Man, I just canNOT pluck chickens
I did 5 six week old CornishX yesterday that still look like they came from a hybridization experiment between chickens and porcupines, and have hairy armpits somethin' fierce.
I am fine with plucking Actual Feathers, but the pinfeathers (am I using the term correctly here?), you know, where it's still jsut a little pointy quill 1/2" long... there are way way too darn many of them, and some are socketed in there too darn tight.
Is there an age at which there are fewer of the darn things? Short of total maturity, I mean (I did not have this problem with the 15 wk old dual-purpose bird I processed last month, but obviously that is not an option for CornishX).
Is there some technique or trick for gettin' them out? Would one of those drill-mounted pluckers take care of them? (I would be real surprised, but am asking hopefully, just in case
) I've tried dry plucking, scalding, scalding less, scalding more, rubber gloves, and pliers. Not happy with any of them.
I love roast chicken skin -- roast porcupine skin, though, not so much
And while I'm whini- er, asking, is there any good way of dealing with the little hairlike feathers on the undersides of the wings? I finally, round about chicken #4, figured out that they come out dry-plucked better than they do once they're wet, but still.
Thanks for any suggestions,
Pat, first porcupine-hybrid roasting in the oven right now, half hour to go
I am fine with plucking Actual Feathers, but the pinfeathers (am I using the term correctly here?), you know, where it's still jsut a little pointy quill 1/2" long... there are way way too darn many of them, and some are socketed in there too darn tight.
Is there an age at which there are fewer of the darn things? Short of total maturity, I mean (I did not have this problem with the 15 wk old dual-purpose bird I processed last month, but obviously that is not an option for CornishX).
Is there some technique or trick for gettin' them out? Would one of those drill-mounted pluckers take care of them? (I would be real surprised, but am asking hopefully, just in case
I love roast chicken skin -- roast porcupine skin, though, not so much
And while I'm whini- er, asking, is there any good way of dealing with the little hairlike feathers on the undersides of the wings? I finally, round about chicken #4, figured out that they come out dry-plucked better than they do once they're wet, but still.
Thanks for any suggestions,
Pat, first porcupine-hybrid roasting in the oven right now, half hour to go