The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Sally8]

I have a butchering question....I'm sure there is a different thread for this,but was hoping someone could help here. Someone on this thread posted an excellent tutorial that we followed.

We only had 5 to do but my husband and I had never done this before so, I have two questions......First,,once the chicken had been killed, we hung them and used the hose to wash them down and lowered there body temp. Then, they went in the bucket of soapy 140+ water. I had the water to hot for the first chicken and the skin looked like it started to cook, also husband didn't dunk the chicken in and out of the hot water. The second chicken went much better and most of the feathers really were not a problem to remove at all. This left the other chickens in a garbage can of cold water. while DH was removing insides of first two chickens, I tried to scald those last three that were in the cold water. When I pulled the feathers, there skin peeled right off. ....Should I have left them just hanging and right into hot water? This really had us wondering, We would like to be able to have this work out better.
2nd question......I took the cleaned chickens into the kitchen and washed them up and put them in ice water/salt bath. I've read where you leave them in this for several days in the fridge before freezing. Is that in the water brine for a couple of days? How much salt? Or do you vac seal them to the fridge and then into the freezer.


Really hoping someone who has done this can help us.

thank you

I can't help you as we normally skin ours, but my question is (and I'm not judging but really don't know) Are we supposed to use soapy water? My ex (not D) H was a butcher for a food store and said we should always wash chicken with a little soap, as it was full of bacteria. I had never heard that before or since.

 

[nova022]

It took me a while to go through my poultry photo's as they are starting to out number my grandchildren photo's but...

I bought a doz eggs for hatching from TN. When I opened them I was so surprised at how dirty they were. I considered not hatching them as I would never have thought to wash an egg I was going to incubate. Of the 14 I received, 8 were severely scrambled after checking on day 17 and the other 6 hatched. So the dirt didn't matter, but I will say my own eggs have never been this dirty.

I would have been embarrassed to sell someone those eggs, but that is just me. Guess I am just squimish.

 

[pcappy2]

Countrygirl74,,,

Thank you!! We are located in Minnesota and it was maybe high 40's here yesterday when we butchered. I was just concerned about bacteria, or getting sick...I know, DH rolled his eyes at me too. I had read so many times that the internal temp should be 40 within an hour and we were trying to gut. Thats why they went in the icewater. Almost seems silly now,,,,we learned a lot. Once I was over the killing part, I found it very interesting.
I was just so surprised when the skin came right off. That is not what I had expected and had figured we had done something wrong. I didn't mind at all not having the skin. I buy boneless/skinless when I buy anyway. but will that cause the meat to be dry or tough without the skin?
These were CornishX,,,,What breed do you butcher?

 

[delisha]

I have a butchering question....I'm sure there is a different thread for this,but was hoping someone could help here. Someone on this thread posted an excellent tutorial that we followed.

We only had 5 to do but my husband and I had never done this before so, I have two questions......First,,once the chicken had been killed, we hung them and used the hose to wash them down and lowered there body temp. Then, they went in the bucket of soapy 140+ water. I had the water to hot for the first chicken and the skin looked like it started to cook, also husband didn't dunk the chicken in and out of the hot water. The second chicken went much better and most of the feathers really were not a problem to remove at all. This left the other chickens in a garbage can of cold water. while DH was removing insides of first two chickens, I tried to scald those last three that were in the cold water. When I pulled the feathers, there skin peeled right off. ....Should I have left them just hanging and right into hot water? This really had us wondering, We would like to be able to have this work out better.
2nd question......I took the cleaned chickens into the kitchen and washed them up and put them in ice water/salt bath. I've read where you leave them in this for several days in the fridge before freezing. Is that in the water brine for a couple of days? How much salt? Or do you vac seal them to the fridge and then into the freezer.


Really hoping someone who has done this can help us.

thank you

I boil my water..kill the chickens. let them drain of blood. I test my water to 170-180. I find this works for me. I do not like plucking feathers. I find it tears the skin.
I dunk my chickens by the feet all the way in and all the way out three times. I than test the feathers by the ankles. I wipe, I do not pull. If they come off with a wipe I know they are ready. If they don't... I re-dunk an retest until they are ready. I never leave the bird in the hot water. When they are ready the feathers will simply wipe off. You just stroke your hand down the body of the bird. The only feathers you have to actually pull are the few on the wing tips.

I gut the bird and rinse in cold water. I than soak for 24 hours in a brine.

Brines come in all different flavors. I like to use 1 cup kosher salt and 1 cup brown sugar to a large 5 gallon bucket. I also add 3 cups apple juice or ACV. On occasion I toss in some lemon rines and lemonaid. I than cover the bird in water and keep cold with ice. This is before I would add ice. The ice will melt and fill the bucket.

Quote:
Well....scalding hot water would remove any bacteria that any soap could possibly remove. Good thing we scald to remove feathers, I would not want soap on my chicken.

 

[pcappy2]

Sally8

I saw it when we were trying to figure out how to process. Most articles and the UTube video we watched said the hot soapy water would remove the feathers better?? It really helped clean up the chicken and remove the feathers.
I really tried to use everypart of the chicken and tried not to waste anything. Using hot soapy water really cleaned up the feet also that will be used in my stock. I'm not saying this is the right way to do it, it was our first attempt.

