Butchering- Prep and how to?

[Ms Biddy]

Where do you guys gut the birds after you slaughter them? Do you have a special work area or do you do it in your kitchen?

We have a stainless steel prep table that we set outside with a hose and a bucket for feathers and guts. I've used a plastic folding table too.

Scalding and plucking by hand isn't that hard if it's only a couple of birds. Setting everything up and cleaning it all takes the most time.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Gut them outside on a plastic table. Rinse them with a hose and throw them in a cooler with ice water. Then I bring them inside, rinse again in a sink, dry they off, and put them in vacuum seal bags. It's too messy for me to do inside.

I want to get 4 cockerels to butcher this summer, do you think I could gut them outside? I live in a residential neighborhood and I’m worried that someone will call the health department on me.

 

[Mylied]

I want to get 4 cockerels to butcher this summer, do you think I could gut them outside? I live in a residential neighborhood and I’m worried that someone will call the health department on me.

Do you have a fenced in backyard? I live in a rural area, so no one's cares. And as far as I know, you're allowed to butcher your own chickens for your consumption, so what would the health Dept do? Have a bucket for feathers and guts and you won't even be littering. ;-)

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

My backyard is surrounded by a 4 foot chain link fence. So I guess it won’t be a problem. I’m definitely going to do the actual butchering in my garage. Thanks for the reply.