Preparing Chicken to Eat.

GFHomebrew

GFHomebrew

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Gday brewers I thought I'd flick this question to you guys and Gals @Zambi particularly im sure youved done this before?

so ya know back in October last year we had them little hatchings well this little fella is a Rooster
20240301_173310.jpg

He's only 4 months old English Sussex breed.

Anyhow $ are tight and I thought hey why not eat him!

ive thought about passing him on abd talked to a few people here but herd this one lady who takes roosters if she dont like em well she eats em anyway...

so what's your best practice when it comes to slaughtering and dressing a chook.

I've done pigs and cattle in the slaughter house back in the day so I've got the basics covered lol

I'm guessing dispatch the chook
Bleed it for a short while
Gut it
Then I hear ya gotta boil it for a short while to help in plucking the feathers.

then off with the bits that don't appeal .

And talking to this Indian dude said their bloody lovely.

I intend to roast him ...

Oh and I'm not too happy about using my kettle to boil him will running hot water over the feathers suffice or say i heat the water up using my boiler then just add that to a bucket and steep him to loosen them up.?

Help a newbie please.

Cheers
 
I don't know.
Never slaughtered one.
A friend of mine eats his roosters, but he gets them slaughtered.
I'm sure someone like Roadie will know...

All I know is that they should taste good and things like coq au vin should be made with a rooster
 
Zambi said:
I don't know.
Never slaughtered one.
A friend of mine eats his roosters, but he gets them slaughtered.
I'm sure someone like Roadie will know...

All I know is that they should taste good and things like coq au vin should be made with a rooster
Click to expand...
Oh OK yeah I thought you mighta Harvested your own chickens there ...

When I was living in Top End Australia Darwin I went out FoG Dam Magpie geese shooting and caught and dressed some with Local Aboriginal bloke. He used a jacked up tire on his land cruiser UTE with a rubber fingered contraption to semi Automatically pluck the feathers off the geese!

He'd put it in 1st gear and the tire would start spinning he inserted a pvc pipe the same diameter as the hub on the rear wheel. The pcv pipe had what looked like a dozen or so rubber fingers all projecting out of its radius these grabbed the feathers as the tire spun ingenious I thought!

I was given the goose I'd shot for a take home meal lol.

I made a stew outta it tasted like lamb to me.


Anyhow I'll see what else comes my way.

If not I'll document it for you all lol! :oops: :D
 
I raised chickens for a bit. After attempting to pluck a few the chickens, they all had a good home until I found a butcher guy that would do them for me. I tried the boiling water thing and what ever outer tricks I could come up with and usually destroyed the bird. I would have to be starving before I pluck another chicken.
The butcher had a machine built like you describe. Looked like an old wringer washing machine with a rotating arm full of rubber knobs sticking out.
 
Last time I did it, I was 12 years old. so I figured better to just send a video than to try to remember all the details.
I will say, rabbits are much easier to butcher than chickens. We had about 300 of those when I was growing up!
 
This my best solution heating the water in the kettle then transferring to this bucket to scold the chicken in.

20240303_084102.jpg

Oh more recycling of the washing machine makes a good chopping board!
Mrs went NO when I reached for one of our house boards lol.
Will do it out here in the garden wish me luck people!

Luck or good resources was on my side.

I set kettle to 78c decanted Into that bucket above with heat lose 73c expected let the chook steep for I rekon no longer than a minute and the feathers come away easily with rubber gloves on.
20240303_091727.jpg



There he is all pepped I'll pop him in a bag and into my glycol chamber. apparently gotta leave em 48 hours for riggor mortice to complete will roast him next week with an apple up to toot and let you know!

Oh the best knife i used was that small boneing knife at the end that big one was overkill and too awkward for the job.


Cheers i need a beer lol
 
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Looks great Ben
It is a bit more work than you'd think.
I remember doing 15-20 at a time.
I think for me, the worst part was the feathers and the smell. They are awful smelling, especially when wet.
Rabbits were a breeze compared to chickens!
 
The Brew Mentor said:
Looks great Ben
It is a bit more work than you'd think.
I remember doing 15-20 at a time.
I think for me, the worst part was the feathers and the smell. They are awful smelling, especially when wet.
Rabbits were a breeze compared to chickens!
Click to expand...
Yeah this didn't smell so much.
The guts sorts did reminds me of days long ago working in slaughter factory.
I've been christened if ya know what I mean.


Actually this was a breeze so quick and efficient compared to pigs and cattle.
1 hour all up and that was first run from chop to all butchered .


I'd have no Qualms doing it again.

Yup that's why I wanted to get that scold temp right and time the feathers came right off.

Really glad I did it now it actually feels right you know.
 
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We're his friends peering in the window saying a last goodbye at dinner time?
 
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