Backyard Farming Forum
Bringing food production home

When you have finished the bulk of the processing outside it is just a matter of really finishing the carcass.

First there will be a very light down on the bird. A naked flame is used to singe it off. I use a gas hob and quickly wave the carcass over it. Others use a candle, a rolled up paper taper etc. Check for any missed pin feathers and use a pair of pliers if needed to pull them out.

Then a quick wash inside and out with cold water. Drop the finished bird into an ice bath to drop the temperature. If it is a warm day you may have to ice the bird after the plucking and gutting, it isn't a good idea to leave raw meat too warm. Remove from the ice bath give a quick dry and then rest the bird in the fridge for a day or two. If you are lucky enough to have a fridge or cool room that you can hang it even better.

All that needs to be done then is dry, bag and freeze the bird. Oh and clean up!

I will be interested to hear how some of you do this necessary task, do you use the axe? Or wring the neck? hand pluck, skin or machine pluck?

I will post some pics when I butcher some chooks or ducks next

Thanks Stretchman, some good tips there. I use the axe and a block of wood but last time I did it I miss hit and felt pretty bad as it took two chops to do the job.

I first saw the killing cone on "Gorment Farmer" on SBS and I really like the idea as it stops the bird from flapping and running about like a chook with its head cut off, and it contains the mess, never thought of using a traffic cone though

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Why did the chicken cross the road? ... To have her motives questioned.

I've used a feed bag before with a corner snipped out for the head to poke through.

Simo

If you want to use the axe get your wood block and drive two six inch nails about 25mm apart in a V. Put future meal's head in the V and gently pull on the legs. The head stays held and missing the first time will be a thing of the past. Also use a cable tie to tie the feet together and have a piece of flat tin etc next to the block. When the head comes off gently lay the kicking carcass on the tin. With the legs tied on the smooth tin the bird won't get any traction and take off around the garden for the dog to chase down. It is still a messy way of dealing with the task though. When I am culling sick or injured birds I use this method, except I use the back of the (tomahawk) axe on the base of the skull to bust the neck/brain stem. Just to keep the blood mess low

oldute

That is a good idea, and disposable afterwards too. I like the cone because I can do multiple birds with it, and wash/hose it when it gets messy.

Yeah I saw then using the cone on a fence post on tv. seemed like a good idea.

Thanks for that excellent info Stretch...

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www.backyardfarming.com.au
Bringing Food Production Home

Butchered my first 2 birds (roosters) on the weekend - how long should 1 bird take - took me quite some time!!
Knowing where and what to cut now will make a big difference for next time. Used the cone method as described here and with pictures elsewhere - will post link when I find it - hip chick digs I think.

Couldn't believe the size of the rooster's bits - my gosh - I think they were larger because they got in so much practice

Haha

reminds me when i was younger. I had the job of picking the chook up when it stopped running, also yelling at the dogs to get away. I think i was 12 and was amazed how far they could run without their head

I was using a light weight Cleaver to de-head my birds and then just holding them down till they stopped moving. I need a heavier Cleaver though as sometimes it took more than a few times to get a clean cut.

I tried the stretching the spine method on one of my chooks, I went a bit overboard with how far you have to pull their head away from their legs - I thought 15 feet was probably over doing it!

We used the chopping block with two nails close together in it, head/neck placed between them, stretch from the legs and bring down the axe.

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I shall wait for the Meek......Then take it from them


http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/vie ... =18&t=8219

@ Dave

I tried stretching a pigeons neck once, surprisingly easy to detach!

@ Shaker

I remember seeing something about a chook that survived the axe but lost its head and lived for months as a sideshow attraction.

Here it is http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/story.php

[quote="stretchman
@ Shaker

I remember seeing something about a chook that survived the axe but lost its head and lived for months as a sideshow attraction.

Here it is http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/story.php[/quote]

Haha what a silly story. They forgot to chop his head off properly...they left bits

good stuff, i built a plucker this winter from the wiz bang plans its a very cool machine.
here is a link to the wiz bang site on butchering very detailed very good photos and best of all setp by step.
enjoy
paul
http://www.butcherachicken.blogspot.com/

did you order all the parts from him as well?

the only thing i got from him was the belt tensioner, i ordered a complete kit for the machined parts off ebay. i started to scrounge but found it easy just to order them as a kit with the motor and all. the cost of a complete kit was like $545usa by the time i bought lumber bolts belt ect.. i had at least $700 invested. the machine is not a toy it will clean 1000 birds a day if needed.
i hate skinless chickens....sorta like warm beer i will be cleaning birds for others, as well as selling meat so i figured this as a investment. i have hunters who shoot ducks and geese. the mexican population love fresh chicken i will pluck for them? i can advertize for other folks who keep chooks.
i have been building my farm and hunkering down for the long haul for 10 years so its just another tool for self substainability.