Tips for skinning?

[AinaWGSD]

We processed a cockerel yesterday and since it was only one bird and we were parting him out I decided to try skinning instead of scalding and plucking thinking it would be faster. Well, it being my first time skinning it was decidedly  not faster or, imo, easier. In the time it took me to get one bird skinned and parted i could have plucked and parted two.

It wasn't awful, but the feathers definitely made it more difficult to tell whether my cuts were going through where I wanted them to. And feathers kept sticking to the meat. Any tips or tricks to keep dry feathers under control? Is it just a matter of practicing to get faster about it?

 

[Molpet]

 

[Ridgerunner]

Cockerels can be a problem during puberty. If you pluck them when they are going through a juvenile molt you can get a lot of pin feathers. As they get older they develop connective tissue that attaches the skin to the meat or bones which can make it harder to skin them. I skin mine and have to cut some connective tissue in my older ones.

There is a learning curve whether you pluck or skin. You can get faster with practice. I have not watched Molpet's video but something like that could be a big help. The wings are really hard to skin. I do the bottom two sections but throw the tip away. I often have to cut connective tissue on the back. Before I skin I cut the feet off at the bottom of the drumstick. That makes it easier but that area can still be rough to skin. It helps keep my knife sharp by using poultry shears to cut through joints, cartilage, and bones.

When butchering I have a hose handy and rinse a lot. Keeping my work area clean helps with feather control. Feathers will stick to the meat but I usually don't get that many. They usually rinse off but I have to pick some off. They can stick to that membrane around the meat. Really stick.

I can pluck and part out in the same amount of time I can skin and part out. Set-up, tear-down, and heating the water take extra time. The way I heat water is a fire hazard. The wife prefers then skinned anyway so my choice is easy.

 

[FunClucks]

Plucking, processing, and parting takes me 2 hrs. Skinning, processing and parting takes me 1.5 hrs. I find skinning easier and less trouble.

I cover a tree with a garbage bag that I cut open and wash to provide a clean work surface. I wire it in place at the top. Then I use homemade wire shackles to hold the bird upside down and hang it on the tree in front of the garbage bag. Then I cut around where the scales on the legs meet feathers (just down from the joint into the skin area), go around the legs in a circle, then cut down the outside of the legs. Then I pull to get most of the rest of the skin off like a glove. I cut the skin across the breast and pull it towards the vent and head, cut the skin across the middle of the back and pull it towards the vent and head (use a knife to remove it from the lower back). The wings are a bit tricky, I pull off what I can and then use a sharp knife to cut the pinfeathers off at the bone. I discard wing tips and head.

Lots of rinsing. I keep a flap of skin around the vent, but will trim or remove feathers there - I use this flap to keep any ickyness contained until I can remove it with the vent and all the entrails during gutting.

Once skin is off, I place the bird on a flat table, break the legs sideways at the feathers/scales joint, cut off the legs at that joint, remove the crop and esophagus, cut off the neck (can be done later), and then gut the bird. Lots of soap and water for my hands and knife between operations, rinse the carcass to remove blood and feathers.

Here is my favorite skinning knife for cutting between membranes and removing skin. Makes life so much easier! A different knife is recommended for cutting at joints. Don't forget cut-proof gloves or mesh gauntlets like they use in the food service industry for slicing meat. A properly sharpened knife will cut you just by touching you, and you won't feel it. So wear protection.

Joint knife and sticking knife (there are a number of options)

 

[gimmie birdies]

You cannot try and skin the next day, I always skin about 10 min after killing. The skin will come off like a coat.

 

[FunClucks]

You cannot try and skin the next day, I always skin about 10 min after killing. The skin will come off like a coat.

agreed. I always skin as soon as the bird is no longer alive. want to finish as much of the process as possible before rigor starts to set in. That usually starts to set in about 30 min after bird is no longer alive, but could take longer, it depends.