Scalding at High Temps

[rachki]

Hi all,

I'm curious what others scald their chickens at. After years of trial and error, and close to 4000 broilers, we've found that scalding between 170 and 173 at 3600ft elevation yields the best results, and produces a totally 100% plucked chicken. It also works best to have 2 to 4 chickens running in the plucker at the same time.

At this high temp though you can't expose to the chicken carcass to that water very long, so 10 seconds or less is the rule while vigorously moving the carcass at all times. Anything above 175 will cook the skin and set the feathers and the chicken will need to be discarded.

What have y'all found to be optimum scalding temps?

 

[Molpet]

I'm at 400ft. Heritage at 16 wks, 160f

 

[Mwhit]

I try to keep it as low as possible because I’ve seen boiled looking meat on my birds when going higher. By this I mean the meat has white streaks on the outer layer.

145 and dunking 10-20 seconds at a time until the wing feathers pull easily seems to work. I have a yardbird plucker and am at 1800ft elevation.

 

[CNJ]

I soak mine for 2 minutes at 150F, the skin on the body doesn't burn and the scales on the feet comes off. I increase the temp on my water heater to 150F and use the hot water for the plucking bath.

 

[Klutch]

Keep dunking till you could pull out a flight feather(wing).