Brand new to chicken slaughter NEED ADVICE

[jaku]

Cones work great. I made some out of sheets of ductwork. Can't help you on plucking though, without my Whizbang, it takes me about an hour per bird. I don't understand how people do it!

 

[mhoward92]

yeah, I'm focusing on setting up a station so i can do this as "clean" as possible. I think im going with the cone but as far as plucking the feathers I'm not sure how ill do that. I'm going to a guys house that does this for a living and learning how to "gut" or "process" them properly so I can resell them and they look nice and not all mangaled up.

 

[ldemmert]

I was in the same boat as Mhoward so I went on craigslist and asked for someone who would rent out his whizbang chicken plucker. Whad'ya'know but I got a reply and the very kind gentleman actually offered to show me around the butcher table. I just love friendly folks.

 

[mhoward92]

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Awesome! friendly people are always nice to have around arent they? I think I'm gonna try scalding the chicken and handplucking them first. If i don't like that I'll go to step 2 with the whizbang

 

[lostsoulhelpmejebus]

I find that each time I have to off and clean a meat bird, the easier it is and the more experienced I become. I don't raise more than 5 or so a year, so I can't say I would win any plucking or evicerating championships. I have learned all I know concerning dressing out meaties either from here or just doing it. You can do a search and find alot of info about nearly any subject concerning chickens. I have spent many hours poring over the info contained here. Wish you the best of luck!

 

[lostsoulhelpmejebus]

PatandChickens
I cheat...I use my turkey fryer!. Just heat up the water in the fryer pot, put on the lid and turn it off. I dispatch my meatie then dunk him, (pot off fryer, of course) up and down for about 45-60 seconds and the feathers come out so easily. Tried 2 minutes the first time but that was too much. When you tried to pluck the feathers the skin came along too!!!

 

[jvls1942]

how much did the man charge to rent the plucker??

..jiminwisc........

 

[cheeze]

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I kill all mine with a very sharp axe on a tree stump with 2 nails drove in it to hold the head while i hold the chickens feet. after the head comes off i hold mine by the wings and feet till they stop moving.

omg plz do not scrub the chickens with a wire brush lol.

i only do about 2 -4 chickens at a time so far , i live alone so thats enough for a week for me. so far i pluck all mine by hand and its not hard at all.

you dont "boil" them thats way too hot . i dont measure temp but i get it till its nice and steamin but not a boil then dip them for a second then fluff the feathers up a bit and dip em again . if its too hot the skin just tears all to pieces and makes a mess.

normally on the second dip feathers start almost falling out in ur hand, the only ones hard to pick are tail and wing feathers they have big "stems" for lack of better word.

 

[greathorse]

I grew up in a slaughter plant where we slaughtered everything from chickens to cattle. The scalding temperature is critical to your success. It really should not vary more than a few degrees from 148F. Pigs were the same and I have done thousands of them. If you scald too hot the skin gets very gummy and feathers stick like glue. Too cold is almost better, but below 140 and sometimes the feathers wont loosen.

Dunk the chicken up and down in 148 degree water, When the feathers on the thigh slip very easily dip for just a few more seconds and get them out of the water. Use a good rubbing motion with your hand to rub the feathers out, the wing and tail feathers need to be literally pulled. After you have most of the feathers off use some water to clean the sticky feathers then a knife or something for pin feathers.

It is a mess under the best of circumstances but make certain you dont get them to hot it makes a real mess

 

[unionwirewoman]

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