Killing, Plucking, Eviscerating, & Cutting Up Your Chicken - Graphic!

[michael clark]

Wow! I've learned a lot on this forum...

http://www.weapons-universe.com/kubotans.htm

 

[Little Cheepers]

Thank you for the great tutorial! We referred back to it throughout the whole process. Now as for stock - what did you do to the heads? They look peeled or something. We want to use them but they are covered in tiny feathers... Suggestions?

 

[Double Kindness]

Trying to do 2 muscovies and more roosters today. Nervous, we will be taking picts etc. I keep hearing ducks are very difficult to pluck. We're hand plucking. Ugh.

 

[n3kms]

Good luck with that.

 

[Annalog]

Four years ago I killed and processed 12 of the 15 roosters from a box of 25 straight run chicks following what I had learned from various online sources (primarily Joel Salatin's videos). Much was similar to the information in this thread. I processed two the first weekend and the rest in small (3 to 5) batches on other weekends. I processed the least friendly roosters first as I wanted to keep the friendliest..

We made two tall sawhorses and placed two 2x4s across them just far enough apart to support an upside down traffic cone with the top cut off. Under the cone was a large box lined with a black plastic bag. We did not feed the chickens the evening before as I read that it was best to have their guts empty. Since none of the chickens in the coop were fed and they all stayed together, the roosters to be processed in the morning were not stressed by being separated. I did all the processing in the late autumn when the weather was cool and dry.

I got everything ready well before sunrise on the opposite side of the house from the coop. I went into the coop and took a sleeping rooster from the roost and carried it around the house, talking to it and keeping it calm. After putting the rooster in the cone, holding the head and slitting the vein, and waiting for the bird to bleed out, I hung the bird from hooks on one of the sawhorses by a cord with a slip knot around each foot. I then went back to the coop for the next rooster. I was careful to keep the birds calm and keep them from seeing anything to frighten them. This was fairly easy as I finished this first part before sunrise and all the blood went into the black plastic bag, probably because I held their heads until they were dead. I wore an apron that stayed clean and a glove on the hand that held the bird's head. I put the glove on after putting the bird in the cone and took it off before getting the next bird.

By sunrise, the water in the propane canning pot reached the correct temperature for scalding. I plucked each bird and placed in a tub with ice water. I sat in a chair so that the scalded bird hanging from the sawhorse was at my shoulder height. I ate breakfast while the birds were chilling in the ice water.

Then I moved to the kitchen where I cleaned, parted, vacuum packed, and put them in the freezer. I thoroughly cleaned the kitchen before and after this step.

While I do not enjoy killing and processing my chickens, at least I know that they had a good chicken life and were treated well to the end.

 

[katbriar]

Analog- it sounds like you planned and experienced a very calm processing day! Thanks for describing it.

 

[Annalog]

You are welcome, Katbriar. It worked out to be four calm processing days. I did a lot of research and planning as I knew that I would be doing most of the work by myself. Both my husband and I wanted the process to be as peaceful and painless as possible. My husband helped with building the sawhorses from wood that I painted white. He also helped set up the propane canning pot and put it away. However, we both knew that he would not be able to help with the rest. As it was, it was weeks before he wanted to eat chicken or other meat.

The two calmest and friendliest of the roosters sired most of our current flock. We currently have 6 roosters ranging in age from one to four years old. All 6 are good mannered roosters; 2 have earned a flock of hens.

 

[LindaB220]

Four years ago I killed and processed 12 of the 15 roosters from a box of 25 straight run chicks following what I had learned from various online sources (primarily Joel Salatin's videos). Much was similar to the information in this thread. I processed two the first weekend and the rest in small (3 to 5) batches on other weekends. I processed the least friendly roosters first as I wanted to keep the friendliest..

We made two tall sawhorses and placed two 2x4s across them just far enough apart to support an upside down traffic cone with the top cut off. Under the cone was a large box lined with a black plastic bag. We did not feed the chickens the evening before as I read that it was best to have their guts empty. Since none of the chickens in the coop were fed and they all stayed together, the roosters to be processed in the morning were not stressed by being separated. I did all the processing in the late autumn when the weather was cool and dry.

I got everything ready well before sunrise on the opposite side of the house from the coop. I went into the coop and took a sleeping rooster from the roost and carried it around the house, talking to it and keeping it calm. After putting the rooster in the cone, holding the head and slitting the vein, and waiting for the bird to bleed out, I hung the bird from hooks on one of the sawhorses by a cord with a slip knot around each foot. I then went back to the coop for the next rooster. I was careful to keep the birds calm and keep them from seeing anything to frighten them. This was fairly easy as I finished this first part before sunrise and all the blood went into the black plastic bag, probably because I held their heads until they were dead. I wore an apron that stayed clean and a glove on the hand that held the bird's head. I put the glove on after putting the bird in the cone and took it off before getting the next bird.

By sunrise, the water in the propane canning pot reached the correct temperature for scalding. I plucked each bird and placed in a tub with ice water. I sat in a chair so that the scalded bird hanging from the sawhorse was at my shoulder height. I ate breakfast while the birds were chilling in the ice water.

Then I moved to the kitchen where I cleaned, parted, vacuum packed, and put them in the freezer. I thoroughly cleaned the kitchen before and after this step.

While I do not enjoy killing and processing my chickens, at least I know that they had a good chicken life and were treated well to the end.

Wow, what a concise report. Very good job. I'd love the be that organized. Next time, I'll make a list of the needed things first.

 

[Chookemon]

For me personally I do not particularly care for eating the skin. So instead of plucking the chicken I skin them which removes the skin, feathers and all leaving you with a nice clean carcass to carve up. If your in a hurry and you've had some practice you can have the skin with feathers removed in under a minute. It does depend on the age of the bird too though. Young friers are easy, older birds the skin seems to want to cling to the carcass a little more. I definitely recommend skinning them it saves a lot of work... unless you love eating chicken skin then have at it.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I go back & forth between plucking & skinning. I usually pluck cx broilers & skin all other breeds.