Another couple of questions about the process of processing...

[Alfheim]

Hi there - more questions...
Approximately how long does it take a bird to bleed out? 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Longer?
Say you have 3 cones and are processing a dozen birds. Can you bleed them out three at a time and then commence plucking once all of them are done (or at least the first 9)?
Now that you have your nicely cleaned chickens, can you part them out or do they need to go through the couple of days of resting?
I think that's all for now. We might try processing one or two this weekend.

 

[Elke Beck]

Hi there - more questions...
Approximately how long does it take a bird to bleed out? 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Longer?
Say you have 3 cones and are processing a dozen birds. Can you bleed them out three at a time and then commence plucking once all of them are done (or at least the first 9)?
Now that you have your nicely cleaned chickens, can you part them out or do they need to go through the couple of days of resting?
I think that's all for now. We might try processing one or two this weekend.

It takes less than 3 minutes for the bird to bleed out if you make a good cut. If you only partially open the artery, then it can go on and on.

since you are new to processing chickens, I strongly recommend that you do one at a time, and plan on doing at least two on the first go 'round. Expect that the first one is not going to go according to plans, and the second is your opportunity to fix the mistakes you made with the first. Once you have done a few you will be able to judge how many you can do at a time. Starting out keep your expectations low and then if you can do more, great!

You can cut the chickens up, but the parts still need to rest.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Great advice above. I learned a lot from my first attempt and it may have been overwhelming if I had somehow lined myself up to do tons the first day. My first didn't go too smoothly and I felt really bad about it. I also learned that I needed a sharper knife and a few things set up differently. As much as it is my least favorite part of the process, I have learned to linger over the bleeding out process rather than just leave or move on to the next bird. I want to be sure I've got a good cut and that the bird is bleeding properly so that it goes quickly (it always seems longer than it should) after walking away from the first one, doing a few chores, coming back and discovering it was still alive. I fell HORRIBLE and vowed I'd stick around in the future and be sure I'd done the deed properly.

I am considerably more efficient and proficient now, but I still pay a great deal of attention to the dispatching of the chicken to make it as quick and painless as possible.

I also have learned the maximum number of birds I can fit in my cooler for the ice bath portion of the process, in my sink for the final draining of the birds and the likely room I'll need in my refridgerator for a few days of resting. I don't know how folks do it who do dozens at a time, but nine is about all I can find room for in my refridgerator for a few days of resting. Add the stock and there isn't room for much else.

 

[Alfheim]

Our plan was to start with two the first time out. Probably this weekend.
We have the great advantage of having a spare fridge that is almost always empty. Being dog breeders/exhibitors we have a giant grooming sink that I am sure will come in handy. I am pretty much planning on having everything covered in plastic drop cloths - think "Dexter" kill scene. I am going down to the local restaurant supply and buying a new knife tomorrow and have a good sharpener at dog shows.
My main reason for asking about multiples is "can you"... like nothing gets funky or spoiled if it say takes fifteen or twenty minutes before you start plucking. I am not ready for that ambitious of an undertaking until I kill and process a few first.
Hopefully, all will go smoothly.

 

[Elke Beck]

My main reason for asking about multiples is "can you"... like nothing gets funky or spoiled if it say takes fifteen or twenty minutes before you start plucking. I am not ready for that ambitious of an undertaking until I kill and process a few first.
Hopefully, all will go smoothly.

Unless it is super hot, in which case I would say put off the processing until it is cooler, there is no problem with the freshly killed chicken being out at room temperature for up to 60 minutes. Plucking is another issue because once the bird starts stiffening it seems to set the feathers and make it harder to pluck, in my experience. I would not want to let the bird get too stiff before I processed it because it is easier to get them into the bag when the limbs are still flexible and not frozen in odd positions. Trust me, I had a bird whose legs froze sticking straight out, and I had to get my mother to hold the legs down so that I could close the freezer bag, so I know.

 

[Alfheim]

How long does it take for them to stiffen?
Also, assuming I dunk them in hot water, how long does it take to pluck a bird?

 

[DadandJB]

I just processed our first 25 CX over the last few weeks. After plucking, they went into the ice bath for an hour or so, then were rinsed and bagged. We never had a big problem with the birds being so stiff we couldn't bag them. The biggest problem was the larger birds simply not fitting into gallon freezer bags. About 5 1/2 pounds was the size limit, which worked well for us, since that's what we were looking for.

Watch your scalding temperature. If it's too hot, or you scald too long, the skin will tear badly when plucking. I found that 150° for exactly 30 seconds was perfect for our birds. I guess size and age will have a bearing on temp and time. Our birds were all between 7 and 8 weeks old and dressed around 5 1/2 pounds. As far as how long it takes to pluck, my first few birds took probably 10 minutes each, the last several, about 2 1/2 minutes each. Do yourself a favor and get some neoprene or rubber coated gloves. They grip the feathers like plucking fingers and strip them right off. Also, when plucking, go against the grain. I always start with the largest feathers (wing) first, then tail. Pay attention to which way the feathers are pointing and pull against the grain. For the rest of the bird, I started at the ends of the legs, gripped each one and just pulled down. The feathers came right off. Rub against the grain over the rest of the bird to finish it. It takes longer to eviscerate than it does to pluck.

I also discovered that if you take the time to completely loosen the crop, esophagus and trachea deep into the neck cavity, you can then reach into the body cavity, feel around until you can grip the esophagus and trachea both, then pull out. This removes everything at once, and usually even pulls the lungs out as well.

 

[Elke Beck]

The bird that was hard to fit was a dual purpose cockerel, so he had really long legs. I have not had the problem with Cornish X.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I just processed our first 25 CX over the last few weeks. After plucking, they went into the ice bath for an hour or so, then were rinsed and bagged. We never had a big problem with the birds being so stiff we couldn't bag them. The biggest problem was the larger birds simply not fitting into gallon freezer bags. About 5 1/2 pounds was the size limit, which worked well for us, since that's what we were looking for.

Watch your scalding temperature. If it's too hot, or you scald too long, the skin will tear badly when plucking. I found that 150° for exactly 30 seconds was perfect for our birds. I guess size and age will have a bearing on temp and time. Our birds were all between 7 and 8 weeks old and dressed around 5 1/2 pounds. As far as how long it takes to pluck, my first few birds took probably 10 minutes each, the last several, about 2 1/2 minutes each. Do yourself a favor and get some neoprene or rubber coated gloves. They grip the feathers like plucking fingers and strip them right off. Also, when plucking, go against the grain. I always start with the largest feathers (wing) first, then tail. Pay attention to which way the feathers are pointing and pull against the grain. For the rest of the bird, I started at the ends of the legs, gripped each one and just pulled down. The feathers came right off. Rub against the grain over the rest of the bird to finish it. It takes longer to eviscerate than it does to pluck.

I also discovered that if you take the time to completely loosen the crop, esophagus and trachea deep into the neck cavity, you can then reach into the body cavity, feel around until you can grip the esophagus and trachea both, then pull out. This removes everything at once, and usually even pulls the lungs out as well.

Here's a great web page I have book marked for all my processing questions: http://butcherachicken.blogspot.com/

I also love their shrink wrap chicken bags. I've put an over 7lb whole chicken in one with no problem and ended up with a nice, tidy package: http://poultryshrinkbags.blogspot.com/