Guest guest Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 I really liked hearing about this. I guess once i got past the killing part, which probably wouldn't take too long, it would be the plucking part that would worry me. How long does it take to pluck a chicken? I did it once and it took forever. Do you have a chicken plucking machine? (I can't even imagine what one looks like). Elaine > It IS a royal pain. Some areas have processors that will do it > for you. I guess it gets me in touch with my " paleo " side. > I don't like how we are so isolated from " real life " ... esp. > me as I sit on my computer. I mean, most of the world > lives ON THE LAND and that gives you a whole different > take on life. Us, we live in this nice scrubbed Disneyland > life and judge the rest of the world. > > As for the little ones ... I worried about that, but it > depends on the age. I did not want them growing up thinking > meat comes in a styrofoam wrapper either, and fainting at > the sight of blood. Really, a kid who can't handle wrapping > a big cut because blood freaks them out isn't in a good > place to survive life. I really feel sorry for those poor kids > who go to Iraq or wherever ... they've never even seen > a dead chicken and then they are facing machine gun fire. > > I told the family to stay in the house the first few > times, but the kids were curious, and then they started > helping out and wondering about the biology of it all. > THAT freaked me out, until I remembered that my own > love of biology happened when my Mom was cutting > up rabbits and I was playing with the innards (the first > balls were made from animal bladders ... ). Then it > got so she trusted me to cut up the fish, which I loved > to do. > > I also talked to a hunter, who has this sort of mystical > reverence for life, and for the animals he hunts. That > I didn't expect: I thought hunters were the macho > types who didn't care. But instead you get this feeling > like " we are all in this together " ... part of the same > cycle, and you start valuing life (and your food) more. > Anyway, I'm not saying it's for everyone, but for me it's > been worth it. It IS a cultural shock and I had a very hard > time of it at first. At this point though, I'm not sure I'd > *trust* anyone else unless I was there supervising. > > > Heidi Jean > > > > > > > > > <HTML><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC " -//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN " > " http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd " ><BODY><FONT > FACE= " monospace " SIZE= " 3 " > > <B>IMPORTANT ADDRESSES</B> > <UL> > <LI><B><A HREF= " / " >NATIVE > NUTRITION</A></B> online</LI> > <LI><B><A HREF= " http://onibasu.com/ " >SEARCH</A></B> the entire message archive > with Onibasu</LI> > </UL></FONT> > <PRE><FONT FACE= " monospace " SIZE= " 3 " ><B><A > HREF= " mailto: -owner " >LIST OWNER:</A></B> > Idol > <B>MODERATORS:</B> Heidi Schuppenhauer > Wanita Sears > </FONT></PRE> > </BODY> > </HTML> > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 >I really liked hearing about this. I guess once i got past the killing part, >which probably wouldn't take too long, it would be the plucking part that >would worry me. How long does it take to pluck a chicken? I did it once and >it took forever. Do you have a chicken plucking machine? (I can't even >imagine what one looks like). >Elaine There ARE plucking machines, and in one chicken book I read it tells how to make them. But basically the secret is that you have to dunk the bird in scalding hot water. I couldn't figure out how to do that ... I didn't want to take the bird inside the house and feathers and smell all over. However, my Great Outdoors smoker is basically a propane cooker, so I put my big stainless " beer making pot " out there and just kept it hot while I did chickens. You can get a propane burner for not much money, and they are great for any outdoors cooking (they sell them for making deep fried turkey too, not that deep fried turkey is something I'm into!). Anyway, after the bird is scalded the feathers come right out. Another thing that helps is to have someplace you can SIT and some running water. I'm lobbying for an outdoor sink hooked up to the hose, where the water just runs into the yard, to do yecchy stuff like this (and doing clay projects, washing root vegies, etc.). My first few birds though, my dh did the killing part. He didn't mind doing that as long as he didn't have to do plucking! Some folks who live around Amish, hire an Amish person to do the cleaning. There are also places that will do a whole flock .. you deliver the birds, pick them up cooled and bagged. I'd recommend checking out a book from your local library though, and getting good instruction. It helps. Then you'll know what you are into! Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 > My first few birds though, my dh did the killing part. > He didn't mind doing that as long as he didn't have > to do plucking! Some folks who live around Amish, hire > an Amish person to do the cleaning. There are also > places that will do a whole flock .. you deliver the birds, > pick them up cooled and bagged. > > I'd recommend checking out a book from your local > library though, and getting good instruction. It helps. > Then you'll know what you are into! > > > Heidi Jean I have looked at library books and they say you don't want blood in the lungs, so don't ax the head off. I have too many roosters. Can I shoot them with an arrow from a 50# or greater compound bow? People hunt turkeys round these parts, usually decapitating or shooting in the back. I am just thinking that with the precision and surprise, it might be the most humane way to do it. But then, there might be nutritional issues of which I am unaware, and obviously the poultry raising books don't cover it, lol. Thanks, Deanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 >I have looked at library books and they say you don't want blood in >the lungs, so don't ax the head off. I have too many roosters. Can I >shoot them with an arrow from a 50# or greater compound bow? People >hunt turkeys round these parts, usually decapitating or shooting in >the back. I am just thinking that with the precision and surprise, it >might be the most humane way to do it. But then, there might be >nutritional issues of which I am unaware, and obviously the poultry >raising books don't cover it, lol. > >Thanks, >Deanna OK, for folks who don't like gory details: stop here! The best method is the " killing cone " ... an old traffic cone will do, or sheet metal rolled into a cone. Chicken goes in head first. Chickens get really quiet if they are upside down, they kind of go into a hypnotic state. Then you slit the jugular. This stops the blood from going to the brain, and they don't seem to suffer (though they go into convulsions at the end: that's a muscular reaction). You can also drive an ice pick into the brain, but that takes practice. Commercially they use elecroshock, which might not be a bad idea if you have a cattle prod, but I haven't tried it. If you shoot them, the blood doesn't drain, plus it's kind of cruel in my book, they wouldn't die quickly. If an animal is frightened etc. at the end the meat can taste gamey. I do know some folks who raise birds and then use a shotgun on them, but that seems to be the worst of both worlds: cruel on the bird, AND you have to pick out buckshot! Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 > OK, for folks who don't like gory details: stop here! > > The best method is the " killing cone " ... Thanks Heidi. I am a newbie at all of this raising chicken stuff. I appreciate your experience and sensitivity. It's not something I'M going to do mind you. That's a dh job if ever there was one. I'm curious how you view hunting then. More gore follows ... From the videos I've seen of turkeys being shot with guns or arrows, they go down pretty quickly when it's a head shot. They make this arrow tip called a " Gobbler Guillotine " that takes the head shear off. I think most hunters eat their kills. And heck, before keeping animals, hunting was it. Just curious about humane methods, nutritional differences, etc. I do plan to bow hunt in the future. And now for some chicken sex, lol ... I would leave the whole natural flock alone, mind you, but it is such a pain to keep the rooster from the adult hen. These Silkie Bantams are big enough now that they can free range in the acre that's fenced in, but Mr. Raspberry is going to injure poor Hazel if I can't keep them separate. DS and I get our morning workout every other day chasing said rooster into the dog run to keep him away. And the youngins? Well, it is 3:4 and I don't know if roosters are in the majority, but some of them are crowing (it's so cute). I have a neighbor who wants one rooster, and I could get some more layers, but, well, I only need 2 max roosters to keep the blasted cats away. Thank you again. The cone method is in the book. I'll look it over and probably holler again before we " do him. " And to think I used to be a vegan. Deanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Deanna >I'm curious how you view hunting then. More gore follows ... From the >videos I've seen of turkeys being shot with guns or arrows, they go >down pretty quickly