plucking vs. skinning

[MissPrissy]

Someone posted a link last week to a blog on blogspot/blogger with great instructions. Let me see if I can find it.

Found it - http://butcherachicken.blogspot.com/

 

[silkiechicken]

Processed two roo's today via skinning. Took one hour total. That included boiling water so I could save the feet, disptaching, skinning, taking the goodies inside, cleaning up, bagging, and removing all traces of the deed. I would add about 15 min per bird extra on that if I was skinning more.

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

Even choked in grief yesterday, starting from the moment my hen passed away from a hawk attack, I was done skinning, gutting, and cleaning in 12 minutes (that includes getting out the knife and the paper trash bag-all the waste gets dropped in it, and then buried in the compost pile).

The smell of wet feathers makes me gag, and I have a strong stomach. I'm a skinner or dry-plucker for life.

 

[hsm5grls]

Dry plucker? Can you do that? I have never butchered but plan to when my girls start laying and we start hatching. I will cull the roosters so I am just curious. I have never heard of dry plucking. Is it harder?

 

[silkiechicken]

I've tried to dry pluck before, and its a bit harder, but much less stinky. I would have to say that the biggest problem is the pesky pin feathers.

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

The biggest problem I've had with dry-plucking these younger birds is that the skin tears very easily, and the wings are all but impossible to pluck. However, for me it beats the alternative, if you want skin on the bird.

The key to dry plucking is that the bird has to be freshly dispatched and very warm; a cool bird cannot be dry-plucked.

I'm still doing skinless chickens, no matter what. Unless someone wants one of my birds with skin on, and they are willing to pluck, it's skin-free for me!

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Naw it smells good. Use it as a broth.
(Ya, I know you wanna hit me right now)

 

[crystal94040]

haha

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

I’ve done my share of pheasant, geese and ducks but my wife makes it look easy. She grew up in the kitchen with the family as a young girl, worked in a processing plant for around 6 months as a young lady until she became a food inspector and restaurant owner. After she is finished with them they look beautiful. She slices the throat and bleeds them, dips them in some hot water, and then cleans the intestines with a salt and olive oil solution.

 

[Windy Ridge]

This year was the first time I'd ever done it, and we plucked. I have to admit, I didn't notice any smell from the feathers, but then we were outside.

We set two cinder blocks up and made a little fire between them, then set a big pot of water for scalding on top of the two blocks.

Honestly, I was surprised at how easily the feathers came out. They more or less wiped off. I guess we got the timing right. We didn't use boiling water (I think I read somewhere that it only had to be 160 degrees or so to loosen the feathers). Maybe that's why we didn't have a smell? My nose is pretty sensitive. Then again, we only processed five birds, so maybe it would have been worse if we'd done a lot of them in an enclosed space.

I liked having the skin on... the chicken is a lot more flavorful and tender that way, and if you're freezing, the skin also helps protect the meat from freezer burn.