Help with killing chicken?

[Kitty Cat]

Not sure if this is where I should post or not but here goes.

I'm interested in killing and eating some of my chickens. I watched a neighbor kill and pluck some roosters we didn't want, I'm good with the whole gutting thing, but the plucking I'm not sure about. My neighbor dunked them in boiling water for a few seconds but then after their feet stuck straight up in the air and they were stiff as boards and wayyy to difficult trying to get them in something to cook them. Can I just pluck the feathers out without dunking them? Or is it necessary? I know the neighbor said I could just skin them but I find the skin is what helps keep the chicken moist during the cook time.

Thanks!



Thanks, I'll try that.

 

[booker81]

The reason the legs stick out isn't because of the boiling water (scalding), but because when something is killed, after an hour or so, the muscles stiffen - rigor mortis. After time, they will relax again. The position of the bird can be adjusted before they enter rigor mortis - I like to tuck the legs in the excess skin so they are "neat" looking, like this:

Scalding properly makes the feathers come out MUCH easier than plucking without scalding.