Meat chicken question

[Kennas_Kritters]

I am finally getting some meat chicks to raise! They are cornish cross chicks 3 weeks old. I have done tons of research and have answers to most my questions. One question I have for all you chicken err... butchers out there. What is the best type of knife to use? I have gotten mixed answers from the internet so I'm asking here!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The sharpest one you can find.
I have been disappointed in the brand name knives like Cutco and Chicago cutlery.
Small knives are the best. Keep a means of sharpening nearby. Feathers tend to dull blades quickly.

 

[wolfwalker]

I use disposable surgical scalpels. Each blade gets through 15 chickens and cost about75 cents each when you buy in bulk.

 

[iwltfum]

Any opinion you get on this is going to be valid because everyone has their own way of doing things.

Personally I use a Dexter poultry sticking knife for the kill cut, a nice evisceration knife from Victorinox for evisceration (never touches bone) and a Dexter hard steel boning knife for feet, neck, oil gland, cut ups. The key is to make sure your knives are sharpened to a mirror finish.

Learn how to sharpen and strop them and you will never have a problem with your knives that you cant fix in 2 minutes.

I buy all my knives from Webstaurant. They have a good selection of quality knives, no frills, good sanatizable grips, and economical pricing.

 

[3KillerBs]

I buy all my knives from Webstaurant. They have a good selection of quality knives, no frills, good sanatizable grips, and economical pricing.

I have to look that site up. I have a 12" Dexter French chef's knife at work that I am in love with so I wanted one for home.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree sharp is very important but I think which knife is more of an individual preference. Some of that might depend on how you butcher. I cut mine into parts as I go, some people like the carcass whole. I also think some cuts are easier if you are butchering a younger Cornish Cross as opposed to an older dual purpose. I use a hatchet and stump so don't worry about slitting the neck to kill it or bleed it out.

One tool I find very handy to keep a knife sharp is a pair of poultry shears. Use those where you might cut into a bone. For me that is the neck, feet, cutting off the wings, separating the thigh from the drumstick, separating the breast from the back, and splitting the breast into two halves.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I like an 8" chef's knife for the dispatch, and can do most of the breakdown with it too. I do have a boning knife and a fillet knife for some of the work.

Look at the handles - plastic, cheap though it appears, is MUCH MUCH easier to sanitize, and a textured plastic handle will help with a controlled grip, if you don't use the pinched blade method of knife work. My chef's knife, I admit, has a wooden handle, but it gets near daily care - unlike almost every other knife I own.

 

[Tre3hugger]

For the kill, cannot beat a replaceable blade scalpel sharp knife. I like the 3.5 inch Outdoor Edge EDC. https://www.outdooredge.com/products/razor-lite-edc
I LOVE not having to rely on my sharpening skills to ensure a razor sharp knife for cutting neck arteries with minimal pain.

For the evisceration and butchering, I tend to use the caper knife and shears from this kit. https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Edge-Processor-Processing-Stainless/dp/B001CWGP2C
I love the included idiot proof sharpener, and how it keeps all my knives in one spot.

The kit is a little pricey, but it comes with all you need to process most anything from a quail to a moose. I am not an Outdoor Edge fanboy. I got the kit as a gift and loved it, but thought it lacked a small enough knife for sticking. That is where the replaceable blade comes in.

Here is an article on my first time processing, the equipment needed and sequence of events. Hope it helps!


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...erview-setup-cost-and-results.75951/#comments

 

[Brooks_]

I prefer Forschner (Victorinox) for all of my cutting needs. A 6" curved boning knife will easily handle a chicken, an 8" breaking knife splits the back easier tho.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yep, my two "not Chef's" knives for breaking down meat are Victorinox Fibrox Pro series. Very popular in high volume commercial kitchens.