How do you skin a chicken?

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

How do you skin a feathered chicken? I will be a newbie chick owner (of layer-a few dual breed) this week, and I don't think all of those eggs will be pullets

. I've read a lot about and watched video of killing chickens and I *think* I can do it. I am pretty sure. Anyway, we toss chicken skin anyway, so I was wondering how you skin one with all the feathers on?

I've never killed anything but bugs and what I've hit with my car, so I have nil experience.

Also I think I will use a hatchet, is this ok?

I might even get meaties in the spring (maybe,we'll see).

I just don't want to buy factory meat, yk?

Thanks everyone!

 

[cassie]

I don't know how to skin them either and I have never been tempted to try. I just dunk 'em and pluck 'em. If you get the water hot enough and put a squirt of dish detergent in it helps and it goes pretty fast. Also I was going to try those gloves I have heard about. Presently I use a LARGE pair of pruning shears to kill the chicken. I hang the it up by the feet and lop the head off. They bleed out fairly well. I am a bit of a wuss, and a hatchet is out of the question for me. The limb loppers work pretty good. The other thing is to not think about it. Just do it.

 

[fasbendera]

I'm no expert but you are just pulling the skin off. I just don't know if you start at the legs or the neck. My husband brings back all the pheasants from hunting skinned. Change your subject line to How do you skin a chicken? I am on year 4 of meaties. Not only do I control how they are processed I control what is in the meat. I don't look at it as a chore feeding and processing them but a hobby. We do 150-200 with other people involved. Misery loves company. We split the cost of the birds, bedding and feed and you have to come process to be in on the deal. This year the birds ran $4.25 each. Oh and as my mom said there are no dumb questions just dumb answers. I hope you find a good answer and I hope I helped.

 

[Sam208]

Ive skined chickens before it not hard i would think it would be easyer to skin than to pluck.

You just skin it like any think else cut under the skin between the meat and the skin

i hope this help.

thanks

 

[jaku]

Depending on what you're looking for, there's a ridiculously simple way I use to skin them. You lose the wings, but I'm ok with that for some of my birds. You don't need to pluck, gut, or do any cleanup.

Lay the dead, bled out bird on its back, and pinch a small piece of breast skin between your two fingers. Make a slice big enough to get a couple of fingers in, but don't cut any meat (that's why you pinched the skin up.) Put your knife down and put fingers from both hands in the hole you just cut. Rip the skin so that you're pulling it towards the head and feet. In an instant, with little effort, the clean, skinless breasts will be exposed, and the skin will be halfway down the legs as well.

Next, fillet off both breasts- use a sharp knife, a knowledge of chicken anatomy and some fillet skills here, and you'll be fine. Now you have two boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

After that, and this part takes a little more effort, pull the skin down the legs, one leg at a time. This will be a little harder to do, but just take your time. When you get past the "knee," slice through the joint (not through the bone!!) and the foot is free of the meat, but still attached to the skin. Be sure to pull PAST the knee, or when you cut the joint, you'll be cutting a bunch of feathers, and you'll be left with them on your meat.

Next, bend the leg/thigh out, away from the body. With the legs spread, slice some of the skin in the "crotch" area. This will allow the ball & socket joint to come free easier. Now, holding near the hip, continue to spread the leg so that you dislocate the hip joint. If you break the femur, you either were holding too close to the knee, or you didn't cut enough "crotchskin" to loosen the joint.

Now that the hip is dislocated, you can cut the tissue that holds the thigh to the body- again, DON'T cut through any bone! Repeat on the other side. You are left with skinless legs.

The remaining carcass has all the guts, feet, head, and feathers still attached. I burn mine, but you can do whatever you want with it.

You give up a little meat this way, but you save a TON of time, and still get most of the meat.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you want the giblets and you boil the carcass for broth, you'll need to do it a little different from Jaku's method. I start the same way, with the cut then pull. You will find the skin pulls pretty easily, except on the legs and wings. I won't describe this next part very well, but when you get to the vent area you need to trim around the vent without cutting the intestines so you can pull out the internals. For me, it is a lot easier to do it than describe it. Be patient the first time and you'll soon get the hang of it.

As Jaku said, the legs are a challenge but you can get the skin pulled down to where you can cut them off. If you wish, you can go back and salvage the feet. They make a great addition to the broth pot, but save that for last or you will probably get feathers on the meat. The wings can also be a challenge and you will not get the skin all the way off. I cut off the wing tips and throw that away.

As far as how you dispatch them, there is no right way or wrong way, there are ways that people prefer. To me, you need to be sure and quick when you do the deed. I use an ax but I grew up using an ax. I have full confidence that I will be quick and sure. Some people use a killing cone and a sharp knife or poultry shears. Some people use a broom handle and break the neck. There are surely other methods. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Whichever method you use, you need to have the confidence you can perform it so the chicken does not suffer unnecessarily. I'd think the killing cone and a sharp knife would be a good method for someone starting out.

Good luck!

 

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

Quote:
Thank you! That is exactly what I will do! Do you age the meat in the fridge then?

You guys rock!!

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Thank you! That is exactly what I will do! Do you age the meat in the fridge then?

You guys rock!!

Yup- I wait 48 hours before cooking or freezing, but not more than 24 soaking in water.

 

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

Thanks everyone. I will get a cone. I don't think I could do a knife but I will look at poultry shears. I still think I could use an axe- I will practice a bit before no matter what I choose as I don't want them to suffer at all. When the time comes I will post for moral support! (I'm going to teach my kids asa I feel pretty confident about it). My dh would rather just go to the store and bu his birds shrink wrapped there! He might come around later

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Jaku, how do you store them when they are not in water? When I skin them and store them, they dry out a lot faster without the skin. And do you soak them in salt-water.