processing a meat chicken

[MusketeerinFla]

I have field dressed deer, turkey, goose, squirrel , rabbits, ect. but I have never processed a chicken. I was wondering if it would be easier to skin a chicken to get rid of the feathers? MiF

 

[UncleTommy]

I found that it wasn't so hard to pluck a chicken, never tried to skin one though, but why would you, all that delicious chicken skin. Take a look at this website http://www.butcherachicken.blogspot.com/ he does a pretty good job at giving step by step instructions. Heres his scalding page http://thedeliberateagrarian.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-properly-scald-chicken-my-never.html he says 145 to 150 degrees, I've done that and didn't have a problem.

 

[itsy]

It's definitely easier to skin them, but if you enjoy eating the skin, it would be worth it to scald and pluck. Both are very easy to do, but it's just much quicker to skin.

Check out the stickies in the top of this forum. There's one really great thread on killing, scalding and plucking and this youtube link for a vid that shows folks that skin. I skinned my last meaties and it worked out well for us. We also butchered them into pieces and vacuum sealed them and have them in the freezer. Delish. The video helped me out a great deal because there are certain areas that are more tricky when skinning.

I will note: When I scalded my birds to pluck them, I boiled a large pot of water and poured it into a large canning pot outdoors. I used a meat thermometer to get the temperature right and added some water from the hose to actually bring the temp down a hair. I was able to get two birds done out of that one pot without having it on a heating element.

 

[itsy]

P.S. WELCOME TO BYC!!!!

 

[RWD]

Skinning is a sin, to a plucker maker.

 

[kfacres]

we prefer to skin them... Actually, do not ever plan to pluck one again-- and haven't for nearly 10 years now. This goes for all poultry.

 

[MusketeerinFla]

Thanks all, and thanks Itsy! I saw those drum like pluckers w/ the rubber nubs, and they are too expensive right now. I'm also trying to get my cholesterol / triglycerides down per my doctor, and I thought the skin was bad for you. MiF