My rookie experience to butcher a chicken - video

[ChickenSkin]

One school of thought on using an axe or clippers to sever the head is that you are crushing blood vessels and tissue so you may not get as good of a "bleed out" as if you slice the jugular with a very sharp blade.

I have done both (sample size 10 birds) and found that the bird acted much calmer bleeding from the cut jugular. It was also easier to control the mess and there was less blood left in the body.

Hope that wasn't too graphic.

I appreciated your warnings at the end about the smell and feel while butchering. Really nice job.

Also, when you cut the head off it severs the spinal column which makes them harder to pluck. After bleeding for a minute they say to stick a small blade in the mouth of the bird and cut the back of the brain to release the feathers better. I wish I could get a chicken to smoke a cigarrette with a blind fold on. Especially if it was a marans. Need to get better with graphic design.

 

[the43k]

Also, when you cut the head off it severs the spinal column which makes them harder to pluck. After bleeding for a minute they say to stick a small blade in the mouth of the bird and cut the back of the brain to release the feathers better. I wish I could get a chicken to smoke a cigarrette with a blind fold on. Especially if it was a marans. Need to get better with graphic design.

I'd love to know how these ideas were ever created... Or bet yet, proven? Do we need Myth Busters to do a poking brain releasing feathers test?

 

[ChickenSkin]

I think they figured it out by thousands of years of raising chickens. I found it in "Raising Chickens" by Gail Damerow. Good book on all kinds of chicken knowledge.

 

[jesscawcaw]

This might seem daft but doesn't sticking the bird in 160 degree water to pluck it cook it a little making it harder to gut?

 

[Kjordanov]

Is it weird that I am actually excited to do this?

 

[ChickenSkin]

This might seem daft but doesn't sticking the bird in 160 degree water to pluck it cook it a little making it harder to gut?

Not really and if you look at a whizbang chicken plucker on youtube you will be impressed. And if you want to see a quick cleaning job, look up Joel Salatin Polyface farms chicken bucthering.

 

[Kjordanov]

Okay those plucking machine things are scary, they look like they beat the chicken to death (Pun intended ) !!

 

[ChickenSkin]

Okay those plucking machine things are scary, they look like they beat the chicken to death (Pun intended

) !!

The correct terminology is tenderize.

I had to pluck three roosters in a day when we found out the hatchery wasn't good at sexing EE chicks. My hands fealt like crab claws. UM crab claws.

 

[Kjordanov]

The correct terminology is tenderize.   I had to pluck three roosters in a day when we found out the hatchery wasn't good at sexing EE chicks. My hands fealt like crab claws. UM crab claws.

LOL! So they taste great even after the tenderizing?

 

[countrygirl74]

One school of thought on using an axe or clippers to sever the head is that you are crushing blood vessels and tissue so you may not get as good of a "bleed out" as if you slice the jugular with a very sharp blade.

I have done both (sample size 10 birds) and found that the bird acted much calmer bleeding from the cut jugular. It was also easier to control the mess and there was less blood left in the body.

Hope that wasn't too graphic.

I appreciated your warnings at the end about the smell and feel while butchering. Really nice job.

Very good point... I've heard this from several people and I prefer to go the "calm" way, as well as a good bleed out.