suggestions for hot water for processing chickens? $ issues.

[chooniecat]

I have looked at the place mentioned by TipsyDog(actually saved IT a few weeks ago for future reference) but I have a REAL hard time co-ordinating the steps in my mind and mentioning organ names and identifying them is like speaking french to me. you guys know whats what and I am just being panicky about not destroying the whole chicken with one stupid move. still have to buy a melon baller that was mantioned for scraping lungs.I assume that means you're just cleaning the area where the lungs were located? and I know this info is everywhere but I have become overwhelmed with keeping info straight. thats why the roo is going first(nobody likes him but me) and will walk thru it with my neighbor who's done this a few times. he just seemed unsure of how to answer my ditsy questions. I am going to watch the video on youtube in its entirety and go over and over it(altho they don't hear my panicky questions) and I hope the roo is tasty when all is said and done so I don't give up. thanks.

 

[Grampa with chickens]

OK, let's not make things harder than they are. I processed my first chickens yesterday. So here is what I have learned. When you first start to gut, just slice the skin under the rib cage V. Be very shallow and go from left to right or vice versa. Then poke you finger in and look around. You can see that you can cut the bird up under the ribs. Then stick your fingers in and start loosening the inards like the Custer video mentions. If you take care and loosening everything you will be fine. The inards are tougher than you think. The crop was the most delicate thing that I found.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Chooniecat, we're sure you'll do just fine, and continue to get better with each bird you process. Each time I process I learn something new, a better, more efficient way to do things, or have a different knife or something to use. Last session I followed the method as shown by the Custer family in their video and found it to be the easiest time ever. Of course we weren't as fast nor efficient as those Custers, but I hope to be when I've processed as many birds as they have.

The skinning went fairly easy, but you really need good upper arm & shoulder strength to do it quickly. And I liked the way they demonstrated cleaning out the carcass. It helps to remove all food -- but not water -- from your birds's cage 12-18 hours before butchering, so their crop & intestines are as empty as can be. That's the thing you want to be careful to not cut through, the loopy bundle of intestines. But if you do, just give the bird a good rinse with your handy hose. Unless he's got a butt-load of poop coming out, your meat should still be fine to eat.

The Custers' video showed how to lay the bird on his back, cut just through the skin up under his rib cage, and then stick your hand in there & begin wriggling all the organs loose from the sides. In Frugal's great photo tutorial, he shows all the individual organs you can harvest & eat, if you wish. Otherwise, you can do like the Custers & just remove everything all together in one big bundle. If you don't get the pink spongy lungs out with the guts you can remove them later. I just use my gloved finger to loosen it from between the ribs. They finish off by turning the bird over & cutting around the vent & through the tail bone. That's the tricky part, where the intestines connect to the vent, where you want to be sure not to cut through.

Have the ice water handy to plunge the finished bird into, to begin cooling the meat both inside & out. If that water stays cold you can let the bird rest in there for a day, then rest another day in the refrigerator before cooking. Some folks soak their older birds in a brine solution, or buttermilk, to make them more tender. The older the bird, the slower you want to cook him, and the more liquid you want to incorporate, whether by simmering in broth or in a covered roasting pan with a lot of liquid in the pan.

We all wish you the greatest of success, and a very very satisfying meal at the conclusion of it all. Let us know how well things went for you!

 

[chooniecat]

thank you so much and I know I am ramblimg(very excited/nervous) because I want to prove to my family(very citified people) that I CAN do my own chics. I may even try it without my neighbors help as I hate to bother him with his time. my 18 yo son is very anxious to do it (he's my moral/muscle support)and he is much more confident than me but he doesn't have the emotional attachment I do. we will be fine(roo- I don't know how he will look when we're done but he's the place to start) and need to end all this before someone checking the posts gets PO'd and tells us to shut up. will post how all goes HOPEFULLY next week.

 

[Grampa with chickens]

Good Luck!!

You will do fine.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

You'll do fine.

When we do culled chickens we simply get the biggest sauce pan in our kitchen, fill it to the top, and then bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil we add 2-3 teaspoons of dish soap into the water. We then carefully carry the pot outside and pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. We then add water from the hose until we have 2-3 gallons of water in there. It should still be pretty hot, so be careful.

The dish soap really helps with the smell and scalding. We chop the heads, hang, then scald the birds. Immediately pluck and start with the next. After the scalding is done, we proceed with the eviscerating. Don't worry about little mistakes, like nicking any organs. Just try not to and if it happens, give it a good rinse and scub.

-Kim

 

[Sunny Side Up]

We're all here to support & encourage one another, I don't think the mods would shut down a thread just because a member had unanswered questions remaining.

The only stupid questions are the ones you neglect to ask.

So let us know if & where you still need clarification. It can be a daunting prospect if you've never done it before, it's outside the realm of experience for many of us. I'd say go ahead & ask your neighbor for help & advice, since it's being offered, I found it very helpful to have someone there to walk me through the first time.

 

[jaku]

It's really not too hard- to answer a couple of your questions:
The lungs are actually attached to the ribcage, so you have to SCRAPE them off. If you're lucky, they come off in one piece, but that takes practice. As for cutting and ruining the meat, don't worry too much. Make a small cut in the belly area and just RIP it open. This will prevent cutting into anything important. The gall bladder is actually tucked in pretty good, so you shouldn't have to worry too much about it.