"dispatching" & scalding ?'s

[Midwest Lizabeth]

Okay. Got too many roos. Some have to go to freezer camp. Have watched the u-tube video where they hang them and dispatch the chickens. Some advise to just lop their heads off with tree loppers (<-loppers are where I'm leaning).

IF we lop off their heads and then go to scald the birds, wouldn't water get inside them? Is it better to just slit their throats? Getting rid of the heads/eyes looking at me by lopping them seems good, but. . . .? And what temperature should the scalder be set at? rolling boil? We'd planned on using our turkey fryer loaded with water to scald them. Then, into ice, then remove insides (save heart, gizzard, livers), cool down, age in refrigerator for 2/3 days, then to freezer. Are we on track?

Any tips on removing the guts?

This is the first year we ever got day old chicks so we need to process some of them. We like home raised food and spent yesterday processing a deer, so we should be able to deal with our roosters.

Thank you for your words of wisdom.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
Many people lop off the heads. THe worst thing that could happen in some water get into the lungs, which is no big deal. I slit not lop. Scalding water should be around 145 degrees, and I scald for 25-40 seconds. Tip on removing the guts.........lotsa practice. It is probably going to take you awhile the first time. Don't be discouraged. Each time it will get easier and faster.

Goodluck!

 

[Midwest Lizabeth]

BigRedFeather:

I did lop/skin two chickens this past summer when our no good dog got a hold of them. I ended up splitting them up the middle (like a deer). It didn't help that I was late for work. I just didn't want them to go to waste. . .

It's alway harder when they've become pets and are the first. At least hubby hasn't named any of these roos. I still have to select and band the best boys as we are thinking about raising our own next year. We can't decide which colors to raise or which kind of chickens. I got "dual purpose" chickens, but they do not get too big. It is so annoying that 2/3 of the day olds were roos. But, if we get good at this, we just might buy a bunch of roos next year. We'll see how it goes.

Thank you for the encouraging words.

Midwest Liz

 

[Oregon Blues]

I lop heads and haven't had water inside the birds. But don't forget that after the bird has been cleaned, you are going to rinse the inside with water and are very likely to have the carcass cooling in ice water at least for a little while. So it isn't going to hurt your bird to have water get inside.

 

[Renee']

I tried the loppers it didn't work. I don't know how to describe what happed, it just didn't work so I slit.

Maybe if you have a brand new pair of expensive, razor sharp loppers it would work good but mine "didn't cut it".

ML, is correct, the scald water only needs to be 145-165. If you dunk for 30 seconds and the feathers don't easily pull, then raise the temp 5 degrees and dunk again. Too cold and the feathers don't fall off, too hot and you actually start to cook your bird.

Yes, the feathers nearly fall off, their will be very little, if any tension when the are scalded correctly.

 

[Fenika]

I actually came for the dispatching question, but can also help with the gutting. I just posted a thread with video in the Guinea section on how to gut a bird and whatnot.

For the dispatching, I prefer to drive a sharp knife or such into their hind brain and twist. I stab twice to be sure. There's info online about this. I then immediately slit the throat by either jaw.

 

[Midwest Lizabeth]

Oregon Blues: excellent point. duh (me). I guess I was worried about all the crud on the outside of the bird coming into contact with the interior before plucking.

Renee': I do like loppers. They aren't particularly sharp or expensive, but they do go through bones very effectively. I've only used them on two mangled chickens so far (and many deer legs). I guess we'll have to try both ways. The loppers do crush so they might not bleed out as well as slices with something razor sharp.

It's so nice to have a place where we can discuss such things. Most people do eat meat, but they just want it from a nice package in the store. When hubby/I tell others that we do raise/or shoot some of our own meat, the looks we get aren't always too pleasant. I will get up the courage to do what needs to be done with our roos. We like knowing where our food comes from. Having such support is great!

Liz

 

[lilcritters]

My hubby does the ring the neck thing... No water gets any where then.


April

 

[yinepu]

My husband shoots the bigger birds in the head.. I use loppers and pruners on the smaller birds (smaller chickens, bantams and quail)
I've never had a problem with them bleeding out and if my husband doesn't get a "clean kill' I know the loppers will finish the job nicely on the bigger birds. They also sever the bone very easily so all I need to do is cut the head the rest of the way off with shears.. my Fiskars loppers won't cut through ALL the skin since they need another sharpening; but they do a good job of severing the artery

for scalding we use the turkey fryer and get the temp up around 155ish.. give or take a bit

 

[Beekissed]

I slit the whole throat, let bleed out, then take off the rest of the head with the loppers. No water can get into your bird through the neck opening...not even into the lungs, as these work on negative pressure and are not just empty, distended balloons connected to a rigid hose. I wouldn't worry about that issue anyway, as was previously mentioned, your whole bird will eventually be in a cold water/ice bath.

Any tips on removing the guts?

Be careful of nicking or tearing your bowel tissue and also be careful of the gallbladder, which is attached to the liver, and can taint your bird if burst.​