Learning to butcher a chicken

[gapatriot]

Oh I agree the fat is important, but I hate cleaning birds. We used to raise birds for a big poultry outfit. So chicken wasa huge part of our diet. And when you are killing one a day skining it wins. By the way the birds you are getting at the store are generally 6 weeks out, they are that pumped full of hormones!!

[JohnyMac]

I already posted in "What Have You Done Today To Prep" but worth reposting.

Took to the poultry processor Thursday night and picked up yesterday (11/22/13):

> Four Turkeys
> Six rogue roosters, and
> Five Rouen ducks.

The turkeys ended up dressing out in the 7-11 # range, roosters 3-4# range and ducks in the 4# range.

Yesterday while paying for the processing I had a LONG chat with the wife of the processor and she gave me a bunch of suggestions to increase the weight of our turkey's next year and how to breed the two hens and one tom we kept. It's all about daylight.

This year we went with Royal Palms and Bourbon Reds. She suggested next year we go with Bronze or Narraganset birds as they tend to mature quicker hence put on weight quicker. She will have poults of these varieties starting in February.

The "great homesteading experiment" continues. 

 

[Well-Prepared Witch]

GAPatriot, it might be easier to skin, but I have a serious weakness for crispy chicken skin.  My mouth waters just thinking about it.   (Which works out well, since I have a roast chicken standing on the counter having just come out of the oven and fingerling potatoes are in it roasting away.  I agree with Michael Pollan and Joel Salatin - if you want to live sustainably and healthily you need to learn to cook.  Farmer's markets and knowing your local farmer are a big part, too. 

JM - awesome that you're raising them.  I would love to hear how the other breeds work out.  This coming year we're getting our chickens, seven different breeds to see what we think and what survives/works well for us.  The year after we're planning on raising turkeys (just one or two for Thanksgiving), so I'm interested to see how it goes for you.

[Jeremy Knauff]

WPW, how do you plan to kill the chicken? I've noticed different methods can cause more  or less stress on the animals; for example (not viable in your case) but the first rabbit I butchered was shot in the head. Quick, clean and painless. The second had its throat cut and didn't even notice anything had happened (very sharp knife) until he started losing consciousness. I tried to break the neck of one, but those damn things are flexible, and it ended up freaking him out in the process. (I used my hands, not the metal bars that you may have seen used elsewhere.) I've also held them by their back feet and gave them a good whack on the back of the skull—they tend not to be big fans of hanging upside down by their feet and look like something from The Exorcist until you hit them.

Back to the chicken: I don't advise just chopping the head off like you see in old cartoons (or like many of our grandparents may have done) because the bird will flip the hell out and dump adrenaline into the meat, which supposedly affects the flavor. I've personally never killed a chicken, so can't speak from first hand experience on that one, but I did see a video of a young woman a while back that you might find useful.

respectful chicken harvest part 1 of 2 kill and pluck - how to

[Well-Prepared Witch]

Jeremy - I already did the butchering and I just chopped the head off with a cleaver.  Meat tasted fine (great, actually) and the bird was dead before it knew what happened.  This is the method the farmer who taught me (who makes a living selling her birds at farmers' markets) uses and it seems to work fine for her.

[Jeremy Knauff]

I just noticed that...I was skimming and trying to catch up with what's been going on around here lately, and missed your earlier post where you talked about your kill. 

Congrats on your first bird. If you ever venture down to FL, let me know and you can come by and butcher my next batch of rabbits here. Fingers crossed, I should have about 2 dozen ready to go in a few months.

My wife still won't even go near the windows when the knives come out. 

[JohnyMac]

FOR CHICKENS not turkeys....

I have two nails on the side of the chopping block I use for kindling. I place the neck of the chicken between the nails and while holding the legs pull gently so the neck is extended and cut the head off with a hatchet. Then I throw the flapping bird in a inverted wooden basket.

Once dead I hang up for a few minutes; dip in a pot with hot water for 30 seconds or so and pluck.

No fuss no muss.

[Well-Prepared Witch]

Jeremy - I may take you up on that one of these days!  It'd be a great skill to learn.

Johnny - what do you recommend for butchering turkeys?  We're going to raise a couple in 2015.  This year I'm pretty excited to be getting our Thanksgiving bird from a local farmer only about 20 minutes away from us.  I'm hoping he has an indoor place to do his butchering - it's sleeting out there!  Brrrr...

[JohnyMac]

My method is as follows:

Find a local processor who will do it for $7-, 

Seriously if you are only going to do one bird fine do it yourself but if you have 2 or more to do - Farm it out.

In short:

> Dress in your crappiest clothes.
> Tie up the turkey by their feet from a beam low enough so you can grab their wings once you slit
   the throat. REMEMBER IT IS NOT A 5# CHICKEN! Upside down they kind of go into a trance and
   are rather docile.
> Have ready a tub full of hot water (160 degrees or so) a sharp knife, leather gloves and safety
   glasses or goggles ready.
> After 5 minutes or so put on a good pair of leather gloves and a pair of goggles or safety glasses.
   grab the turkey's head and slit both sides of the throat. Then grab both wings and hang on for
   dear life. REMEMBER IT IS NOT A 5# CHICKEN. If you don't hold on the blood is flung all over the
   walls of the barn/ shed/ Etc.
> Once you get the final shudder hang on as there is one more coming - trust me 
> Take the turkey down and put it in the hot water for a minute or so.
> Now process like you would a 5# chicken. 

Take a shower immediately after you put the dressed turkey in the refrigerator as you will look like a "mass murderer." 

[Well-Prepared Witch]

lol!  It's ok, all my friends already think I'm a psycho for having butchered a chicken.  That'd just confirm their opinion.   Thanks for the description!