Well, I just did my first chicken and followed the steps listed here - definitely wasn't able to follow all the steps for gutting but was able to take out the insides, open up the craw/gizzard, see the liver/heart/bile duct, etc.
Roasted the (small) chicken last night..was quite tasty
Again -- thanks so much for such an informative thread
frugal, That was outstanding!! I have several people that I dress birds for due to them not being able to stomach it, most can't. There is no shame in not being able to kill a animal. I grew up on a farm and have always hunted and fished for food. I'm sure this will help everyone and kudos on a great job!
Thanks for the kind words. The process can seem daunting to some people until you break it down to one step at a time. However when you do, most things around the homestead are easy to do. After all, our forefathers routinely performed these chores without the modern tools we have today.
I didn't grow up on a farm like you did and have learned most things through trial and error...lots of errors!
Are there any more details on exactly how to do the cut around the vent? I'm having the most trouble figuring out what to do there. Also taking out the innards seems to involve a lot of digging / feeling around with my hands - is that normal?
WOW !!! i never thought i could kill a chicken.. it was a totally inhumane thing to me.. but after getting the nerve to look at the pictures it was nothing like i imagined.. now i want to eat chicken. think i will raise meat and egg layers..i have RIR roos and hens.. great for eggs... and meat .. tytyty it wasn't gross at all. it looks just like a store bought chicken lol. don't know what i expected but it wasn't this lol.. wonderful pics