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

[ladybrasa]

For my case, we had typically purchased skinless parts anyway, so we prefer skinless. Also last year I was on a diet and of course skinless is healthier (I lost 50lbs but have fallen off … really need to start eating healthy again …). I do eat wings and didn’t want to waste them so thought plucking might be a bit easier. Breed was quite varied - a ‘project’ leghorn, two white rocks, and a Niederhiener(sp?). All were roughly 3.5-4 months old. The pins on the leghorn were an unsightly black (it was a ‘porcelain’ - imo feathering and color looked awful). I did notice that the four did seem easier to skin the body and pull away the skin, and didn’t have much issue with the silverskin either, as opposed to last year. Last year seemed more difficult to pull away the skin and silverskin, at least harder than in YouTube videos! Breeds were varied last year. Difference was processing was in fall and winter, and the birds were probably around 5 months, if I recall right. Could the season and/or age affect ease of skinning?

Oh BTW, if anyone is interested, I got four straight run Nierrderhieners (sp?) from McMurray. One male three female. The girls are pretty sweet. The sweetest lacks the cuckoo markings, bummer. Two are already getting red in the comb and wattles. All four, IMO, seemed to grow fast and big. I feel the boy had substantial meat on him at 3.5. -4 months for a non CX. Unfortunately I do not have a scale so I can’t tell you weights. I feel like he was roughly equivalent in size at 3.5 months as the couple of CX I had last year at 2 months. Well, not the freakishly huge breasts, but decent. Anyway, it’s just anecdotal and I am definitely not well versed in meat breeds, but tentatively Nierrderhieners might be a dual purpose to consider?

 

[Parront]

I have had that experience. I skinned some ducks last month much more easily than this last one. Should have done them all last month, they were not noticeably bigger.

 

[aart]

All were roughly 3.5-4 months old.

Prime time for pin feathers.

Older birds are going to be harder to skin.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Could the season and/or age affect ease of skinning?

I find with cockerels that they can become more challenging to skin after they have been in puberty a while. Different cockerels hit puberty at different ages so I'm not going to give you specific ages and expect them to be good for every cockerel on the planet. I typically butcher my cockerels between 16 and 23 weeks and I skin them. Some cockerels at 20 weeks, for example, may have pretty small testicles and aren't all that hard to skin. Other 20 week olds have pretty large testicles and are more challenging to skin. Of course by the time you see the testicle size it's too late to choose between plucking and skinning.

The correlation between testicle size and ease of skinning is one thing that makes me believe the hormones have a lot to do with it. But I often butcher pullets at 8 months after I've seen what eggs they lay. Pullets that old are easy to skin. They don't have the male hormones.

 

[Parront]

I find with cockerels that they can become more challenging to skin after they have been in puberty a while. Different cockerels hit puberty at different ages so I'm not going to give you specific ages and expect them to be good for every cockerel on the planet. I typically butcher my cockerels between 16 and 23 weeks and I skin them. Some cockerels at 20 weeks, for example, may have pretty small testicles and aren't all that hard to skin. Other 20 week olds have pretty large testicles and are more challenging to skin. Of course by the time you see the testicle size it's too late to choose between plucking and skinning.

The correlation between testicle size and ease of skinning is one thing that makes me believe the hormones have a lot to do with it. But I often butcher pullets at 8 months after I've seen what eggs they lay. Pullets that old are easy to skin. They don't have the male hormones.

I will second that. Old hens I have processed are much easier than the older males, that are not even as old as the retired layers, which are 3 or even 4 years old. I like the taste of the old hens, but some will not eat them because they have been pets too long! I think it is better to have a flock that is large enough to not make them pets.

 

[3KillerBs]

However, there were still tiny “hairs” and pins(?) to pick out.

I've even seen those on store-bought birds.

I singe them with a grill-lighter.

 

[Parront]

I've even seen those on store-bought birds.

I singe them with a grill-lighter.

That is a good idea!

 

[3KillerBs]

That is a good idea!

I had to come up with something when I had electric stoves only for 20+ years.

 

[Parront]

I had to come up with something when I had electric stoves only for 20+ years.

For just a few, much easier it would seem. Big hairy old rooster, I will keep lighting my gas stove. I have had electric stoves, but much prefer gas.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have had electric stoves, but much prefer gas.

Likewise, but gas wasn't an option in many of the places we've lived.