How to professionally harvest an aggressive roo

[Hobbits Mommie]

Would like an update to see how the original poster fared.

 

[Kris5902]

Would like an update to see how the original poster fared.

Yes, how did it go @DaWookie ? Has the menace been taken care of, and how did your experience with it go?

 

[jenifern]

Don't know which thread, but here's a youtube video that you can watch on the subject.

BTW, you can skip the scalding and plucking if you don't mind sacrificing the skin, but it really takes longer to bring the water to temperature than it takes to scald & pluck. Don't be intimidated, You can do it.

Thanks for sharing this great video!

 

[chickendreams24]

You could easily process 20+ birds that way, if you had the desire (and the cage space). Will you be plucking them or removing skin (and feathers) at the same time? I remove skin and feathers at the same time, then cut the leg quarters off of the carcass, and then the breast quarters. That leaves me with a carcass with only the meager back meat and the internal organs. I like the heart and livers so I open up the carcass (very easy to do without all the meat in the way), and grab the bits that I want, then "dump" the offal into a the bowl that I used for the feathers and skin, for later burial. Rinse the carcass and simmer for several hours, then freeze the cooled chicken stock in 1 cup portions in zip lock baggies. Cooled bones are thrown out to the chickens to pick clean, and then later the dogs are let out to finish what the birds did not. As hard as dispatching your birds can be for you, the angst should be softened by knowing that you'll give them the same respect and kindness in their deaths as you gave them in life. Blessings.

By doing the birds this way you miss out on two of the best tasting meat parts on the entire bird. The oysters are on the back and something akin to the tenderloin in a four legged animal. They're very tender and flavorful little oyster shaped morsels.

That said I love that you don't just toss the rest of the carcass but that you make stock.

Although we ended up skinning the last three we did, I still scalded and plucked them... mostly for the practice. Another thing to note is the part I found the worst of the entire process was the scalding and plucking. That was where the smell was most unpleasant. Make sure you’re standing upwind of your pot.

I find the wet feathers something like a very strong wet dog smell. It's not pleasant certainly but for me the worst smell is in the body cavity when eviscerating. That smell will linger on your hands even after washing multiple times.

 

[aart]

I find the wet feathers something like a very strong wet dog smell. It's not pleasant certainly but for me the worst smell is in the body cavity when eviscerating. That smell will linger on your hands even after washing multiple times.

Scalding isn't too bad if feet are clean, I put them in wire bottomed crates the night before to avoid that. The gutting isn't bad unless you bust the intestine open.....but there is an odor that lingers on hands for a couple days after slaughtering even without poopy feet or a busted gut.

 

[Mosey2003]

What about grabbing them by the legs? I think that it would be easier for me. Bad idea?

If they're on the roost they're going to be sitting on their legs. If you try to grab their legs, you're going to get them standing up and riled. Just go in and grab them firmly over their wings with both hands, thumbs to the middle of their back and fingers over the wings. Firm squeeze, pick up, tuck under your arm like a football, and then grab the legs with your free hand if they're kicking. Much less drama.

 

[Kris5902]

Yep, that is also quite true! I totally forgot about the lingering hand “aroma”... I washed well twice, we went to the store a couple hours after, I scrubbed them again, and still when I went to eat my sandwich... a little ewww. I just made sure not to breath in with my hand too close to my face. I find gloves add a little too much resistance when I’m trying to scoop inside the body cavity to remove the guts, though I’ve seen some videos where they wear latex ones. It’s not that bad though!

 

[Ebony Rose]

Although we ended up skinning the last three we did, I still scalded and plucked them... mostly for the practice. Another thing to note is the part I found the worst of the entire process was the scalding and plucking. That was where the smell was most unpleasant. Make sure you’re standing upwind of your pot.

A shampoo with dish soap prior to scalding and plucking goes a very long way of eliminating funky odors and only adds a few minutes to the process. I only have a few birds at any given time, so I feel like I know them personally when I'm processing them, I use the time to basically thank them for their sacrifice.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I totally forgot about the lingering hand “aroma”... I washed well twice, we went to the store a couple hours after, I scrubbed them again, and still when I went to eat my sandwich... a little ewww.

Wash with coffee grounds.

 

[Kris5902]

A shampoo with dish soap prior to scalding and plucking goes a very long way of eliminating funky odors and only adds a few minutes to the process. I only have a few birds at any given time, so I feel like I know them personally when I'm processing them, I use the time to basically thank them for their sacrifice.

I will remember that for next time! I’m not sure how I will work it out, maybe look into getting a second or third pot for the shampoo and rinse, I don’t have running water, or easy access to clean water, I can only bring 24 gallons up at a time here. I also have just a few birds I process at a time personally, I plan on sending my meat birds out to be done in an inspected facility so I can sell them. I really need to stop naming and getting too close to boys