Can it take too long to butcher?

[jaku]

I wouldn't worry unless it's taking your over an hour. Ideally, they should be cleaned and cooled to under 45 degrees in less than an hour, but there's some grace period. Remember, sometimes hunters don't get to gut their deer until the next morning, and the meat is fine, depending on temps. Butcher one bird at a time, go as fast as you can (doing it safely and correctly,) and keep ICE COLD water on hand to get them cold as soon as possible when you're done.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
well maybe if yer talkin spring turkey, but during deer season the part I remember the worst was freezing my rear off.....I wouldn't worry about my deer spoiling at those temps, and we're talkin ARKANSAS where it never gets truly *cold* lol


As for chickens, I usually have them done in under an hour, and plucking takes me the longest. I've only done 2 roos, so I expect (hope) to get better with practice

It takes FRESH meat a long time to spoil. Longer than the USDA would have you believing, coz remember they gotta worry about all the "what if's" -- by their standards I should be way past dead by now

If I get meat from the store and it spoils too fast, I don't buy from that source again coz I know the meat was either contaminated or old.

 

[bugflipper]

No worrier. Just think of the people in South East Asia. Hot humid conditions, perfect for bacteria and spoilage. No refrigeration for the most part. You will get quicker at it with practice.

 

[SarahFair]

I left my lungs in..
I read somewhere it can make the chicken taste better

 

[smith2]

Never heard the "lung/taste" connection, but I have accidently left them in before and didn't have any problems eating the meat. Interesting lung-in concept. 'Course, I can eat chicken 3 meals a day just about any way one can think of. O, that reminds me I need to get up and go fry some for lunch.

 

[spamee34]

we usually kill about 5 and hand them out to the kids ( teens) and they take their time dad and I can clean out bird out in about 5 mins and then start cutting off the lets and wing feathers but we do not do it in a MARKET fashion we just do it for us to eat so neatness is not always the key we have wings with sharp bone's and sometimes legs with sharpness but we get it done fast and to the freezer. I think the key is having a good work place and I keep and ice chest of ice cold water there beside us and if my hands cramp I just put the bird over in the water and give my fingers a break . But if ya watch his video it is quick to do and it alll comes out fast the bigest thing is to pull it all out with out squeezing the insides .