Chicken Butchering tools

[jaku]

The tools I use are a sharp fillet knife and a strawberry huller for scraping lungs- as to equipment, a Whizbang plucker, a scalder capable of holding temperature, and killing cones or some other method to hold the birds so they don't flop.

 

[JoJo 95]

6. No Spam. Spamming is posting the same thing several times. "Bumping" (posting to move a thread up on the forum list) and cross-posting (posting the same thread in several forums) are examples of spam.

 

[sovia]

I just processed my first bunch of meat birds this past weekend. Made a lot of mistakes, but learned a lot! Anyhow, the equipment I had on hand was a sharp boning knife, shears, lung scraper, pinning knife, and a SMALL pair of needlenose pliers (made removal of a stray feather much easier.)

We used two suspended traffic cones as killing cones which worked out very well. I had 5-gallon buckets below the cones to catch some of the blood. From the killing cones, the birds would go to the scalder (turkey fryer) and then into the Whizbang. From the Whizbang, they would go to a plucking table, if necessary, then the butchering table. I also had bowls of ice water nearby the butchering table - one for feet, one for necks, one for giblets.

From the butchering table, the birds received a final rinse and then went into a brand-new Rubbermaid 25-gallon trash can (sold at Sam's Club) filled with ice water and salt where they were allowed to chill.

After chilling, the birds were patted dry and then a blow-torch was used to singe any remaining feathers. The birds were then placed in plastic bags and sent to the refrigerator for 48 hours. I vacuum-sealed the birds, weighed them, and at last sent them to freezer camp!

 

[bnentrup]

here is a list of VERY simple tools/inexpensive:

-SCALDER: I use my turkey fryer that I bought with a pot at garage sale for $5.00
-Plucker: see picture below: about $10 or less in parts - and about 15-minutes to build using a PVC cap, and 5 black/rubber cargo straps attached to an old drill.
-SHARP Pruners: I use this for everything except the killing. Killing is best to have a sharp fillet knife and slice on both sides of the neck hitting jugular and not windpipe. Pruners are great for snipping the oil-gland off tail section, and opening up the cavity for pulling innards. It also makes snipping neck bones off very easily.
-TABLE: I have a fold-up table that I use for the eviscerating.
-storage tubs and coolers: I use coolers once the bird is ready to chill. The storage tubs collect innards/burn parts/waste etc.
-CONE Station: I used a cat litter container zip tied to a green-fence-t-post - to put the birds in upside down and hold while bleeding out. I AM SERIOUS when saying that there is little trauma to the bird this way. If you hold their necks while bleeding out- they do NOT MOVE or make a sound or twitch at all. It is eerily peaceful.