Very first time sending anyone to "freezer camp"

[Crickett]

I have a few questions about this. 1. What is the best way to go about the killing? I don't want the bird to suffer any more than needed. Also, how do I steel myself to do it? 2. does the bird have to be dunked in hot water or can it be dry plucked? 3. what about just skinning it? I am very much new to this, and DH doesn't want anything to do with it. Coward!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Best thing to do is see if you can round up anybody that has done it before.

We use an axe to remove the head. For one person a killing cone works well

You can dry pluck but it takes alot longer and more than likely tear the skin, scalding makes the feathers come right out very easy. If we are going to cut up the bird, skinning is very fast once you get the hang of it.

Steve in NC

 

[Kotiya]

skinning worked great for - and I'm no expert. This morning was my first time and hadn't had time to think or plan anything. See my post about surviving my coop accident. Dinner should be tasty in a day or two!

 

[cluckinchicken]

First....Jack Daniels is your friend!!

When I've done them in the backyard, it was way super casual. Nothing official.
No instructions. Just a friend who'd done it before helping me the first time.
We're both grown up real punk/new wavers from the 80's so we're of the tough breed of people anyway. It seemed only natural.

I got a beautiful axe (a real chicken killing hatchet) from an antique dealer at a show. Told him what it was for. He was impressed that I would do this myself! It had a short handle and a nice counterweight on the opposite side of the blade. The blade was wide, too, about 6-7 in. The counterweight will do most of the work.

Make sure it's sharp...take it to the old man on that country road you always see with the little 'blades sharpened' sign. In fact, he might even know where you can get one of these beauties. There is nothing like an authentic chicken killing axe.

I got a stump from a tree someone had cut down, put 2 long nails in it about 1.5 inches apart. That is the beheading stump.

Then I made some ropes for the feet...a length of white clothesline with a small loop tied on the end, then threaded the rope back through it like a dog leash.
That goes around the feet of the chicken of destiny. Lift bird and carry to the stump.

Prefer to do this where other chickens don't have to watch. I know they are food but you should still respect the food, as the vampires like to say.

Holding the rope, I would set the neck between the nails and chop the head off. The blood will spatter all over you, so wear something you don't care about. You WILL look like Dexter.

Then I would tie the unlucky bird to the side of the dog fence (dogs are NOT out! It is way too exciting for them to see this...man, it's like their wildest dream come true!) to drain for a while and then go do another one.

I'd do them all, then go to the start of the line for cleaning.

I got some big buckets (like the Homer Paintbucket from Home Depot) and filled with cold water. Put a chicken in each one, as many buckets as you want.
I think I just had 3 or 4 of them.

You need a good knife. Most important thing of all.

Since I am a health-oriented person and was never going to eat the skin anyway, I would just quarter and split them and take the skin off (with the feathers) like a sock. Discard these things. Same with the feet.

The wings and backs were saved for the doggies. They love raw bones and meat (only cooked chicken bones are dangerous to dogs).

When you cut around the underside of the breast, be careful to NOT cut the gall bladder (it is green) because if its juice gets on the meat, it will be poison to eat. You have to cut gall bladder juice off anything it gets on.

Once you get going (after the first Jack Daniels drink??) you just go on autopilot.
It's a little weird cutting warm chicken (since they were recently alive!) but you get used to it.

Then I'd toss each piece into a totally different super clean bucket of cold water and when I was done, I'd bag em up and toss them into the freezer. Side note: if you do it this way, you have the option to leave the bones on or off the chicken breast meat. It's just a few more cuts.

It's a great anatomy lesson, BTW.
I donated a bunch of meat chickens to a high school biology class once (my friend was the teacher). She remarked at how the organs are in very similar places to a human's. I was there watching. The jocks scared the girls with the miles of intestines!

Afterwards, we had a big barbeque right in front of the school (she brought her grill!).

Don't worry. We are all here for you! Don't forget to starve em out the day before. You don't want a bunch of grain sticking to the meat, either. YUK.

Know what I like to do these days (I go to a processor now that my time is more at a premium)? I let the birds of destiny have a separate pen on the cement that goes out from the barn that last day. That way they can have tons of sunshine and fresh air on their last day (and lots of water, of course and shade from being able to run into that part of the barn). No grass, no dirt, nothing to eat. But they're happy on their last day! And happy birds taste better.
I used to lock up the birds of destiny on their last day. How sad. Like jail.

You can do it!!
And if you're like me, you can then tell all the old timey farmers you meet what you did.

They, too, will be impressed.

Mary

 

[Peeper7]

I just did my first ones Saturday -- also with no help from DH.
I really psyched myself up with help (tremendous help) from the BYC community. I'm going to post the experience.

Never thought of Jack daniels

... maybe next time.....

I used Frugal's method and found it to be great.

My biggest help to steele myself to it was to keep telling myself "I am NOT a vegetarian and I'm just making someone do my dirty work for me. I know my birds will be more kindly treated by me."

Whatever works....best of luck!

 

[Crickett]

Thanks ya'll! Now I just need to decide who will be the candidate. My birds are about 4 1/2 months old right now. Is that too young? Should I wait a bit? They seem pretty big to me. The pullets (hens?) haven't even laid their first egg yet. But I need to get myself psyched about this, I have turkeys to do this Thanksgiving, as well as pigs to do in December or January! And I have ducks and geese as well. Oh, and rabbits too!

What have I gotten myself into?

 

[Peeper7]

One thing at a time.....

If your birds are big enough to make it worthwhile to process them, then proceed.