would've made it much easier.

I zip tied the legs together and hung the zip tie on a hook. Aart's method is tight and secure too. The rope on a nail and the bird moved more than I liked.

I plan on adding some more equipment over the winter. I've done enough now that I know what types of knives I like and such. A more secure hanging method is on that list; right now (if I use one at all) it's a baling twine loop over a tree branch. Tends to slip.

Sharp knives that hold an edge are precious. Still need to hone them after cutting feathers. Even kitchen shears need to be new or sharpened.

I gut on a flat surface. Board on saw horses in the yard works. I bleach the board before butcher. Hasn't killed me yet. Hose everything down at the end. If the flies are too bad (or hornets), inside to the kitchen sink after plucking or skinning.