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Jonathan
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Reged: 01/19/03
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Posts: 34
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Loc: Sloughhouse, California
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Observations on butchering chickens
10/11/03 11:29 PM
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I butchered my first two chickens a few weeks ago. I held their legs, slipped a short noose around their feet, hatcheted the head off, hung the other end of the noose on a nail to let them drain while hanging upside down. Dunked them in hot water. Plucking was a nightmare.  Some feathers were pulled with pliers. Cleaning the insides wasn't much different than a fish. The guts required more deliberate cuts. And then there were the yellowjackets! 
So I tried again yesterday. Did one bird at a time this time. Made sure the water was hot, added soap to help the water get by oiled feathers, used a stick to stir the feathers, and plucking became the easiest part of the job.  Feathers pulled out in easy clumps. Cleaning the insides was easier too, and I figure that'll speed up too as I learn more. Also, this time it was cold and windy. One yellowjacket came but it gave up quickly. This second time it took less than half the first. Hopefully the third will be even faster. 
The last bird showed signs of rigor mortis before I was done. I'm guessing it was in the hot water too long? Let me know if you know, or have any other tips.
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egon
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Loc: Nova Scotia,Canada
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Re: Observations on butchering chickens
[re: Jonathan]
10/12/03 05:34 AM
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After plucking singe the bird to remove the fine downy type hairs. A piece of cloth tied to the end of a wire and dipped in alcohol was how we used to do it. A little propane bottle torch should work just fine too. They wern't available back then.
Chickens was a job I never looked forward to. Couldn't handle the smell.
Egon
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Fawteen
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Re: Observations on butchering chickens
[re: Jonathan]
10/12/03 06:39 AM
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Sounds like yer gettin' there, Jonathan! My wife and I do 25 a day during our fall butchering marathon.
The 'rigor mortis' is just that. The symptom of too much time in the water is that the skin tears when you're plucking the feathers. If the bird hangs too long, it stiffens up very noticeably.
A tip for ya: Wear a pair of them nubbly rubber kitchen gloves when plucking. You can just "wipe" about 95% of the feathers off. My wife swears by 'em.
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Re: Observations on butchering chickens
[re: Jonathan]
10/12/03 03:49 PM
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It's been thirty or more years and I wasn't much more than a kid at the time but I remember that we used a fish filleting knife and reached in through the mouth and poked the brain to loosen the feathers. no water was used which makes a lot less mess. You knew you were in the right spot when the bird stiffened up for a second and then relaxed. I believe we stuck the knife through the side of the neck first to cut the juguler then stuck the brain after letting the blood drain a bit then wipe your hands down to peel off the feathers. I believe timing had a lot to do with how easy the feathers pealed but dry feathers are a lot nicer than wet ones.We did turkeys the same way but geese had a big steamer to loosen the feathers. Again technique had a lot to do with it but I remember the nauseating smells more than anything to do with tough plucking.
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Boondox
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Reged: 09/11/02
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Loc: Northern Vermont
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Re: Observations on butchering chickens
[re: Jonathan]
10/12/03 07:37 PM
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Jonathan -- After several years of keeping and butchering our own chickens we gave up on the entire plucking thing (skin is bad for you anyway) and simply skin the birds now.
For details on the way we off birds, visit our Website Chicken slaughter
Hope this helps.
Pete
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Jonathan
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Reged: 01/19/03
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Posts: 34
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Loc: Sloughhouse, California
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Re: Observations on butchering chickens
[re: Boondox]
10/13/03 12:26 AM
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Thanks for the replies & advice. Interesting most of you commented on the smell. It reminded me of breakfast cooking, not unpleasant, but I still tried to avoid it. I did use disposable rubber gloves (next time I'll try to nubbly kitchen kind) when cleaning the insides. A friend told me the smell wouldn't leave his hands and this way wash up was easy.
Thanks for the site, Pete. I've seen it before but another read still helps. My wife does skin the chickens, but I still wanted to learn to pluck, for the experience if nothing else.
I had no problem with skin tearing, but only one chicken showed signs of rigor mortis. I let everyone know if I figure out if something I did brought it on early for the one chicken.
Another benefit I've seen. I butchered my egg eaters first and now egg production has gone way up again! I also tell the chickens that the egg eaters will the first to go.  Thanks again everyone for the advice. -Jonathan
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