With the correct tools, providing meat from the chickens you've raised is little work with huge rewards. You know the birds you raised were treated and butchered humanely. You know what they were fed. You know there are no harmful preservatives or other chemicals in your meat. It’s worth the effort to ensure that you’re putting healthy meat on your table in a sustainable way, and not supporting the horrendous conditions in which most birds in the commercial flocks exist.
Steps to producing meat from chickens raised on your farm include preparation, slaughtering, scalding, plucking, and processing the bird.
1. Preparation: The night before butchering, take the bird off all feed and water. Plan to butcher very early in the morning to reduce the amount of stress on the animal. Prepare the butchering station, scalding station, plucking station, and processing table the night before (see directions for the scalding and plucking stations below); you will need ropes to tie the legs together, killing cones (or you can use a 1.5 gallon bleach jug with top and bottom cut out), a very sharp 4-6 inch knife, a clean work surface on a table, containers/bags to keep the gizzards, livers, etc., a garden hose (or two, if possible) and coolers with ice water to hold the birds after processing. A plucker is optional, but it does make the process TREMENDOUSLY easier. The idea is to keep the procedure moving (think assembly line) so that from the time of slaughtering until the processed bird is sitting in a cold bath, it’s just a matter of minutes. Prep time is crucial in this task.
2. Slaughtering: Take the live bird, tie the feet together, and place it gently into the killing cone you've hung at a comfortable working level. Place the bird inverted so the head and neck (partially) will come out of the bottom of the cone. Try to keep the wings in as natural a position as possible. It’s normal for the bird to struggle a little because it’s upside down and confined. Drop the bird in and leave it alone for 2-3 minutes so it will calm down; the calmer the bird, the calmer the kill, and minimal stress is the goal here. Face the bird, take hold of the head directly under the jawbone and gently pull the head down some to stretch the neck and make it tight for the cut that follows. Put your thumb on the backside of the knife's blade and aim for the chicken's jugular. Make a deep incision, smoothly and quickly; the smoother your action, the easier the death of the bird. You should see the blood start to pump out of the vein. At the time of the cut, some birds may flinch, but many won’t even move. Almost never will they struggle. This is the most humane way to slaughter; there is only the sting of the initial incision, and then the bird will bleed out in about 2-3 minutes, slowly losing consciousness, as if falling asleep. In the last 15-30 seconds of life, the unconscious bird may kick a little—this is nerve activity, not pain. After 3-4 minutes, check to make sure the bird is dead, then take the bird to the scalding station.
3. Scalding: This station consists of a large container with very hot water. Use a thermometer to monitor the heat; you want the water temperature to be between 170 and 180 degrees. The container needs to be large enough for the entire bird to be submerged—a turkey deep fryer works very well. Invert the bird and submerge the entire body up to the knee joint. Hold submerged for a few seconds, then remove. Repeat this process 3-4 times. Be careful to keep the submersion to a minimum so as not to cook the bird. Also, the darker the bird, the more scalding required. Test the wing feathers for easy release; when they are easily removed, take the bird to the plucking station.
4. Plucking: If you have a plucker, this step is a breeze. If not, this step is one of the hardest. Those blessed with a plucker can just drop the scalded bird in, turn it on, and in about 20-30 seconds, voila! a featherless bird ready for the processing table. Those of you with a more primal setup will need to hang the bird by the tied feet at your eye level. Grab a handful of feathers, starting at the highest point of the bird and working down. Get all the feathers off that you can see. At this point, a water hose is handy because you can keep your hands rinsed and also rinse the bird so you can see any missed feathers. Some people will singe the hard to get feathers after they've pulled off all they can by hand. After the bird is de-feathered, it’s ready for the processing table.
