Processing Silkie Roos

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Ok I know that there is little meat on a silkie rooster. I have 7 and I'm going to cull them anyway. My question is about the processing, is it harder or easier to pluck Silkies? Or the same? I have an awesome idea about serving these in a crockpot at my Halloween party!

 

[sourland]

Sounds like an awesome dish. Why not just skin them ?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I like the skin on. I'm a full fat gal . Skin on, whole milk, and bacon on everything!

 

[Parront]

Ok I know that there is little meat on a silkie rooster. I have 7 and I'm going to cull them anyway. My question is about the processing, is it harder or easier to pluck Silkies? Or the same? I have an awesome idea about serving these in a crockpot at my Halloween party!

Maybe try dry-plucking the feathers? Then singe the stray ones off? I would think that if you scalded those feathers they would just be laying down wet, like wet down!

 

[melanie_s]

I read that silkies are eaten as a delicacy in some places!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I knew a poultry science professor that went to China on a cultural exchange program years back. He saw warehouses full of Silkies being raised for the delicacies market. That dark meat is prized.

I've never tried to pluck a Silkie. My gut feel is to treat it like any other chicken and scald before plucking. You can try dry-plucking one and scald the next to make up your own mind. If you do, come back and let us know what you decide is best.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I knew a poultry science professor that went to China on a cultural exchange program years back. He saw warehouses full of Silkies being raised for the delicacies market. That dark meat is prized.

I've never tried to pluck a Silkie. My gut feel is to treat it like any other chicken and scald before plucking. You can try dry-plucking one and scald the next to make up your own mind. If you do, come back and let us know what you decide is best.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I haven't plucked a silkie before either. I would imagine that with the smaller size, it will be more difficult to get your hand into the carcass for evisceration.
Silkie meat is quite popular around here. There is a grocery store near me that has one of those open freezer cases full of silkie chickens that sell for a premium over what they sell other chickens for. I have a picture of the frozen silkie case somewhere I'll see if I can find and post.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would imagine that with the smaller sixe, it will be more difficult to get your hand into the carcass for evisceration.

Canoe, think out of the box. Using poultry shears split the body open by cutting through the ribs Everything, including lungs, become accessible. Use poultry shears so you don't dull your knife on the ribs.

I'm not sure how they clean out quail, there are plenty on here that raise and eat them. Maybe some type of rake?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Canoe, think out of the box. Using poultry shears split the body open by cutting through the ribs Everything, including lungs, become accessible. Use poultry shears so you don't dull your knife on the ribs.

I'm not sure how they clean out quail, there are plenty on here that raise and eat them. Maybe some type of rake?

There is such a thing as a lung rake. Good advice and I can cut them open, if I ever raised silkies or even bantams (heaven forbid). But none of the silkies carcasses in the freezer case have been cut open.