I use a cone attached to a pole in the garage, low enough for head to be in bucket when throat is slit. Catches most the splatter, especial if you hold onto head while they drain.
Yes, the rope around the feet, the hook of the coat hanger in the lower jaw, the area the beak makes a v. The cut end of coat hanger to hook onto the bucket handle. These are the things we used years ago in my family. I never saw them (Grandparents) use a cone. The garage had a big laundry tub where the washer drained, good for rinsing before taking him inside to clean. A hose in the yard would do just as well. The bucket does not have to be very heavy, just to stretch him out and it keeps him still while the blood drains into the bucket. Good fertilizer for the fruit trees, or just put water in it and wash it down the drain. I would put it on dog kibble if I had a big dog.
Gotcha!! Thanks!!
Enjoy your young rooster! I can never understand raising one until it is big enough and then Not eating it! You paid good money for the best feed, he had the best life, and now he is appreciated as dinner!
Yes, a 2 car garage with the door open and a laundry sink, a big Sears chest freezer and an extra refrigerator (Beer when chickens were not filling it up). A large cooler with ice water makes things nice, too. Hardly ever park cars in your garage in So. Cal, anyway. I don't think it was any more mess than any other project going on in the garage -- disassembled washing machine, or parts of the weed whacker on the bench! The hardest part was putting away that crap to get room on the bench for butcher stuff, like knives, clean dish towels, I heated up the scalding water in the kitchen. To get 3-4 birds at a time, I put them in the cooler with the feathers on. That gets them wetted down. Then, take them in the house and scald and pick in the AC, sitting down. This gets faster after you get the hang of it. It really only takes ~5 min to get the feathers off the bird. These were Cornish-X, so not too many feathers. When I did ducks, LOTS more time! ~30 min per duck to pick. But, I like duck skin a lot, worth it. So Crispy! Lots of people would skin the ducks. Orpingtons & Rocks have more feathers than Cornish, but taste better! Orpington roosters are the best, I think. I don't care what color the skin is. Some people think they look funny, too pale. They look great roasted! And, keep the feet for the best chicken soup. Peel off the scales after you scald them, boil them with the necks and backs. YUM!
