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

[Regin]

@Annalog How tall are your sawhorses?

 

[Annalog]

@Annalog
 How tall are your sawhorses?

I believe that the legs are 4 feet long which puts the tops at a bit under 4 feet tall. We used hinged sawhorse hardware from Ace Hardware but did not permanently attach the cross pieces. This lets us easily store the leg pairs and cross pieces when not in use. I have to reach up to get the chicken into the cones and reach down to slit the throat or sit on a chair as I do when plucking.

 

[ashleymattb]

Thank you!

 

[nate_o23]

Great Pictorial!

 

[LindaB220]

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.

That minute would be you of course.

I'm slow as molasses and it's harder than I thought. But what I did on both of my 2 separate culls. Maybe a younger bird would be easier. Mine were older and bigger. Hard!!!

 

[LindaB220]

I believe that the legs are 4 feet long which puts the tops at a bit under 4 feet tall. We used hinged sawhorse hardware from Ace Hardware but did not permanently attach the cross pieces. This lets us easily store the leg pairs and cross pieces when not in use. I have to reach up to get the chicken into the cones and reach down to slit the throat or sit on a chair as I do when plucking.

This is so neat!!! I have this written down for my handyman if and when he can come and build me one. Thanks

 

[Annalog]

This is so neat!!!    I have this written down for my handyman if and when he can come and build me one.  Thanks    

Materials list:
5 8' long 2x4s cut in half for the sawhorse
2 2x4s at least 4' long to support the cones
2 sets of hinged sawhorse hardware
Screws to attach legs to hardware if not included
Paint for all 2x4s for easy cleaning

Edited to correct auto-correct change.

 

[LindaB220]

Materials list:
5 8' long 2x4s cut in half for the sawhorse
2 2x4s at least 4' long to support the cones
2 sets of hinged warehouse hardware
Screws to attach legs to hardware if not included
Paint for all 2x4s for easy cleaning

Thank you so much for this. I will be sitting down next time. Gonna do it.

 

[Crackle]

Annalog - Thank you for your experience. We are lucky to have a local chicken butcher so I take a bunch over when I am ready to thin the flock. I have not been able to bring myself to do the task myself.
My question is a bit off topic, but when I bake or slow roast these chickens they are rubbery/chewy. Do you experience that with when you cook your chickens? I bring them home on ice and they go in the FoodSaver bags and freezer immediately. I am just trying to figure out what is causing the chewy chicken.

Thank you,
Crackle

 

[offgridhermit]

I let mine rest in the fridge for 3 days before freezing. It allows time for rigor to pass.

And when I roast them, I put them in a roasting bag with the breast side down. That's also the way I cook my turkeys.