5. Processing the bird: Use a sharp knife to remove the head. Have a bucket handy for unwanted parts and entrails; place the head in the bucket. Place the bird on its chest, pointing the legs towards you. On top of the tail is an oil duct. You must remove it ASAP or it will taint the meat and give a strong flavor. After removing the duct, flip the bird on its back and remove the rope from the feet. To cut off the legs, make a cut from one side of the knee joint to the middle, then turn and cut from the other side of the knee joint to the middle; the feet should pull off the body easily now. You can use the chicken feet later to make pectin and stock, so you may wish to have a container for them and not discard. Next, spread the bird’s legs and make a slit/incision about 3 inches long between the rectum and the vent. Be very careful not to puncture the rectum. Use your fingers to open the slit wider. Next, flip the bird around and find the area where the breast meets the neck. Make a slit/incision about one and a half to two inches long. Open this incision with your hands, also. You need to be able to fit your index fingers and middle fingers inside. Hook clockwise inside this incision to remove the gizzard out of the bird. Be very careful not to tear or cut anything that could release a fluid. Look into the incision to locate the esophagus; carefully make a cut to remove the neck at the base—be mindful of the esophagus, don’t cut it. Next, return to the rear of the bird at the initial incision site and place your hand inside the body cavity. Use your fingers in a side to side motion to loosen the inside organs. The goal is remove the organs without cutting or tearing them. Carefully cut around the outside of the rectum, then scoop out the entrails. Everything should come out intact. Take the hose and rinse the inside of the cavity. All that should remain inside the bird at this point are kidneys and, if a hen, the ovaries. Remove those next. Rinse the entire bird and inspect to make sure all feathers are off and all insides have been removed. Place the bird in a cooler full of ice water; leave in the bath for 24 hours to minimize blood clots/bruising, then the bird is ready to cook or freeze.
A few added notes: a free-ranged bird or a heritage breed will have a big gizzard (looks nothing like one bought in the store). If keeping the gizzard for your or pet’s consumption, slit the gizzard about a third of an inch and use a hose to rinse out the gravel. You will see a white membrane in the center on the top and bottom halves; take a knife to go between the membrane and the gizzard, peel off the entire membrane, rinse the gizzard, and it’s ready to use or freeze. You can also keep the heart, liver and neck; they just need to be rinsed and placed in clean containers. Entrails and heads can be buried---or if no signs of worms, they can be fed to dogs. Feathers can go to the compost to add calcium. To use the feet, take them back to the scalding station; put them into a colander and drop them into the water. Leave the feet there for about 2 minutes, then pull them out to test; they’re ready when you can pull the skin from the leg. It will be rubbery, and the nails and all will come off. Leave the muscle only. In the center of the bottom of the foot is another oil gland. Use the hose as you squeeze the oil out of the gland (there may be dirt that comes out before the oil). Rinse the foot and bag for use in making pectin or stock.
So there you have it! In just 5 easy steps, you can be eating healthier and more sustainably, and be satisfied in knowing that your bird was treated humanely and respectfully in life and in death.
Steps to producing meat from chickens raised on your farm include preparation, slaughtering, scalding, plucking, and processing the bird.
1. Preparation: The night before butchering, take the bird off all feed and water. Plan to butcher very early in the morning to reduce the amount of stress on the animal. Prepare the butchering station, scalding station, plucking station, and processing table the night before (see directions for the scalding and plucking stations below); you will need ropes to tie the legs together, killing cones (or you can use a 1.5 gallon bleach jug with top and bottom cut out), a very sharp 4-6 inch knife, a clean work surface on a table, containers/bags to keep the gizzards, livers, etc., a garden hose (or two, if possible) and coolers with ice water to hold the birds after processing. A plucker is optional, but it does make the process TREMENDOUSLY easier. The idea is to keep the procedure moving (think assembly line) so that from the time of slaughtering until the processed bird is sitting in a cold bath, it’s just a matter of minutes. Prep time is crucial in this task.
2. Slaughtering: Take the live bird, tie the feet together, and place it gently into the killing cone you've hung at a comfortable working level. Place the bird inverted so the head and neck (partially) will come out of the bottom of the cone. Try to keep the wings in as natural a position as possible. It’s normal for the bird to struggle a little because it’s upside down and confined. Drop the bird in and leave it alone for 2-3 minutes so it will calm down; the calmer the bird, the calmer the kill, and minimal stress is the goal here. Face the bird, take hold of the head directly under the jawbone and gently pull the head down some to stretch the neck and make it tight for the cut that follows. Put your thumb on the backside of the knife's blade and aim for the chicken's jugular. Make a deep incision, smoothly and quickly; the smoother your action, the easier the death of the bird. You should see the blood start to pump out of the vein. At the time of the cut, some birds may flinch, but many won’t even move. Almost never will they struggle. This is the most humane way to slaughter; there is only the sting of the initial incision, and then the bird will bleed out in about 2-3 minutes, slowly losing consciousness, as if falling asleep. In the last 15-30 seconds of life, the unconscious bird may kick a little—this is nerve activity, not pain. After 3-4 minutes, check to make sure the bird is dead, then take the bird to the scalding station.
