Any Reason Not to Cut Up at Butcher Time?

[wild chick]

About to take some to the freezer. Most all the posts of butchering are leaving a whole carcass. My most difficult / time consuming / frustrating thing is getting the insides out. What if I just cut directly up the breast bone or back bone (to one side of the keel or spine), to eviscerate easily, then made my cut pieces and let them rest a few days in fridge before freezing just like I would the whole chicken? These are hens, 1.5 to 2.5 Years old. Any thoughts?

 

[bobbi-j]

There is no reason you shouldn’t cut them up. Being old hens, though, they are going to be tough whether you let them rest or not.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

About to take some to the freezer. Most all the posts of butchering are leaving a whole carcass. My most difficult / time consuming / frustrating thing is getting the insides out. What if I just cut directly up the breast bone or back bone (to one side of the keel or spine), to eviscerate easily, then made my cut pieces and let them rest a few days in fridge before freezing just like I would the whole chicken? These are hens, 1.5 to 2.5 Years old. Any thoughts?

That's a great question.

My take... do what works for you. Some people even freeze legs and thighs separate from breast. I agree for us that is also the most time consuming part... yet I see some people just rip them out with no fear of popping bile sacks or poking intestines... maybe that skill will come with time... our process certainly isn't as slow as it was when we first started.

Sometimes... I do just dispatch and pluck, then give the whole carcass to my hubby (who won't dispatch but doesn't have issues once it is done).. He then simply strips the meat off... for grinding and the innards get tossed with the rest of the carcass. So we can't then use it for stock and such. But sometimes we have to work with what we FEEL like doing.

Your stated birds... will still need to be slow and low or pressure cooked to get nice texture... perfectly suitable for enchiladas, shredded tacos or sandwiches, Chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, chicken noodle soup. You can even cook them immediately and avoid resting all together.

Ohh... cooking at high altitude... I remember the fun of learning the differences it made in some (many) recipes!

Let us know how it goes.

 

[AudieWarren]

When plucking andeviscerating, we hang ours. It's so much easier. Hang by feet to pluck, tie the head up by the feet, place bucket underneath, and proceed to gut. We let ours Rest on ice in a cooler too save fridge space. After a few days, I leave some whole and cut the others up.

 

[AudieWarren]

https://smallfarmersjournal.com/hand-plucking-poultry/ I enjoyed this article so much. I took what I read and worked it to fit our needs. Our most recent chicken plucking Sunday.. Lol yes we call it that... Was a success. It really helped us out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I cut mine into serving pieces as I butcher them. Certain pieces will be served at the table and some go to broth. There are always different ways to do anything but I cut around the vent and pull the intestines out, then use poultry shears to cut up one side to get to the rest of the innards. I cut through ribs, that's easier with poultry shears plus my knife stays sharper. My cut is where I separate the breast from the back. The hard part is up where the wing comes in. If you can find the sweet spot it's not too bad but sometimes I go through bone.

If you want to try cutting up the backbone or breastbone go for it. Trial and error may give you the best way to go.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I always have trouble getting the lungs out, so I usually cut them up.

 

[wild chick]

@Ridgerunner - what brand Poultry Shears? My 10 year old Wusthof pair spring broke - got a new pair and the spring broke within a year. (Promise we were not abusing them!) They are the sharpest, best all 'round, but I'm afraid they aren't made in Germany anymore and not sure I want to buy yet another.

 

[Mosey2003]

I wish it had dawned on me to cut them in half when I did 4 old hens last Sunday. It would be much easier to cut up through the ribs on each side and then pop the bird apart.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I cut mine into serving pieces as I butcher them. Certain pieces will be served at the table and some go to broth. There are always different ways to do anything but I cut around the vent and pull the intestines out, then use poultry shears to cut up one side to get to the rest of the innards. I cut through ribs, that's easier with poultry shears plus my knife stays sharper. My cut is where I separate the breast from the back. The hard part is up where the wing comes in. If you can find the sweet spot it's not too bad but sometimes I go through bone.

If you want to try cutting up the backbone or breastbone go for it. Trial and error may give you the best way to go.

I would like to see YOUR video!