How long to bleed out??

[Sami]

I will be attempting my first processing this coming weekend. My hubby has made the cone but I wanted to know how long it takes for the bird to bleed out?? Having never done this before I want to make sure that it is dead before going into the scaling pot?

 

[Elke Beck]

Plan on 2 to 3 minutes. If you get a good cut, then it may go faster, but generally it takes a couple minutes.

 

[maggiemo]

Make sure you make the cut deep enough. I read somewhere that said that if it doesn't look like a scene from 'Pulp Fiction' you didn't cut deep enough. Cut deeper.
I cut until blood is really flowing....really flowing. if you just see some blood that isn't deep enough, it has to flow.
Then I walk away for a few minutes. The first few times I did it I cut their head off. It took me a few times to settle down and just cut the veins.
Oh, make sure you place the knife under the feathers right under their ear; knife to skin, not knife to feather. If you cut feathers it dulls the knife and you don't get a good clean cut.
good luck.

 

[Sami]

Thanks. I was planning on ten minutes a bird. I was going to do the cut and then walk away for 10 minutes..... I haven't even done it and already I feel sad... Need to toughen up before the weekend. Will they feel pain or just a drowsy from lack if blood feeling ?? Do I have to make cuts on either dude or will one side do

 

[hotrodflash]

Thanks. I was planning on ten minutes a bird. I was going to do the cut and then walk away for 10 minutes..... I haven't even done it and already I feel sad... Need to toughen up before the weekend. Will they feel pain or just a drowsy from lack if blood feeling ?? Do I have to make cuts on either dude or will one side do

Just cut on one side is fine. Ten minutes is a little long, I would not let them bleed out for more than 3-4 minutes. Letting them hang so long will draw flies and other insects.

We let one bleed out while we were scalding another one and starting the plucking then went back to the one hanging and passed off to the person scalding and starting the next one to bleeding out.

You will find a way for it to work for you when you get started, not to be mean but once you do the first one or two it becomes just a job that needs to be done.

 

[V-NH]

I tried to process ducks via the throat slit method today. It skeeved me out so much that I couldn't do it. I ended up going out and buying a machete. I'm going to stick to chopping heads off, I think. Good luck when you try it!

 

[lokua]

In my experience all the blood is out in about 30 seconds then the twitching starts and lasts about a minute. Be prepared for this because on occasion it can be violent enough for the bird to flop out of the cone. Realize that the bird is dead by this point and cannot feel anything. Use a very sharp knife and the bird won't even react to being cut. I normally gut or pluck the previous bird during this waiting time.

 

[bigredfeather]

You'll know they are ready to scald when their vent stops moving. I'd guess it take 2 minutes max from cut to scald. Your cuts on the neck should be "V" shaped. Set the knife in the spot described by others, and cut away from yourself. This will prevent you from cutting yourself. I've found a wide knife that rounds at the tip (skinning knife) works very well.