 

[pcappy2]

Delisha,

Thank you. LOL,,,sounds like we were a bit agressive on pluckin LOL,,,

I just luv this thread...thank you for taking the time to post.

 

[loanwizard]

I know this is all about chickens, but I thought you might enjoy a respite and see the Loinwizard in action, live from New York.... then I found out some podunk farmer had dubbed my fine production with piglets.... anyhow... here it is....

 

[BlueMouse]

LM, thank you for the interesting information. As always, I enjoy your input. I think for use we are more concerned about avoiding the GMO and soy question. I think avoiding legumes entirely would be pretty impossible for us. We eat a TON of legumes as a protien source (because they're cheap. vennison and fish out of the creek too.), and so I guess I don't feel so bad giving our chickens field peas. I do hear your concern about the environmental estrogens we have though. I think we're all wise to be concerned about these things in our current world

. Lotsa good things about modern societey, but plenty of bad too. Maybe that's just humans though. One additional input on the flax seed argument. What about the omega three question? Flax seed and flax seed oil is one of the really great sources of high quality omega threes, something our diets are hugely deficient in, and can really effect immune function, and a whole host of other things. My kids and I all take some organic cold pressed flaxseed oil every morning in a glass of juice, and we have noticed a difference in our health since we started. I especially have always had some skin problems (one symptom of a deficiency) and those have completely dissapeared, and my kids never, almost EVER get sick. And I know that hens with a higher proportion of omega threes in their diets lay eggs with higher proportions of omega threes. It's not something I would want to overdose them on (even healthy fats are bad in extremes) but it is a consideration. That said, just your plain old farm fresh egg from an at least partially free ranging chicken is hugely more dense in nutrients than the kind you can buy from the supermarket. Just one more reason to have the backyard flock!

I'm really really enjoying all the discussion about incubating, since I'm getting ready for my first forray into that in just a couple weeks, I have my BBS French Copper Marans and cream legbars on order.... Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Also, everyone west PLEASE keep your nasty weather. It always ends up out here! I'm enjoying what feels like the first real sunshine in MONTHS and I think I might actually be starting to see green in the yard! Getting ready to build the raised beds for the first half of my new garden (yay!!) and the DH and I were outside yesterday planning where the fence around the yard will be going... That's the one that will hopefully keep our children out of the creek....

That's the view from my front porch. I love it but it's a bit nerve wracking with three toddlers. Hence the Very Tall Fence with gates that latch on the outside that is soon to be installed!! It will have the extra benefit of keeping the chickens from visiting (I hope) the crabby neighbor. she's almost a quarter mile away, but I keep worrying they're going to decide her bugs are tastier than mine....

 

[loanwizard]

LM, thank you for the interesting information. As always, I enjoy your input. I think for use we are more concerned about avoiding the GMO and soy question. I think avoiding legumes entirely would be pretty impossible for us. We eat a TON of legumes as a protien source (because they're cheap. vennison and fish out of the creek too.), and so I guess I don't feel so bad giving our chickens field peas. I do hear your concern about the environmental estrogens we have though. I think we're all wise to be concerned about these things in our current world

. Lotsa good things about modern societey, but plenty of bad too. Maybe that's just humans though. One additional input on the flax seed argument. What about the omega three question? Flax seed and flax seed oil is one of the really great sources of high quality omega threes, something our diets are hugely deficient in, and can really effect immune function, and a whole host of other things. My kids and I all take some organic cold pressed flaxseed oil every morning in a glass of juice, and we have noticed a difference in our health since we started. I especially have always had some skin problems (one symptom of a deficiency) and those have completely dissapeared, and my kids never, almost EVER get sick. And I know that hens with a higher proportion of omega threes in their diets lay eggs with higher proportions of omega threes. It's not something I would want to overdose them on (even healthy fats are bad in extremes) but it is a consideration. That said, just your plain old farm fresh egg from an at least partially free ranging chicken is hugely more dense in nutrients than the kind you can buy from the supermarket. Just one more reason to have the backyard flock!

I'm really really enjoying all the discussion about incubating, since I'm getting ready for my first forray into that in just a couple weeks, I have my BBS French Copper Marans and cream legbars on order.... Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Also, everyone west PLEASE keep your nasty weather. It always ends up out here! I'm enjoying what feels like the first real sunshine in MONTHS and I think I might actually be starting to see green in the yard! Getting ready to build the raised beds for the first half of my new garden (yay!!) and the DH and I were outside yesterday planning where the fence around the yard will be going... That's the one that will hopefully keep our children out of the creek....

That's the view from my front porch. I love it but it's a bit nerve wracking with three toddlers. Hence the Very Tall Fence with gates that latch on the outside that is soon to be installed!! It will have the extra benefit of keeping the chickens from visiting (I hope) the crabby neighbor. she's almost a quarter mile away, but I keep worrying they're going to decide her bugs are tastier than mine....

Beautiful property! Research raccoon control cause you will need it with that river in the front yard.

 

[Mumsy]

I remember reading that Mumsy gently rubs away lightly soiled spots, but never washes them.

You are correct. I use emery boards. First the rough side then the fine side. I also use sponges just barely damp. Never wet. I just clean small spots that I can see and feel. If an entire egg is filthy, I not only won't bother considering it for incubation, but I won't even bring it into my house. I feed it right back to the flock.