My hubby has a question.

[Cheri]

He will be dressing our chickens and turkeys hisself. His sister told him to be sure not to break the ball sac as that would ruin the meat. His question is.............where is the ball sac?

 

[BirdBrain]

I think she is referring to the Gall bladder--a little green sack that is attached to the liver. Don't try to pinch it off of the liver (assuming you are going to keep and consume the liver)--alternatively (if you plan to discard the liver anyway) don't do anything to it and toss it out with the rest of the entrails.
HTH,
Carmen

 

[Cheri]

OOOO ok. Can I give it to my dogs? I wish I didn't have the gall bladder.

Thanks.

 

[BirdBrain]

The gall bladder or all the entrails?

 

[wendy]

Quote:
hi cheri, i don't know, but i have a very good book Hobby Farms Chickens, Tending a Small-Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit by Sue Weaver. She says you shoud really watch someone do clean a bird if it is your first time. If that is not possible she suggest visiting a website from a university's publication and follow there insturctions and illustrations.
Here are two websites to try, that Sue has in the resources section, there are many but two to start, if they don't help contact me and i will send you some more, here goes
www.rockingtranch.com
www.agmrc.org/poultry/pasturedmain.html
hope this helps

 

[silkiechicken]

So this is what I do. I open up bird, pull out liver and attached is a green thing. I pull that off carefully and keep the liver. Then I pull out the heart and gizzard and keep those. All else goes to trash. If your dog wants to eat entrails. I don't see why not unless there are worms.

 

[BirdBrain]

Cheri,
This site has good pictures http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/components/0701c.html

 

[Cheri]

He used to work on a chicken farm but he never actually killed the chicken. They were already dead and de-gutted before he got them. And I meant the gall bladder and guts.

 

[marko15]

After the chicken is plucked , lay the chicken on its back and make a small slit about 2 -3 inches long just below were the breatbone stops in the back, then insert 2 fingers from each hand into the cavity and give a slight tug in the opposite directions and this will open up the cavity, Then reach in and grab ahold of the whole bunch of entrails and remove them. After they are hanging out take a knife and go down along one side and under the rectum and up the other side and cut free. Then you will have to reach in and remove the heart and lungs and anything else that is left inside.

 

[Cheri]

UGH. he will definately be doing this. Thanks.