Defeathering-immediate, or can it wait?

[thebulg]

We are in a situation where my husband may need to kill our first chicken before I am home to finish the processing. Can you leave the feathers on for a day or two after bleeding the chicken out? Does it matter?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

We are in a situation where my husband may need to kill our first chicken before I am home to finish the processing. Can you leave the feathers on for a day or two after bleeding the chicken out? Does it matter?

My concern would be that if you are not plucking the bird are you also not eviscerating it for that length of time? How would the bird be stored in the meantime?

 

[thebulg]

A large refirgerator, by itself.

 

[thebulg]

If you don't eviscerate immediately, is that a bacterial issue? We didn't do any research thinking we might encounter a scenario where I would be absent.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Not something I have personal experience with - but there is some information out there from others who have left birds feathered and un-gutted after killing - this is one of the things I have read (granted, it's pheasant) http://honest-food.net/2012/10/20/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

 

[thebulg]

That is really helpful o grey mare!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This discusses plucking but hanging the bird without gutting......
http://www.poultryclub.org/poultry/keeping-birds-for-meat/