Skinning vs plucking

[zowieyellowflame]

I have read in Chicken magazine that after killing meat birds, or in my case, young roosters, it saves a lot of work to skin them by removing the legs and wing tips then pulling. Apparently it comes off in one big pull. Has anyone done this? Someone told me the meat will be dry but if I just want it for stews and the slow cooker, will this be fine?
It also read that after skinning, place in a icewater bath for 30-60 min BEFORE gutting and this will allow the inards to come out in a conjealed mass. Has anyone done this? How, when I gut, do I prevent from piercing the intestine or stomach?

 

[Lorije1]

I just skinned 14 yesterday. Split the skin down the breast bone and then pulled it like a coat. I won 't yank your chain and say it all came off seamlessly... but I had plucked 2 last week and I will never pluck again! The last few I did manage to pull the skin off the wings and my friend got really good at pulling of "socks". We took one breast and split it for 2 people... stuffed it with 2 kinds of cheese and cooked in bacon fat.... umm umm good! Not dry at all!

 

[halo]

Did you gut the birds, or did you just cut off the pieces?

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
A tractor's tire would have tasted good if cooked like that.



To the original question, I've skinned and plucked. Some people don't want the skin but I do. The skin is one of the best parts and contains a lot of fat needed for a good broth. Like Lorije said skinning isn't as easy as some make it out to be. It takes some cutting and muscle. I can pluck just as fast as I skin but that doesn't include the time setting up the scalder or cleaning up the feathers.

 

[booker81]

I pluck birds I want to roast, because I like roasted chicken skin

I skinned a few last time - and cut off the legs at the joint, the wings at the first joint, and the skinned starting at the breast. Ended up just having to cut the tail and the head off, the skin came off in one sweep. I was able to just peel it over the ends of the wings and drumsticks. Worked well (they were birds destined for broth making.)

As for the guts, I just vent cut, reach in, and gently pull them out. I cut the crop off first when I skin, at the neck (peel it off the breast, and remove). and the rest of the guts are pretty sturdy. I use the gizzard as a kind of handle to grab.

 

[zowieyellowflame]

Quote:
How do you "vent cut"?

 

[booker81]

Quote:
How do you "vent cut"?

When you're done plucking or skinning, you have to cut around the vent, and to each side like --O--. The bird's vent will be in the middle of the "O". You want to cut around the vent completely, so that when you reach in, it will come out with the end of the intestine in one piece.

I think I have pictures somewhere, I'll post them up

 

[Raen]

I've never butchered a bird, but I read somewhere that someone skinned their birds by blowing under the skin with an air compressor, and that it was very easy.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
A tractor's tire would have tasted good if cooked like that.


To the original question, I've skinned and plucked. Some people don't want the skin but I do. The skin is one of the best parts and contains a lot of fat needed for a good broth. Like Lorije said skinning isn't as easy as some make it out to be. It takes some cutting and muscle. I can pluck just as fast as I skin but that doesn't include the time setting up the scalder or cleaning up the feathers.

That was pretty funny...and true!

In all of my inexperience, I thought the bones made for a good broth?

Still haven't processed a chicken...but am eating up all this information for when I do! Thanks OP for posting these questions.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
A tractor's tire would have tasted good if cooked like that.


To the original question, I've skinned and plucked. Some people don't want the skin but I do. The skin is one of the best parts and contains a lot of fat needed for a good broth. Like Lorije said skinning isn't as easy as some make it out to be. It takes some cutting and muscle. I can pluck just as fast as I skin but that doesn't include the time setting up the scalder or cleaning up the feathers.

That was pretty funny...and true!

In all of my inexperience, I thought the bones made for a good broth?

Still haven't processed a chicken...but am eating up all this information for when I do! Thanks OP for posting these questions.

In beef soup the bones are important but chicken bones aren't as dense nor contain as much marrow. I've tried stewing picked over carcasses and get a nasty white broth. It takes the drippings, skin and fat to make a good chicken broth.