Considerations for butchering in heat - time between death and processing?

[Parront]

I will second the set-up the day before! Then Get A Very EARLY Start! One person can kill, one can skin. Big cooler with ice, skinned bird on ice asap. Then you could go inside to finish the processing and parting. Like @aart said, put some rock salt in, it makes the ice water colder, like in a home made ice cream maker. I try not to do much processing in these temps, it is already 99 degrees here today and it is still going up! Humid, too. I would try to be done by noon if I were doing some birds today. I have 2 that I will be processing next week, and I am hoping for a break in the heat. I like to cull them the day before garbage pick up, I bag the waste securely and put it out for the truck the next morning so it does not draw flies.
My set up is in the out door carport, hose near by. I kill and bleed them and then pluck them in the guest house kitchen. For me, I think plucking is about as fast as skinning, once you get the hang of it.

 

[ladybrasa]

I really appreciate all the thorough input! Right now I’m learning if everyone shows we can just do four at a time, one for each of us, so the carcasses wouldn’t be sitting around too long. If it’s just the two of us, I’m thinking lining a big cooler with ice packs and a trash bag and then laying a few bodies in there until we can get to them. That way they would hopefully start cooking a little, and the flies couldn’t get to them.

BTW, if I get a pot of hot water going to loosen feathers on the wings, how long should I dip them? I’ve not ever scalded before (and probably wont if this wing thing doesn’t work!)

 

[Parront]

I really appreciate all the thorough input! Right now I’m learning if everyone shows we can just do four at a time, one for each of us, so the carcasses wouldn’t be sitting around too long. If it’s just the two of us, I’m thinking lining a big cooler with ice packs and a trash bag and then laying a few bodies in there until we can get to them. That way they would hopefully start cooking a little, and the flies couldn’t get to them.

BTW, if I get a pot of hot water going to loosen feathers on the wings, how long should I dip them? I’ve not ever scalded before (and probably wont if this wing thing doesn’t work!)

I get my big canner fill with hot water add a little dish soap and heat it up to about 150. Then hold your chicken by the feet and dunk it up and down a few times. About a minute or so. Then test a big wing feather. It should come out easily. If not swish the chicken again and then check a feather. It takes practice to get a feel for how much to scald a bird. Too much and the skin cooks. Not enough and the feathers don’t pull out.

 

[ladybrasa]

Oooo, if I over scald the wings, will the skin just pull off too? For health reasons (and ease, mostly ease) ideally I wanted the skin off the wings anyway, it’s just really hard to do, but I don’t want to just discard the wings. Basically, I couldn’t really mess up either way, if I scald just right or over- scald?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Overscalding will not make the birds harder to pluck. No worries there. Bu the skin will tear so the carcass is not as pretty, which is important to some people. Overscalding can change the color of the meat on the surface which again can cause a not pretty carcass. As long as you don't get ridiculous about it that doesn't really cause any damage to the meat, but don't overdo it.

Don't expect overscalding to make it any easier to remove the skin, it can have the opposite effect. Instead of peeling it can cause it to shred.

 

[Parront]

Oooo, if I over scald the wings, will the skin just pull off too? For health reasons (and ease, mostly ease) ideally I wanted the skin off the wings anyway, it’s just really hard to do, but I don’t want to just discard the wings. Basically, I couldn’t really mess up either way, if I scald just right or over- scald?

Just take it slow, and do not try to over-think or over-scald! A little too much scald is just like a sunburn, the skin peels some and does not look as nice. If I was in a hurry, and had lots of people to help, I might have one person doing the scalding so that they get good at it, and the rest plucking, which takes a lot longer!

 

[Parront]

I often just use the wings (and backs & feet) in the broth. Then you do not have to worry about any little feathers, or the skin, they strain out anyway.

