before this year , productshortages were showing up across the supply chainas the COVID-19 pandemic continued to interpose with transport , demand , supply and many other areas of the global economic system . Chicken , whether it be at the grocery store or on the carte at a riotous - solid food restaurant , is in short supply . This drive up prices and causes a cosmopolitan difficulty in coming together demand .
To compensate , some restaurants have even taken meals such as chicken tenders off the bill of fare totally .
In addition to the supply shortage , many Americans have undergo a change of linear perspective get about by recollective months in quarantine . With the idea of outsmart famine , the protracted months in closing off saw legion Americans planting a garden , some for the first time . Others expect to begin or refresh their attainment in raising meat beast .
Raise Your Own Meat Chickens
The combination of the two issue has made a shortage of chicken a very real result . In short , there has likely never been a near meter to ascertain chicken processing for yourself .
However , long before the pandemic start out , producers John Kolenda ofKC Farmsand Greg Nance ofSweet Grace Farmraised their chickens to provide meat and testicle to family , friends and others . Kolenda shares his method acting of how to litigate chicken while Nance matter in on packaging .
Before the process even begins , Kolenda first send word to select male chickens in a sexed great deal , if possible . Straight - run , also known as mixed batches , will also work . But female birds typically do n’t produce as much meat .
Hope Ellis-Ashburn
second , to keep off make stool or intellectual nourishment in the digestive piece of land at the time of processing , withhold provender for approximately eight to 12 hours before beginning . Nance sell his resilient birds before processing for an exercise more about litigate hiss with a friend than sell the Bronx cheer after it has been processed .
Both producer recommend watching one or more wimp processing videos to good familiarise yourself with the technique you ’ll be using during processing .
translate more : Check out this video on how to the right way butcher a wimp .
Hope Ellis-Ashburn
Equipment
Before you set out , have the following on - hand .
Chicken Processing:Step 1
After securing the bird by the feet , place it upside down in the processing cone cell . You may need to hold the body of the boo with your left hand while using your good hand to gently pull and position the head and neck through the orifice at the bottom of the cone .
Chicken Processing:Step 2
With one script holding the head make the incision flat behind the ear , cutting about halfwaythrough the neck . Bronx cheer with sullen featheringor duncish peel due to age may command more pressure from the knife . Once the incision has beenmade , deplume and place downward imperativeness on the head and cervix will result in a fast bleed out .
To speed up the process , a second incision may be made on the opposite side of the neck opening . phlebotomise out take up only minutes . For example , if processing four birds at a time , your first razzing will typically be finished by the clock time you nail the quaternary .
Chicken Processing:Step 3
grasp the razz by both foot , lift it up and out of the processing cone . With a gloved bridge player to protect against the hot water and steam , dip the carcass approximately three to four clip into the 30 - dry quart boiling sess .
The ideal temperature is 150 degrees F. A water temperature of 130 degrees will take longer for the fowl to reach out the plucking stage .
Temperatures above 150 degrees will damage the bird ’s peel . While still eatable for the family , chick with damaged pelt may not be suitable for resale . You will recognize that your bird is ready when you may easily root for out a few wing plume .
Hope Ellis-Ashburn
Chicken Processing:Step 4
enthral the carcase by the feet tothe chicken - plucking machine . Once the machine is on , sporadically add a modest amount of body of water . Hope Ellis - Ashburn
After just a few minutes in the automobile , the hoot ’s feathers will be almost completely removed . Birds that do n’t defeather well can be dim back into the red-hot water and bleed through the motorcar a second prison term .
Sometimes the machine will develop the bird ’s leg . As with any skin - damage carcase , thesebirds are often better suited to piecing up for class consumption rather than betray as whole hiss .
Hope Ellis-Ashburn
Chicken Processing:Step 5
raise the dame by the foot , carry it to the processing board . The first step in processing require using a shrill knife to remove the understructure . For the ideal cutting positioning , use your ovolo to search for the vale located between the base and the wooden leg .
If desired , discarded feet can be grade in a separate bucket for later desiccation and use as dog treats .
utilize fowl shears to take away the head and neck . For ease of promotion , cut the neck opening as close-fitting to the torso as potential . you may , if want , make unnecessary the cervix for stock . Hope Ellis - Ashburn
Place both index fingers inside the hollow created by the remotion of the neck and head . root for in opposite directions to allow for the widening of the cakehole . This will aid in the locating and removal of the esophagus and windpipe .
Using your thumb or quarter round and finger , apprehend up under the windpipe and pull until it start loose , grant for ease of removal out the back of the shuttle . Repeat the process for the trachea and harvest .
These organ are slimed and can be unmanageable to exercise loose .
Next , use the palm of your hand to press down on the titty of the wench to make the peel in this area crocked . Use a sharp knife to make a small scratch directly below the vent . Be careful not to reduce too cryptical . You could thrust and cause leakage from the intestines or other reed organ located here .
As with the neck incision , insert both exponent finger’s breadth on the top and bottom of the incision , pulling in opposite instruction to widen the hole . When the cakehole is wide enough , insert your hand using a scooping motion to stop up the innards in your hand , then commit back out of the hole .
You may want to repeat this step more than once , cutting the organs complimentary with a knife once they are out of the bird .
bump off the tail using a tart knife . Then check for any persist internal organ such as the warmheartedness and lung . The strawberry corer is an excellent tool to peel pipe organ away from the ribs and aid in get those remains out the back of the doll .
Finally , apply a hose to rinse out the gutted carcass . For presentment intention , you may make a slit in the redundant pelt at the back of the hoot and use it to fix the feet . Hope Ellis - Ashburn
Chicken Processing:STEP 6
First lieu processed birds in the cooler containing mainly cold body of water with some ice . As this cooler becomes full , the first birds litigate can be moved over to the cooler control mostly meth .
Packaging
Once all of the birds have been processed , it ’s fourth dimension to fetch them indoors for packaging . A sens of similar or very size to your scalding corporation works well . The water temperature should be bring up to around 200 degree and can safely exceed this temperature until it reaches the boiling point .
Before packaging , giblets can be bagged or wrapped and placed inside of the bird ’s body pit . Then , the integral bird is place inside of a shrink - wrap arm or bag . Once bagged , wind the wrap tightly to remove as much air as possible .
Dip the bagged bird in the scalding water supply , which allows the wrapper to shrink to fit the bird . Next , aught bind the twisted death to seal off the bag closed .
Once package , the bird should be weighed . Record this information , along with the date process , on a label tie to the wrap . sell prices will vary by realm , but Nance sell his for around $ 3.95 per pound .
price the birds for net can be a struggle . “ Chicks cost around $ 3 each after you pay for merchant vessels , ” Nance aver . “ Once the doll are home you may look up to a 10 pct loss .
“ Then there is keeping them warm , fed , irrigate and blank for about four weeks in a shelter , then relocating them to a line of business in a chicken tractor , cover feed , water and make a motion the tractor daily for the next four to five weeks , keeping predator aside , etc . It ’s quite an investment funds . ”
This list does n’t take into consideration the cost involved with kill and processing .
Making use of the total bird was an crucial cistron for both producers . Chicken feet , for good example , can be dehydrated and fed to dogs . neck make good stock . Organs get compost for use in the garden .
With practice , process a volaille call for less than 10 minutes from showtime to ending . Despite the body of work and cost necessitate , it can be a satisfy exercise in ego - sufficiency in which the full home can take part .
This clause originally appeared in the September / October 2021 issue ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
