A hard decision- but it had to be made...

[Avalon1984]

OK, today is the day. Just got a last second pot at the grocery store to heat water, a thermometer and an apron, as well as ziplock bags. Bad thing is, I already had people approach me about wanting chicken. I could have sold 8 already

Oh well. Off I go. Wish me luck. Should I need urgent help I will find you all

Oh, and I bought pruning shears. I think they will work best.

 

[Dogfish]

Good luck.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
I always ask the rooster if it wants a beer before I drop it in the cone.

Since I can't get anybody at my house to help(not even to keep the water hot), I now skin half of the birds I butcher.
You don't even have to gut them. It's quicker for me.
I tie the legs apart on a low branch that puts the bird breast facing me right in front of my face where I can see what I'm doing.
Getting the leg skin started and skinning the wings is the hardest part but then they peel like a rabbit. I cut the wings out, then the breasts, then a slit under the ribcage and the liver and heart are right there. I don't save the gizzard.
Then I cut out the legs separating along the back and you're done.
All you need is an extremely sharp knife and rope or wire to hang them. My cone is a piece of aluminum flashing I pop riveted into a cone shape nailed to the post of my compost bins so the blood drains right into the compost.

I let the meat rest chilled about 3 days before freezing or eating.

I looked for a processor but couldn't find one nearby.
Adding transportation and processor fee to the price of feed makes for expensive chicken.

 

[saddina]

You'll do fine, soon as it's dead I can think "disection" instead of butchering, for me that's the right mindset to approach a carcass.

 

[Avalon1984]

Quote:
I think you are right. Once it stops moving it is mor elike a science project. If I have any doubts I'll go look at my bald hens. Still heating water. The therometer we bought was junk, said our room is 450 degrees. Thank God husband has a thermocouple I can use.

 

[la-pro]

Quote:
I always ask the rooster if it wants a beer before I drop it in the cone.

Since I can't get anybody at my house to help(not even to keep the water hot), I now skin half of the birds I butcher.
You don't even have to gut them. It's quicker for me.
I tie the legs apart on a low branch that puts the bird breast facing me right in front of my face where I can see what I'm doing.
Getting the leg skin started and skinning the wings is the hardest part but then they peel like a rabbit. I cut the wings out, then the breasts, then a slit under the ribcage and the liver and heart are right there. I don't save the gizzard.
Then I cut out the legs separating along the back and you're done.
All you need is an extremely sharp knife and rope or wire to hang them. My cone is a piece of aluminum flashing I pop riveted into a cone shape nailed to the post of my compost bins so the blood drains right into the compost.

I let the meat rest chilled about 3 days before freezing or eating.

I looked for a processor but couldn't find one nearby.
Adding transportation and processor fee to the price of feed makes for expensive chicken.

I really like your method. Sounds easy! We never cook a whole chicken around here anyways, and this way you definitely aren't spilling any guts on the meat.

 

[Avalon1984]

We are done too. What a challenge. The killing part was the easiest but it took us seamlingly forever to pluck. I was too nervous to skin so we decided to pluck for our first try. We had a bit of a hard time with the gutting too. How do you go about the membrane that seems to hold all innerds in? We had to really pull a few times to get everything out. With the first one we cut a bit too much away on the neck and with the second one we left a bit too much I think. Oh well. All part of learning

Thank you everybody for your knowledgable advice

Next time I will have 10+ I think I will have somebody process them. I would think they can do it a lot faster. For two or three we will do it.