3. Scalding: This station consists of a large container with very hot water. Use a thermometer to monitor the heat; you want the water temperature to be between 170 and 180 degrees. The container needs to be large enough for the entire bird to be submerged—a turkey deep fryer works very well. Invert the bird and submerge the entire body up to the knee joint. Hold submerged for a few seconds, then remove. Repeat this process 3-4 times. Be careful to keep the submersion to a minimum so as not to cook the bird. Also, the darker the bird, the more scalding required. Test the wing feathers for easy release; when they are easily removed, take the bird to the plucking station.
4. Plucking: If you have a plucker, this step is a breeze. If not, this step is one of the hardest. Those blessed with a plucker can just drop the scalded bird in, turn it on, and in about 20-30 seconds, voila! a featherless bird ready for the processing table. Those of you with a more primal setup will need to hang the bird by the tied feet at your eye level. Grab a handful of feathers, starting at the highest point of the bird and working down. Get all the feathers off that you can see. At this point, a water hose is handy because you can keep your hands rinsed and also rinse the bird so you can see any missed feathers. Some people will singe the hard to get feathers after they've pulled off all they can by hand. After the bird is de-feathered, it’s ready for the processing table.
5. Processing the bird: Use a sharp knife to remove the head. Have a bucket handy for unwanted parts and entrails; place the head in the bucket. Place the bird on its chest, pointing the legs towards you. On top of the tail is an oil duct. You must remove it ASAP or it will taint the meat and give a strong flavor. After removing the duct, flip the bird on its back and remove the rope from the feet. To cut off the legs, make a cut from one side of the knee joint to the middle, then turn and cut from the other side of the knee joint to the middle; the feet should pull off the body easily now. You can use the chicken feet later to make pectin and stock, so you may wish to have a container for them and not discard. Next, spread the bird’s legs and make a slit/incision about 3 inches long between the rectum and the vent. Be very careful not to puncture the rectum. Use your fingers to open the slit wider. Next, flip the bird around and find the area where the breast meets the neck. Make a slit/incision about one and a half to two inches long. Open this incision with your hands, also. You need to be able to fit your index fingers and middle fingers inside. Hook clockwise inside this incision to remove the gizzard out of the bird. Be very careful not to tear or cut anything that could release a fluid. Look into the incision to locate the esophagus; carefully make a cut to remove the neck at the base—be mindful of the esophagus, don’t cut it. Next, return to the rear of the bird at the initial incision site and place your hand inside the body cavity. Use your fingers in a side to side motion to loosen the inside organs. The goal is remove the organs without cutting or tearing them. Carefully cut around the outside of the rectum, then scoop out the entrails. Everything should come out intact. Take the hose and rinse the inside of the cavity. All that should remain inside the bird at this point are kidneys and, if a hen, the ovaries. Remove those next. Rinse the entire bird and inspect to make sure all feathers are off and all insides have been removed. Place the bird in a cooler full of ice water; leave in the bath for 24 hours to minimize blood clots/bruising, then the bird is ready to cook or freeze.
A few added notes: a free-ranged bird or a heritage breed will have a big gizzard (looks nothing like one bought in the store). If keeping the gizzard for your or pet’s consumption, slit the gizzard about a third of an inch and use a hose to rinse out the gravel. You will see a white membrane in the center on the top and bottom halves; take a knife to go between the membrane and the gizzard, peel off the entire membrane, rinse the gizzard, and it’s ready to use or freeze. You can also keep the heart, liver and neck; they just need to be rinsed and placed in clean containers. Entrails and heads can be buried---or if no signs of worms, they can be fed to dogs. Feathers can go to the compost to add calcium. To use the feet, take them back to the scalding station; put them into a colander and drop them into the water. Leave the feet there for about 2 minutes, then pull them out to test; they’re ready when you can pull the skin from the leg. It will be rubbery, and the nails and all will come off. Leave the muscle only. In the center of the bottom of the foot is another oil gland. Use the hose as you squeeze the oil out of the gland (there may be dirt that comes out before the oil). Rinse the foot and bag for use in making pectin or stock.
So there you have it! In just 5 easy steps, you can be eating healthier and more sustainably, and be satisfied in knowing that your bird was treated humanely and respectfully in life and in death.
*We apologize for the lack of pictures with this post; they will be added after our next butchering session.