Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[Triple Willow]

Triple Willow, whether having blood in the meat will impact quality is a matter of taste.  Having eaten plenty of game, which usually cannot be completely bled out in the field, I don't think it makes as much of a difference as some would have you believe.  My mother hates to see blood clots in the veins, so I try to bleed the birds as thoroughly as I can, but the ones that have not bled as well have always just tasted like chicken to me. 

Yes I agree about small game. I don't know about you but I soak it in salt water before cooking it and a lot of the blood comes out. Deer I also soak in water before freezing it. A whole lot of blood comes out then. In processing plants if a chicken goes through the whole slaughter process and was not bled out in the beginning it will come out different shades of a deep blood red. Government inspectors are required to condemn those chickens. I suppose some of you may like the blood, personally I don't and I don't believe the average mom would want to buy a chicken from the store that is filled with blood. But no doubt some people do like it or there wouldn't be things like blood sausage. I remember as a kid my mom would always soak the chicken (store bought) overnight in salt water.

 

[Kassaundra]

I am firmly in the bleed out group personally.

 

[Triple Willow]

This site is kind of interesting- about chicken processing plants.

http://cecilbuffington.com/photo.html

 

[Triple Willow]

I am firmly in the bleed out group personally.

Me too.

 

[Triple Willow]

For some reason the difficulty some of us have in slaughtering our animals has brought something else to my mind. It is one of those politically incorrect things and I'm sure it will offend some but...

I don't think killing any animal should be easy for a person to do, especially when it is done up close and personal with our hands while looking into its eyes.

**edited by Staff**

This whole post may as well be deleted. It has been "edited" to where it doesn't make any sense.

 

[ZielinskiFarm]

I just processed my first birds so I understand how you feel. I wish it wasn't so hard.

The first bird I processed, I only ate a few bites but worked really hard not to taste it or even acknowledge I was eating a bird I knew when he was alive.

I'm sorry it was such a distressing event. I do understand.

If wish I could find someone else to kill the birds, but I can't and believe me I've tried. Oh, I could find a neighbor who would kill them in ways I find unacceptable so that's not an option. The cleaning never bothered me, but I loved dissecting animals in biology class.

Still, it really bothers me and I wonder if I can do it again. I have three left to process. My son forced the reprieve of the really ugly bantam frizzle cochin with no redeeming qualities except he is really so ugly he is adorable. He's really little, how much can he eat? He'll stay.

Thanks for your kind words!

I also have a neighbor that would do it, but I can't trust he would do it humanely. For now I'm still sticking with fish.

 

[ronott1]

Thanks for your kind words!

I also have a neighbor that would do it, but I can't trust he would do it humanely. For now I'm still sticking with fish.

It is ok! It takes time to work up to processing.

Try again next time you have some ready for processing.

 

[Beekissed]

I am firmly in the bleed out group personally.

I'm with you on that. There is always a certain amount of blood that cannot come out of an animal and that is a given...and it adds to the flavor. But, meat tends to stay fresher longer when there isn't the full amount of blood in the tissues. It's more of a food hygiene issue than it is preference. I don't soak or brine any meat to further remove blood because I feel like it also removes flavor, but I also advocate a good bleed out. Everything in moderation seems to keep things in balance and it's the same with blood in the meat.

 

[pipemum]

So the thought is that slitting the neck first bleeds out better than the head chop in the cone? Presumably, the heart is beating longer in the neck slit scenario than the head off scenario? In my vast, vast experience (have only butchered 2 birds), the bleed out seemed to be fine with the head chop. No weeping off blood while I finished the butchering, and no pink even in the brining water. We just ate our two chickens, and they were delicious! No clotted blood in the veins. What was weird was that one of the roos was part Silkie, and his meat was partially black. Not all black, just partially black, especially around the bones. That was...not the most appealing in meat, but of course, it tasted like chicken! I'm picking up 8 broilers this weekend, and when they are ready to process, I'll try slitting the neck, if I can bring myself to do it. It's hard enough with the lopers.

 

[Beekissed]

I think both ways are effective for bleed out, one is just messier than the other and the arterial cut seems to get more of the blood flow out, judging from processing comparisons over the years. Since the head chop starts the bird into death throes immediately, the activity level of the body and the heart as it goes into dysrhythmia can really get the blood flowing...just not for as long a period of time as the arterial cut. All in all, I think the amount of blood expelled is comparable and of no appreciable difference.