Hanging with my peeps in Texas.

[JB8907]

Hello,

I was recently gifted 7 RIR and 2 Leghorns by a friend to get me started. Kids wanted their own chickens for Christmas so I contacted a local breeder and she, a total stranger, gifted us 3 Lavender Marans and 5 Black Copper Marans because they didn't meet the standard for some reason or another and she wasn't going to sell them. So I bought my wife 2 Gold Laced Easter Eggers from her because I don't want something for nothing. The EE Leghorns and all of the Marans will be egg producers and pets until they aren't producing anymore. The RIR and all offspring will be sold or food. Here to learn and buy sell and trade.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Welcome! So what do you want to know?

 

[JB8907]

Best ways to butcher. The breeder is awesome and very knowledgeable. Answers questions in an hour max. But she doesn't eat hers. So..... Here I am. I know a guy that does but he skins his and we like the skin.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC.
We are glad you joined this flock!
Jump right in and make yourself at home.

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[sylviethecochin]

I like white animals for butchering. The remainders of the feathers are easier to ignore.

If you're doing more than three chickens at a time? Automatic plucker is your bestest friend.

If you don't have an automatic plucker, first step is to check for pinfeathers. I can't emphasize this enough, especially with waterfowl. Pinfeathers are evil and the enemy. I will wait a week and try again rather than plucking duck pinfeathers, but depending on the stage, I might grit my teeth and process chickens.

Kill chicken via preferred method (I like axes to just below the head) then bleed dry (takes about five minutes. I like to hang them by their feet and move onto the next bird.)

Dip the bird into water of about 165 F. Swish for about thirty seconds, remove, pull out the main feathers (tail and wingtips) and then either drop them into the plucker or begin again at the legs, pulling fistfuls of feathers. If they don't come out easily, swish bird for another thirty seconds and begin again. I really prefer to have the bird hanging by the feet when I do this because it frees both of my hands for plucking.

When plucking is done, remove the lower legs with a sharp knife at the joint. Cut away the end of the neck that has been brutalised by the axe. Then gut. Be sure you get the majority of the lung tissue out; it likes to hide between the spine and the ribs.

[EDT: gutting video, as it's a fairly involved process. And don't forget to cut out the oil pouch, just above the tail}

I like to soak the birds at least overnight in water with a few teaspoons of salt (about one per bird is usually sufficient) and then drain and freeze the carcasses.

 

[JB8907]

Oh also wondering if anybody has experience with doing the deep litter method in a humid and rainy climate. I'm in Southeast Texas. Had a friend try and he said it was just a gross mess for him.

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! You sure lucked out on your flock!

 

[JB8907]

Kill chicken via preferred method (I like axes to just below the head) then bleed dry (takes about five minutes. I like to hang them by their feet and move onto the next bird.)

What about debraining or pithing I read this is great to do if you don't want to scald the bird. One man said he was literally pulling handfuls out with little to no effort.

 

[JB8907]

Hello, and welcome! You sure lucked out on your flock!

Yes I did honestly. We were very blessed. And I have a friend who might bring me some eggs for christmas from Tennessee.

 

[sylviethecochin]

What about debraining or pithing I read this is great to do if you don't want to scald the bird. One man said he was literally pulling handfuls out with little to no effort.

Tried it, but it was awkward and didn't work for me. I only tried it three times, and only succeeded in killing the bird twice; an axe keeps me a little further from the blood, and I'm more squeamish than I like to admit. With enough practice, I'm sure you could get it to work, but I was afraid I was going to hurt the chicken in some horrible way and leave it to suffer until I could figure out how to dispatch it properly.

It should be noted that it is almost always easier to pluck a young bird than an old bird, which may have been part of this guy's success.