First butchering day; Actually quick and easy!

[dancingbear]

Cutting the throat first kind of defeats the purpose of pithing. Pithing first, they don't feel it when you cut the throat. That's what I like about it, I know the bird's dead instantly, not feeling anything.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
That's exactly why we did it in that order, too.

 

[MandyH]

Hey Ninjapoodles, what kind of rest or brining will you do to future birds before cooking or freezing them? We are too chicken to try the processing so far, but your post makes me feel like I could actually do it. Thanks again for the post.

 

[ninjapoodles]

I like the brines that combine sugar and salt best, but if you plan to barbecue the way we do (low heat, slooooooow cooking), it's not necessary.

 

[Half-a-dozen]

I am curious about this pithing possible...video? too!
We beheaded our first chicken two weeks ago.... MY GOSH!!! what a nightmare! The head was off and it was thrashing so badly (twitching, flopping etc...) I kept on yellin at DH..."Did ya do it right, is all of the head off... is there something hanging on making it do this?"...........AAAhhhggg! Never expected that at all. Everynight I went to bed for the next couple of days, the whole thing played out in my mind. And to say the least......it was disturbing so we never did eat the poor fella!

Sooo I am going to run out in the morning to look in my chickens mouth again to see if I can visualize this "spot" ...... Is it clearly noticeable???

Thanks

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
Yes, you can definitely see it. The scene you describe is pretty much what made me NOT want to behead. I watched tons of videos of the process, and it just upset me SO much. Intellectually, I knew it was "just a dead body," but still.

If people would really be interested to see it, I would be amenable to making a video next time. Is there enough interest? And if so, what would you like to see?

 

[tattooedchickenlady]

I'd like to! My Dh and I are buying a big bunch of birds for meat, and we needed a real-life honest explanation of what to do, which you gave us! Thanks so much!!

I'm pretty nervous about doing this but I feel like it's almost a necessity these days.......

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
NJ,
I'd also love to see you post a vid of pithing, so people can see how simple and fast it is. I'm a recent convert myself, and I'll be using pithing to process some young roos in about a week. I'd try to make a video, but I don't have a camcorder. My digital camera can only take little 2 or 3 minute videos.

Half-a-dozen, I'm so sorry you had such an upsetting experience. That's why I always left the actual killing part to my DH, in the past. Selfish of me, but he said he was willing to do it, so I let him. But now, since I've sent one chicken to meet it's maker by pithing, I know I can do this on my own.

I do hope you froze that roo, so you can eat him later, when you've had some time to distance yourself from the event.

The "spot", is actually a narrow groove in the roof of the chicken's mouth, it looks like a slot, running from front to back. It's clearly visible, and you want to point the knife at the area behind the eyes, toward the back of the scull. As Farmer Kitty said, you want to avoid hitting the frontal lobes, as that will tighten the feathers, hitting the rear portion of the brain loosens them. (I didn't know that part before FK posted it. I just knew it was a faster, easier, more humane way to shuffle them off this mortal coil."

I'm sure you'll find this method much better.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I laughed out loud on this one!!!

I used the same method but didn't know it had a name!

Thanks for the wonderful, descriptive post. I think your common sense approach and clear instructions will encourage others who may have some trepidation about processing their own birds. I am definitely trying the pithing the next time, as well as designing my own killing cone out of a 2 gal. bleach jug. I found skinning easier and quicker than plucking, myself.

Same with turkeys. We always skin turkeys, butterfly and fry the breast (until you've eaten turkey this way, you haven't lived!), and crockpot and soup for the rest.

 

[ninjapoodles]

That's exactly how we processed the wild turkey that we ate.

Something I just noticed (while I was pickling stuff) that might make a good killing cone is a gallon vinegar jug!