Plucking?

[FL Chicken]

I have two birds I want to process...does scalding them make it better or just easier? Can I just pluck them without scalding?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Scalding makes it way easier... plus they come out way cleaner than just dry plucking. It also takes that out layer off as well... it's kinda like a membrane on top of the skin so to speak. Scald at around 145 degrees... if you do not have a thermometer... get one as the temp is crucial. Scald long a enough to where the feathers pull off with ease. I usually test the wing feathers or breast feathers. Usually about 45 seconds to a minute and your good.

Good Luck!

 

[rancher hicks]

I have read, but never plucked anything but a guitar, that wearing a pair of those rubber palmed or finger covered gloves, it is easier to pluck than barehanded. Not sure what kind/brand but it's worth a try I guess.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

from western West Palm Beach! Where in Florida are you? Maybe I'm close enough to help.

Here's some good information on scalding, which makes plucking much much easier: http://thedeliberateagrarian.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-properly-scald-chicken-my-never.html Your water needn't STAY at scalding temperature, just be at around 150 degrees for the few minutes you're dunking your bird. I keep a pot of water boiling on the stovetop inside and have a larger pot outside by my processing station. My teenager will bring out the boiling water when I'm ready for it, it gets poured into the outside pot and topped off with water from the hose. If I have more birds to pluck the pot goes back on the stove to boil more water. Some folks will keep their water hot over a camp stove, BBQ, or open fire outside.

If you're going to process both birds by yourself you'll want to replenish the hot water for Bird #2, if you'll have help you both can dunk in the same water. It also helps to have a way to hang the birds by their feet so you'll have both hands free for plucking. I plan to try those rubber-dotted gloves the next time I pluck chickens.

 

[pdpatch]

Yes scalding makes it much easier to pluck.

But for only one or two birds it can be a pain to set up a scalder. We usually just hand plucking if it's one or two. If more then one person is plucking it doesn't take very long. The exception would be some turkey's, we hand plucked one spanish black last year without scalding and it seemed to take nearly 4 hours.

We tried those rubber coated gloves, we didn't like them since the feathers kept getting stuck to them, so usually e just ended up taking them off.

We use a turkey fryer to scald Chickens with most of the time. For turkeys we use the propane burner off of our smoker and a 55 gallon trash can.

If you plan on doing more in the future you might consider getting a turkey fryer.

Tom

 

[Mahonri]

Someday I'll try scaling but I've always just skinned birds when processing... and they tell me its much healthier.

 

[Dr HaHa]

Yes scalding is the way to go if you want the skin on. I love chicken skin[don't tell my Dr.]. I did 13 birds last summer found that the most I could do was 4 in a day by myself. It got old fast, first time doing it. I had an old large canner with a hole in it fixed the hole with a couple washers and a small bolt. Set it up on some cinder blocks on my fire pit used the clothesline post for hanging and the picnic table for butchering covered with flatened beer cases. With the garden hose hanging on the line at the ready. Used a bucket for bleed out and eviseration and an old feed bag for the feathers. The set up worked real well. But I'll not do more than 2 birds ever again. Next meat birds will be taken in all done in 20 minutes. The last of the birds were 12 weeks old [cornishX] I found that I should have just skinned them the hide was very tough and pretty much uneatable. Good luck and happy eating!

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Scalding is the way to do it if you want it done with ease. Although i have never skinned one or know how for that matter. I am planning on getting about 50 broilers this summer for the freezer. I workout 5-6 days a week and eats lots of chicken for protein..so I am getting geared up for the job...I will also try and get some help with it.

 

[jaku]

I can't imagine doing it without scalding- even a bad scald makes the birds take forever to pluck, let alone none at all! You don't necessarily need a ton of equipment- just get a turkey fryer and a thermometer.

 

[debbie.h]

Scalding makes for easier plucking. We did two birds yesterday, only took about 40 minutes. That includes setting up and cleaning up. I put on a pot of water while my DH gets the table set up and a rope strung to hang the birds for the bleed-out. The water is hot enough by the time the birds have bled out and we'll scald and pluck the first one together. DH butchers it while I scald the next one. I start plucking it and when DH finishes the first bird, I take it in, give it a good rinsing, and the next bird is then ready for a rinsing. We only do a few birds at a time.