Helpful hints for building coops

[aart]

4 older hens slaughtered this morn, I'm getting much faster at gutting...
...but...
....plucking a molting bird, SMH, might end up skinning a couple on final clean and cut.

 

[CapricornFarm]

4 older hens slaughtered this morn, I'm getting much faster at gutting...
...but...
....plucking a molting bird, SMH, might end up skinning a couple on final clean and cut.

Do you have a lung rake? I think i have one i found at the Restore.

 

[aart]

Do you have a lung rake? I think i have one i found at the Restore.

Nah, I have very tough fingernails...mostly get them out when doing final clean and cut up.

I did end up skinning 2 of them, those pin feathers were a b!tch....
....knew it was going to be a problem, but they had to go and I paid for my sloth in slaughtering late in season. It actually was easier than I feared.

 

[jvls1942]

I have never used a lung rake. I just push the lung toward the spine and they pop right out.
removing the kidneys is much harder. for them I run a knife through them to cut those cords, then use my finger to clean out the channel..
you all are welcome to use my chicken plucker any time.. If you ever are at an auction bid on one if it comes up.. I have seen only one at an auction, though..
I tried skinning a chicken once. too difficult..
I have Duc Wax. it is kind of expensive, but priceless if you are doing ducks. it would do wonders for chickens , too.
it lasts forever because you can reclaim it after each use.. you lose just a little amount each time..
I bought a 20 pound block, have done hundreds of ducks and still have 80% of it left.. 15 pounds of it are still in the original block..
......jiminwisc.....

 

[aart]

I have never used a lung rake. I just push the lung toward the spine and they pop right out.
removing the kidneys is much harder.

Sometimes they do pop right out, kind of amazing when they do-but I'm a bit of an anatomy nerd, others times not so much. I just wait to clean anything remaining in the back during final cleaning and cut up in the kitchen.

No need for a plucker as I only do 4 birds at time due to space and stamina,
am only culling a few older layers, not processing a couple dozen meat birds.
Tho I'd love to have one, build one, as they are such a cool 'machine'.
But no real need, no place to store it, and just another thing to clean...my slaughter setup is not out in the yard with a hose running. I do have one rather clever innovation that really helps with plucking, see pic below.

Tried skinning a year old cockerel once, it was a bear and I ended up just going far enough to get breast, thighs, and upper wings. That was my very first slaughter 5 years ago. Was going to try to preserve saddles and hackles, and avoid plucking as I didn't even have scalder equipment then, but discovered he was covered in lice(long story there), that was huge learning curve day.

These I scalded, plucked all but the pins, and skinned as I cut them up....worked pretty good, legs and breasts were easy with a few snips, couple tough spots, and I just tossed most the wings. Another learning curve, making the best of a stupid situation created by my own sloth. Will be curious to see how they stew up, how much flavor might be lost due to the missing skin.

 

[jvls1942]

those are a great invention for holding the chicken.. easy on, easy off..
we do not put whole chickens into the freezer any more.. after plucking them, I cut them in half right away on the butchering table.
I cut them front from rear along the edge of the rib tips.. I leave the back bone intact. then just break it open and everything on the inside is exposed..
a cut around the vent and split the soft belly skin and start pulling things out.
sometimes the lungs come along with the wind pipe and crop..
I was told that the dark matter on each side of the spine at the rear of the bird was kidneys.. was I told correctly ?? at any rate, I remove that , whatever it is..
when our son was in college, he had the bright idea of using a high pressure washer to wash out the inside.. that was when we still froze the birds whole.. It worked like a charm..
the whiz bang plucker is so easily cleaned that it is no problem to drag it out for only a couple of birds.. Annie doesn't bother if it is just 2 or 3, but I would drag it out for anything over 2.. I do not run water while plucking with the plucker, no need to. the feathers come off just fine and with the way I modified mine from the original plans, the feathers get discharged through a chute at the bottom of the barrel into a milk crate.. Or if we are doing a big batch of 20 or more, I set the discharge chute so that it directs the feathers directly into the tractor bucket..
at the end of plucking, then I rinse the plucker out with a hose..
with both of us working, we can average about 15 minutes per bird..
Art, those chickens will cook up just fine and tasty without the skin..
actually I don't especially like eating the skin. so adding the seasoning directly to the meat seems like the best way to do it..
.....jiminwisc.....

 

[CapricornFarm]

Halloween chicks hatching....

Proud parents.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Up to 7 of them now!

Kind of dark in my room even with the lights on. I will get better pics tomorrow.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Cute fuzzy butts!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Do you like my egg candling picture?