Plucking 🤷‍♂️

[Peter4190]

Do people put the birds in hot water before plucking still or just dry pluck them?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I couldn't imagine dry plucking. Sure you see it in movies and it makes me cringe. I mean honestly, do they really think people with the technology to make metal pots didn't discover hot water opens the pores of skin?

If the feathers don't practically fall out then you've not dunked the bird enough. Don't over heat water (about 155 F) rather dunk and swish, dunk and swish. Get the water to skin and pull bird out before scalding skin. Keep doing that until the largest and hardest feathers to pull come out with ease. Tail feathers or if a cockerel/cock saddle feathers. Don't even bother to start plucking until those can be removed with little to no effort. Once the bird is prepped like this you can take feathers by handfuls and have it bare in under two minutes.

 

[Peter4190]

Great ill try that and hopefully not cook the bird in the process of dunking it in hot water that's too hot

 

[Beer can]

I've dry plucked and it isn't easy lol.
Like egghead said don't over heat the water, if it is just dunk quick. If the skin gets cooked it really changes the texture of the skin when you cook eat it.
What I like to do is wash the bird off with a hose first and get it good and wet. Helps two ways, takes the dunk in scalding water quicker when it's already wet otherwise they kinda float a little bit, and if your doing a lot of birds keeps the water cleaner.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

That's a great idea. Never thought of pre-soaking.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I grew up essentially dry plucking. Mom would tell me she wanted a chicken to cook so by the time I caught one and had it's head off she'd have a fairly small sauce pan with hot water ready to pour over it. That helped some. Since it was all I knew it didn't seem that bad. Of course I had younger fingers then. I agree, dunking until the wing feathers easily come out is easier.

I don't pluck anymore, I skin them. My wife prefers them skinless and with my set-up heating water is a pain and a fire hazard. It's just easier for me to skin them as I butcher. It slows me down so I don't do that many at a time but I also cut them into serving pieces as I butcher. Some people really like it with the skin on.

If you raise Cornish X you will butcher them so young the skin comes off easily. The older a dual purpose cockerel gets the harder that becomes. I usually butcher my dual purpose cockerels at around 5 months, they aren't that bad but you can tell a difference. You really don't want to skin an old rooster. Old hens aren't that bad about skinning plus if you try to pluck them when they are molting those pin feathers can be an issue. We each need to find our own way.

I agree, if you are going to pluck scalding makes it easier. And do not overcook the skin. If you do it tears really easily so the carcass is not as pretty. Some people really like a nice skin. Think about your logistics of heating water and maintaining temperature. When I plucked before switching to skinning I used a large clamp-on-the-side candy thermometer to check water temperature.

 

[Peter4190]

Is it boiling water straight out the kettle temp u dunk them in or cooler?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Read Egghead's first post.

 

[Peter4190]

I'd rather you read it to me!

 

[Peter4190]

Just out of interest what temp is boiling water out of a kettle ridge runner?