plucking question

[trudyg]

If I'm just doing 1 or 2 and don't want to get out the scalding pot, how hard is it to pluck a fairly young chicken? I want to save the skin and use all the fat, etc, but it's heat index of 102 here and I really don't want to have a heater and pot going......Lazy me, I guess. I've heard the young ones pluck easier. They are red rangers at 10 weeks.

 

[RUNuts]

Have you considered skinning? They pluck but it is all relative. The rangers will have more feathers than the CX. I'd get out the scalding pots. I've plucked ducks and wow, the difference. Can you heat up the water in the house on the stove or a camp stove? I'd want to scald.

 

[trudyg]

I'm wanting the skin, so that's why I wanted to pluck. I'll probably decide at the last minute...

 

[JiminyChristmas]

If you want the skin, then scald. Ambient temp means nothing, keep a cold water tub handy or even just a garden hose to cool em off after the scald. Pluck, gut, and cool immediately. If you're lazy, then skin...

 

[Mosey2003]

You can pluck without scalding, it's just harder. Still get them really wet, it helps the feathers not fly around on you.

 

[Ms Biddy]

I have always wanted to try pithing. Done correctly, it's "supposed to" make dry plucking easy.

 

[trudyg]

i've done 2 so far, out of 10. Didn't pluck after all, skinned them for simplicity. The first one took about 45 minutes, the second right at 30, including clean up. I have a large yard and left my table set up with my gut bucket overturned beside it. Once my knives and bowls were cleaned inside, I just packed a smaller pail with everything I need--knife, sharpening steel, gloves, cloth, small bottle of bleach, so now I'm ready to go once I decide to do the deed. I wanted to do one every evening after work, but felt the garage was too hot for that bird to sit in a cage all day. Too stormy to leave it open. So, hopefully, I'll do 2 or 3 Wed morning since I'm off and then do more Sat & Sun morning. If I start at just light enough to see, I'm done by 7 am and can get on with my day. Cool enough so I don't have to hurry, I can move under the carport if it's raining. I'm a wuss or I'd have them all in a cage ready for me to do at once.

 

[cassie]

I have always wanted to try pithing. Done correctly, it's "supposed to" make dry plucking easy.

It is. My grandmother used to pith chickens and the feathers loosened nicely. The down side is it is a skill and you have to do it right.

 

[cassie]

I'm wanting the skin, so that's why I wanted to pluck. I'll probably decide at the last minute...

I plucked my chickens because I don't like the way skinned chickens look. I scalded them and then dipped them in cold water. I added a few drops of dish detergent to the scald water and it helps the water penetrate to the skin. I forget what the temperature is supposed to be, but I scalded them until I could peel off the skin of the leg with a fingernail. If you have a good scald, the feathers come off very easily. You can probably find the correct temperature on the internet. That is where I found it. I did not try to process all the chickens at once. I did them about three at a time.

 

[Ms Biddy]

It is. My grandmother used to pith chickens and the feathers loosened nicely. The down side is it is a skill and you have to do it right.

I practiced on a couple that were already processed. I felt like I did it correctly but hesitate to try it for real, lol.