when it's a head shot. They make this arrow tip >called a " Gobbler Guillotine " that takes the head shear off. I think >most hunters eat their kills. And heck, before keeping animals, >hunting was it. Just curious about humane methods, nutritional >differences, etc. I do plan to bow hunt in the future. Well, I'm not going to sit in judgement about hunting. " Some of my best friends are hunters! " LOL! It's just that *I* won't do it. I mean, the concept of tramping around day after day and sitting quietly so I *might* get a shot and *might* get an animal is just too much work, and then if it's not a clean kill the animal will be gamey and then I have to do all that work AND pack out the meat. Get real! I do my annual " cow hunt " and come back with 1,000 lbs of meat and spend less than most hunters I know, and get better meat. Now if I was a paleo person and that was the only way to get meat ... sure, I'd do it. Or more likely my man would. I think people want to do it today because we still have this circuit in our brain that wants to hunt! (I have a similar circuit, but it makes me want to do fiber arts ....). But FWIW, a lot of hunters do NOT eat their game, which is how I've gotten it to compare. Wild pheasant and duck do not, IMO, taste as nice as free range chicken or duck of the domestic breeds, and I like longhorn a lot better than moose. But a lot of that is personal taste. Anyway, I'm not trying to make a moral judgement here on what anyone else does. I know folks that actually like to watch football too, and everyone in our family thinks that is just a weird thing to want to do! >And now for some chicken sex, lol ... I would leave the whole natural >flock alone, mind you, but it is such a pain to keep the rooster from >the adult hen. These Silkie Bantams are big enough now that they can >free range in the acre that's fenced in, but Mr. Raspberry is going to >injure poor Hazel if I can't keep them separate. DS and I get our >morning workout every other day chasing said rooster into the dog run >to keep him away. And the youngins? Well, it is 3:4 and I don't know >if roosters are in the majority, but some of them are crowing (it's so >cute). I have a neighbor who wants one rooster, and I could get some >more layers, but, well, I only need 2 max roosters to keep the blasted >cats away. For most animals, you can't keep more than 1 or maybe 2 males. They fight, they injure the females, they also attack kids and you when you are feeding them. This has always been true ... the archeologists can tell if animal bones were from raised or hunted animals by the sex. If a lot of the bones are from older females and younger males, they were farmed animals! The exception are animals like ducks, where they pair off and the males aren't aggressive. I've always wondered why aggression wasn't bred out of roosters, but like you say, it's probably because they attack the animals that would injure the flock. They are no good against hawks though. Banty roosters seem to be far more mellow though, I think because the breed I have are primarily kept as pets, and in pens because they are so small. When we buy chicks though we get " sexed " chicks so there are very few, if any, males. If you wait too long on roosters, the meat is VERY tough. Which is what you want for, say " Coque au Vin " ... the old recipes for long-cooked chicken REQUIRE a tough bird. >Thank you again. The cone method is in the book. I'll look it over >and probably holler again before we " do him. " And to think I used to >be a vegan. Wow. Vegan huh? THAT is a mindbending bit of change! Congrats to you! Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 > It's just that *I* won't do it. I mean, the concept of tramping > around day after day and sitting quietly so I *might* get a shot > and *might* get an animal is just too much work, and then > if it's not a clean kill the animal will be gamey and then I have > to do all that work AND pack out the meat. Get real! I do > my annual " cow hunt " and come back with 1,000 lbs of meat > and spend less than most hunters I know, and get better > meat. Heidi, Yes, well, tis true about time vs. meat in some circumstances. We live in the country away from cities and the deer are in the garden sometimes eating lettuce. Rabbits too, but kitty gets those. So I guess it is a consideration. > > Now if I was a paleo person and that was the only > way to get meat ... sure, I'd do it. Or more likely my > man would. I think people want to do it today > because we still have this circuit in our brain > that wants to hunt! (I have a similar circuit, > but it makes me want to do fiber arts ....). It's a good skill