California - Northern

[debs_flock]

Yep, as long as you scald them properly, plucking is a breeze. You just have to get the wet feathers to not stick to your hands.

Too hot, or way too long and the skin will tear when you pluck. Also, too hot and you'll end up with rubbery skin (ick). I use an insta-read thermomether. Go for 140-150, but I try to hit as close to 145 as possible. Use the feet/legs for your handle. Dip the birds a combination of up/down and swish side to side like an old agitator washing machine. I forgot, put a couple of drops of liquid dishsoap into the water. It helps to get the water to penetrate the feathers.

When you think it is long enough, try pulling out a feather from the wing or tail. They should slide right out with no resistance. If there is any pull to them, dip the bird a bit longer and try again. When you start plucking, pull out all the tail and wing feather first before they set back up, then just pluck whereever is easiest for you. You can always redip if you need to, but I've never needed to do that as long as I didn't rush the original scald too quickly.

Oh, and if you don't have a thermometer, heat your water until it just starts to form little bubbles on the pan, just before the point of simmer. You should be able to put your fingers into the water. Hot enough so you don't want to leave them there, but not so hot as to burn you.

Deb

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Good luck on those wayward chicks Deb.....5 days! They should be hardy if they made it.

I really want to process but I just don't know how to find the time....and I have 4 right now, plus 17 chicks so you know I have at least 16 more

<----- hope that IS a joke! I would love to find someone to process them. Although the four EE cockerels are really beautiful and all the pullets from the same parents have all laid green eggs so I'd like them to be used and one is full of color and will be a beautiful roo!
OK, I do not see many black Ameraucana's. He's beautiful! So here's something I've wondered...ALL the black chicks that I have hatched from hens, a variety from EE's, RIR, Red Sexlink, Australorp covered by my silver Ameraucana roo are pullets! And I get a lot of black chicks. 3 out of the 4 that hatched last week are black so we'll see if that stays true but could this mean something about my roo? And if so, what? Are there not a lot of black EE or (true) Ameraucana Black Roo's? Or do I need to get out more!
Congratulations! SO, so cute! Did you get more? I've read one comment from someone saying they're a loud breed. Is that true? Are you selling any of the chicks?
This breed is on my must have list. Did you get to switch out the cockerel?
Amy Beth, I thought for sure it was an injury. I'm sorry you lost her but glad you decided to send her to UC Davis.
I bought the Tapatalk app (2.99). Makes it so easy to read the forum and upload pictures.

yep and met Ron there to boot
Here is the new pair
partridge can have slate or off white legs

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: I do that too. Haven't ever torn skin, so I guess I'm doing that right. Sometimes I have to redunk to get the wing feathers. But other than that, I haven't had any issues plucking. I was actually surprised how easy it was.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: I do that too. Haven't ever torn skin, so I guess I'm doing that right. Sometimes I have to redunk to get the wing feathers. But other than that, I haven't had any issues plucking. I was actually surprised how easy it was.
Sorry Kelly, I wasn't real clear, I only quoted you because I was agreeing with your plucking comment.

I was really just giving some extra info/encouragement for chiqita.

Deb

 

[Chooklet]

Actually, I find the plucking the easiest part. A minute or so in the hot water (145ish degrees), then plucking takes about 10 minutes by hand. I am OCD on the pin feathers, so that takes me several more minutes at the kitchen sink. Especially since most of the birds we process have dark feathers. You've probably eaten a million pin feathers in grocery store chickens, but since they have white feathers you wouldn't notice. I am fanatical about removing every dark feather you can see under the skin (it's like squeezing blackheads, LOL

)

Deb

Just processed my first chickens this weekend - 5 young roosters (5-6 months old). I did the scalding, and then plucked in about 10 minutes each as you said. I also spent time finishing up at the kitchen sink, and had fun popping the dark feather-zits! Some I could just push out with a finger nail, but others took a bit more work. I was actually quite pleased with the process. I know that the next round won't take as long - I knew absolutely nothing about what I was doing, but printed out the fabulous tutorial that is on BYC so that I had pictures of each step of the process, and watched some very helpful videos the night before.

Lessons learned:

1. Make sure your knife is sharp. Sharp sharp sharp. And easy to handle.
2. Start early in the morning. The yellow jackets love the smell of meat/blood, and show up as soon as it starts to warm up.
3. It really is kind of fun to do the Julia Child imitation when you are doing the final cleanup of the chicken at the sink. Hand puppet ready, wine ready, strong accent ready, GO!

Planning to process more in the next few weeks, and definitely planning to raise meat chickens next year.

 

[debs_flock]

I also spent time finishing up at the kitchen sink, and had fun popping the dark feather-zits! Some I could just push out with a finger nail, but others took a bit more work.

Yes, and if you get your fingers just behind them, you can make them shoot out, LOL

Chicken plucking is what made me go out and buy several yellow jacket traps. When the bees come around, I head for the house. I don't care if I have to pluck in my kitchen, they hurt!

And are tenacious!

Deb

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

I had a reply going and then lost it looking for a smiley.

I pluck them at the chicken sink. No yellow jackets there. I have also trimmed up 20 tri tips for a Church BBQ there too. It is much nicer and it is really just as sanitary as the big beef chunks. The beef actually smelled worse too.

The soap in the scalding water helps with the smell as well as loosening the feathers.

I might get some Meat Bird eggs to hatch either this fall or next spring.

I picked up a package of scalpels. That really helps with the cutting work. Make sure you do not break the spleen.

Ron

 

[ronott1]

I am off to the Heritage Expo tomorrow!

Ron

 

[chiqita]

Hopefully I see you tomorrow ron I have eggs for ya.

 

[amaguire]

I have buff and partridge cochins, speckled sussex, d'uncles, americauna, polish, and a few leghorns I rescued from the Stanislauss poultry abandonment. One of my girls is sitting on maran and swedish hen eggs also.