Slaughtering Molting Hens

[Mosey2003]

Was it you who posted a skinning video of that guy with cockerels to skin, he clipped the wings and feet and took the breast, legs, and upper wing meat? Yes, here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/good-skinning-videos.1275828/
He was pulling pretty darn hard. Best of cLuck!

Yeah, it takes some force, but it's not toooo bad really. My cockerels skinned really well. It's just they're slippery and the wings are a total beast.

 

[aart]

the wings are a total beast

Yes, the skin is well attached all around to even that uppermost section.

 

[Mimi13]

I’m glad I happened up on this thread. While trying to skin my 2nd cockerel, at 23 weeks, I thought that maybe I just had beginners luck with my first one, at 13 weeks. There was a world of difference in just 10 weeks. I remember thinking what in the world? My first bird didn’t give me this much trouble. Yes, the wings and back were the worst, but overall, that dang membrane was a lot tougher too.

My 3rd cockerel, at 25 weeks, I dunked and plucked. Much easier.

And after reading this, I know now NOT to pluck a molting hen. I’m glad we can all learn from others’ trial and error. Thanks @aart for putting this out there.

 

[Ms Biddy]

Back to report that my electric plucker produced bare birds as if by magic. I can't say if they had a lot of pin feathers though as I didn't specifically check before putting them in so I guess it's not too helpful. After seeing the plucker in action I tend to think most anything would be pulled out by the strong friction, especially when tumbled two at a time.

 

[aart]

I can't say if they had a lot of pin feathers though as I didn't specifically check before putting them in so I guess it's not too helpful.

Welll...inconclusive anyway.
Guess you wouldn't know it doesn't work, until it doesn't work.

 

[Ms Biddy]

Welll...inconclusive anyway.
Guess you wouldn't know it doesn't work, until it doesn't work.

Yeah, I did see one pin feather and where there's one there's usually more. It's a whole new ballgame now that plucking went from the slowest part of butchering to one of the fastest. I never got the knack for doing it quickly by hand.

 

[aart]

Yeah, I did see one pin feather and where there's one there's usually more. It's a whole new ballgame now that plucking went from the slowest part of butchering to one of the fastest. I never got the knack for doing it quickly by hand.

I find plucking to go pretty fast, faster than gutting.
Always a few pin feathers...but these girls were covered with them, I'd say at least half or more the follicles were pins 1/8-1/2" long, sure wish I had been able to take pics.

 

[Ms Biddy]

Well that's definitely an issue if the pins were barely sticking out.

If plucking is that fast I think I must have been doing it wrong all these years.

 

[aart]

Well that's definitely an issue if the pins were barely sticking out.

If plucking is that fast I think I must have been doing it wrong all these years.

The right scalding temp, and hanging them by their feet, and the feathers mostly just 'wipe' off into a garbage can below.

They were almost but not quite this bad:

 

[aart]

Cooked up one of these old girls the other day, after 3-4 days resting in the fridge.
I do 1 hour in the pressure cooker, remove the meat, then the rest gets another 2 hours for the stock. The meat was surprisingly tender, both meat and stock was flavorful, despite lack of skin...and didn't have to skim much fat off.
Tho the broth wasn't gelatinous as it usually is, maybe didn't cook it long enough, or maybe that was the lack of skin?