Butchering smell?

[June2012]

Hi!

I am interested in raising chickens, but my mother grew up on a farm and her childhood is filled with home grown and butchered chicken. She says that the scalding of the chicken reeks!

Now, it is my father that's the problem. He used to eat pork as a child, but he saw a pig eating a pile of feces (yes, poop), NEVER again did he eat pork again, Not 10, 15, 20, thirty years later. Will not touch or eat it unless he doesn't know. Chicken wise, if he smells this smell and knows of the source (according to mother), he won't eat chicken again. Seriously. And he only added chicken onto his pallet in the past decade or so. Before, eating it was a struggle for his protein requirements.

Does anyone have suggestions on dealing with this? Does this go for ducks, geese, and quail as well? If anyone has suggestions, I would love go hear it! TIA!

note: on mobile. Sorry for typos!

 

[perchie.girl]

sorry I dont know but am interested in the answers....

 

[trudyg]

The smell comes from the scalding, so bypass that step and skin them instead? Some folks have said that, if you hose them off before scalding, the scalding doesn't smell. Smell is individual--what doesn't bother me can bother others. All I smell when I skin is warm flesh, and you wouldn't smell even that unless you're the one doing it. Maybe do this on a day he's away?

 

[RockyFieldsFarm]

We do everything outdoors. The eviscerating process is done in a sheltered area, but not in a home-kitchen. My job in the process is gutting the bird. Personally - I think the stinkiest part is when you accidentally knick the internal organs...

 

[June2012]

We do everything outdoors. The eviscerating process is done in a sheltered area, but not in a home-kitchen. My job in the process is gutting the bird. Personally - I think the stinkiest part is when you accidentally knick the internal organs...

That is exactly what I was thinking, but my mother said that the smell is still pretty strong. I thought about doing it when he's not home, but I read that chicken poop stinks... It's poop, so I understand, but how much dies it smell?

 

[RockyFieldsFarm]

That is exactly what I was thinking, but my mother said that the smell is still pretty strong. I thought about doing it when he's not home, but I read that chicken poop stinks... It's poop, so I understand, but how much dies it smell?

If the birds are generally clean then they won't be covered in filth - so the scalding will not be a gross step in the process. Out in the open air it's not that bad - enclosed? Yeah... It could be ripe. And I'll reiterate I still think knicking the internal organs by accident is ultra-stink-a-Mungus. That being said - your dad sounds like someone who should perhaps NOT be around when processing birds is taking place. .... Or at least until you've done it a few times and you're comfortable doing it and it's a smooth process.

 

[perchie.girl]

I have not butchered yet.... But I have been reading. Do any of you remove feed for the last twenty four hours.

Somewhat cleared digestive tract??. When processing Bresse in France they feed them only yogurt or milk for the last day...

I also suspect it depends on how many you are processing in one day too?

deb "always learning"

 

[trudyg]

It never occurred to me that someone would do the entire process indoors. Try to have your setup away from the house entry, so no feathers can be blown in and have the hose handy to rinse away anything that will make a smell. i cut up chicken in the kitchen sink once and a tiny bit rinsed down the drain but not past the u-trap--what a smell! Used baking soda and vinegar to bubble it past the joint. Anyway, if possible, I'd send Dad away for the morning so you can do it all while he's away. Nice and cleaned up when he gets home. then wait a week or so before you cook it, so he'll have some distance. Be sure to cook it in a way that it's so delicious that he wants to eat it..... Should overcome any squeamishness and he'll look forward to the next meal.

 

[RockyFieldsFarm]

I have not butchered yet....  But I have been reading.  Do any of you remove feed for the last twenty four hours.

Somewhat cleared  digestive tract??.  When processing Bresse in France they feed them only yogurt or milk for the last day...

I also suspect it depends on how many you are processing in one day too?

deb  "always learning"

Yes, you remove it the day before so it's not in their digestive tract or in their gizzard. If you feed them you'll be cutting off full gizzards... It's gross and mostly wasteful.

Supply water still.

We process 40-70 in one day.

 

[June2012]

It never occurred to me that someone would do the entire process indoors. Try to have your setup away from the house entry, so no feathers can be blown in and have the hose handy to rinse away anything that will make a smell. i cut up chicken in the kitchen sink once and a tiny bit rinsed down the drain but not past the u-trap--what a smell! Used baking soda and vinegar to bubble it past the joint. Anyway, if possible, I'd send Dad away for the morning so you can do it all while he's away. Nice and cleaned up when he gets home. then wait a week or so before you cook it, so he'll have some distance. Be sure to cook it in a way that it's so delicious that he wants to eat it..... Should overcome any squeamishness and he'll look forward to the next meal.

I would never do it indoors, ever, but she said that even though butchered outside, it still smells! If it smells that bad, I don't think I would want to smell it either!