butchering without bleeding out?

[averytexans]

This is our first time with meat chickens. We raised turkeys a few years ago, and the butchering was a disaster. Since I'm trying to prevent another awful experience that would COMPLETELY turn my husband off to the idea of raising our own meat, i have tried to enlist as much help as possible. I have a very sweet friend that was raised on a farm, killing their own chickens. The thing is. .she doesn't bleed them out.. she just breaks their necks, waits for them to stop flapping and then hangs them by their necks and skins them from their head down, taking all the guts out at the same time. This is how her family has done it for decades. Should I be concerned without bleeding the chickens out?

 

[Lukedawg]

I butchered 24 last year first time myself and here's my process...
Carry them upside down to a butcher stump
Slowly lay them down with neck laying long and then facing away then like a guillutine with an exceptionally sharp ....( sword, dagger, machete) I swiftly cut the head off before they can recover from the almost black out of hanging upside down the head comes straight off I am most sure of this due to my respect for nature and suffering.
One swift blow and the head is off and I hold them by the legs while doing this so they don't flap everywhere spraying blood all over then I take them ( about 5-8 mins pass) to a large pot sitting over a small fire and dip them in the hot water to loosen the feathers then hang them up to remove all feathers. This makes the butchering easier with them off.
I then immediately gut them and after gutting I clean them up a bit and cut off the feet and take them into the house where the wife processes then the way she wants them.
It works great for us and hassle free it is work however.
My wife uses the feet and excess items to make her own chicken broth later so nothing is wasted. Good luck!!!

 

[averytexans]

Thank you so much! My friend came over and we went ahead and did a few today. Good news is my husband loves how much easier it is to skin and gut them while hanging upright. I'm still concerned about the bleeding out process. My husband thinks all the blood comes out with the guts...but. . I'm just uneasy. I put the birds we skinned today in a salt water, apple vinegar and ice bath for a few hours to try and draw out as much blood as possible.

Any other thoughts?

 

[junebuggena]

While hanging upside down, is the head removed? If so, that should adequately bleed them out.

 

[averytexans]

No. .the birds are never hung upside down. They are hung by their neck.

 

[Em Ty]

I've only done it with a killing cone. It was actually a 5L bleach bottle with the bottom and part of the top cut out. The jug or cone is fixed with the wide end up and the bird goes in upside down, with the head sticking out the bottom. Slit the artery in the neck and let it bleed out. The cone holds the wings so there's no drama and the birds bleed out calmly.

After a few minutes it's on to processing however you wish. I really like how easy it makes it and how humane it seems to be.

 

[trudyg]

If your friend has done it this way for years and mentioned no blood issue, I'd be okay with it. You can always do it differently the next time, when you're doing it yourself. Once you eat one, you'll know if there's blood that bothers you. They don't have much blood anyway and soaking w/ salt should draw it out. Sometimes you do it their way just for the experience--she wouldn't do it that way if it wasn't and okay way.

 

[Sutremaine]

So... have you tasted one of these chickens yet? Very interested to know if it does much to the flavour.

 

[averytexans]

I'm cooking some of the breasts tonight. .I will let you know

 

[donrae]

So, how'd the meat turn out?