 

[trudyg]

I did 6 yesterday by myself. Had everything set up under the lean-to because of thunderstorms. I have 2 nails and a chain on a tree 20' away, use zip ties for the feet, run the chain between zipped legs and from one nail to the other (so they don't flop off) and do the cut. Take them off the tree, hose them off for any poop and hose the tree as well. I get yellow jackets more than flies, especially at the tree. I am NOT at all good at the gutting (timid, afraid I'll bust the gall bladder or intestines), so I get the feet and wing tips off, skin, and just cut off pieces (leg quarters, spatchcock the breasts) then get the guts out, tail cut off and put everything I'm keeping into the container. Cover with a towel, hang and slice the next bird. While it bleeds out, I take the done one into the house and put into the fridge. When all were done, I took a break and then pulled out of the fridge for final cleaning (initially I miss much of the lung and testes) and into food saver bags. I use the basins you get at the hospital, they'll fit 3 birds each if they're cut the way I do. Necks and backs get their own food saver bag to become broth, the others I put individual serving size into since it's just me. These were cornish cross, so rigor wasn't a big deal. I have one older hen who's losing weight, so plan on doing her next but no idea when. She'll be tougher to skin and there's not much meat on her, but broth should be great. Now, if I could get better at gutting. No matter how much I read and study, I just have a hard time with it.

 

[ladybrasa]

UPDATE: one friend showed, and we only got through 4 in three hours or so, before she had to leave for other obligations. We are so very inefficient. Have 10 more ready, and like 6-8 or so that will be ready soon (a few I’m not sure yet of gender). Then probably several in September/October. I really overdid it with hatching and a couple straight run TSC purchases! We will try again in about two weeks (work and all getting in the way).

Anyway, I tried scalding the wings - two pair. It worked alright. Feathers pulled out easily. However, there were still tiny “hairs” and pins(?) to pick out. Easy, but still time consuming, so carefully cutting skin off versus scald and plucking are roughly the same. So I’ll probably just stick to skinning. To clarify, I am talking about the middle wing section.

For anyone interested, we use loppers and this time we paid attention to sharpness. I sharpened as well as I knew how before. First two heads came off completely, but next two stayed on by skin or esophagus or non essential bits (everything important was cut). So for us, it seems a refresh sharpening will be needed every four birds or so. I mean, it would probably continue to cut and crush all the important bits, but we feel it’s best for the head to come off completely or mostly in one cut so there is no room for wondering if death was instant or not.

 

[Parront]

UPDATE: one friend showed, and we only got through 4 in three hours or so, before she had to leave for other obligations. We are so very inefficient. Have 10 more ready, and like 6-8 or so that will be ready soon (a few I’m not sure yet of gender). Then probably several in September/October. I really overdid it with hatching and a couple straight run TSC purchases! We will try again in about two weeks (work and all getting in the way).

Anyway, I tried scalding the wings - two pair. It worked alright. Feathers pulled out easily. However, there were still tiny “hairs” and pins(?) to pick out. Easy, but still time consuming, so carefully cutting skin off versus scald and plucking are roughly the same. So I’ll probably just stick to skinning. To clarify, I am talking about the middle wing section.

For anyone interested, we use loppers and this time we paid attention to sharpness. I sharpened as well as I knew how before. First two heads came off completely, but next two stayed on by skin or esophagus or non essential bits (everything important was cut). So for us, it seems a refresh sharpening will be needed every four birds or so. I mean, it would probably continue to cut and crush all the important bits, but we feel it’s best for the head to come off completely or mostly in one cut so there is no room for wondering if death was instant or not.

Depending on the age you can have those small "hair" feathers. They are filoplumes, you can singe them off over a gas stove burner pretty easy. I find plucking to be easier for me -- it takes me just as long to skin. Once you get the temp right on the scalding water, plucking goes pretty fast. I have never used lopers, but I do keep more than one knife sharp just in case. The younger you do them the easier it is to cut, older birds are tough. Sometimes waiting a couple of weeks longer will really help with the pin feathers, the will have grown out and will pluck easier. You will start checking for those pin feathers before scheduling your processing day! Different breeds will feather out at different rates.