to know, man or tomboy woman lol. > > But FWIW, a lot of hunters do NOT eat their > game, which is how I've gotten it to compare. > Wild pheasant and duck do not, IMO, taste > as nice as free range chicken or duck of the > domestic breeds, and I like longhorn a lot better > than moose. But a lot of that is personal taste. Ducks are next on the list of " farm " animals. All that is restricted here are swine. I love lamb and have been thinking about raising sheep. I get angus beef every few months from East Texas. Real good stuff that. > > Anyway, I'm not trying to make a moral > judgement here on what anyone else does. I know > folks that actually like to watch football too, > and everyone in our family thinks that is just > a weird thing to want to do! Well, we watch no TV, let alone football. Why don't folks just play it or go hunt? > > For most animals, you can't keep more than 1 or maybe 2 males. > They fight, they injure the females, they also attack > kids and you when you are feeding them. This > has always been true ... the archeologists can > tell if animal bones were from raised or hunted > animals by the sex. If a lot of the bones are from > older females and younger males, they were farmed > animals! > > The exception are animals like ducks, where they pair > off and the males aren't aggressive. I've always wondered > why aggression wasn't bred out of roosters, but like you > say, it's probably because they attack the animals that > would injure the flock. They are no good against > hawks though. Banty roosters seem to be far > more mellow though, I think because the breed I have > are primarily kept as pets, and in pens because they > are so small. > > When we buy chicks though we get " sexed " chicks so > there are very few, if any, males. > > If you wait too long on roosters, the meat is VERY > tough. Which is what you want for, say " Coque au Vin " ... > the old recipes for long-cooked chicken REQUIRE a tough > bird. Oh good point. I'll save Raspberry for the French wine stew. > Wow. Vegan huh? THAT is a mindbending bit of change! > Congrats to you! Now Helga, we've known each other on this list and nt_politics and others for a time now. You've often congratulated me for having open mind. Well, it is still bending, hah a ha! Your pal in Texas, Deanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 >Deanna >Yes, well, tis true about time vs. meat in some circumstances. We >live in the country away from cities and the deer are in the garden >sometimes eating lettuce. Rabbits too, but kitty gets those. So I >guess it is a consideration. We have deer in the yard sometimes too, but who knows what they've been eating! Also there are a lot of rules about deer hunting, and lately most of the hunters I know haven't had much luck and spend *weeks* working at it. My dh wants to go hunting though, more power to him. He regards it as a neat way to spend time " out with the boys " though. >Ducks are next on the list of " farm " animals. All that is restricted >here are swine. I love lamb and have been thinking about raising >sheep. I get angus beef every few months from East Texas. Real good >stuff that. Swine I have no desire to deal with! Though they are good for getting rid of garbage. Ducks are great ... they eat slugs, have soft feathers, good eggs, grow fast, don't care about rain. They eat flies too ... our fly and mosquito population seems to have crashed since the ducks arrived. > >Well, we watch no TV, let alone football. Why don't folks just play >it or go hunt? I think people like to watch other people fight. Even the Inuit had a form of " boxing " . Football strikes me as a lot better than the Greek " go to war in the summer, boys! " . >Now Helga, we've known each other on this list and nt_politics and >others for a time now. You've often congratulated me for having open >mind. Well, it is still bending, hah a ha! Hee hee. Yeah, my mind still gets bent on a regular basis too. Just when you think your paradigm is safe ... > Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Elaine <itchyink@s...> wrote: > I really liked hearing about this. I guess once i got past the killing part, > which probably wouldn't take too long, it would be the plucking part that > would worry me. How long does it take to pluck a chicken? I did it once and > it took forever. Do you have a chicken plucking machine? (I can't even > imagine what one looks like). Hello Elaine We use two tin 5 gallon pails to scald. These tin or metal pails are old pails from before plastic pails became the norm. But I'm sure you can buy metal 5 gallon pails. Then we use a propane torch at the base of the pails which must be placed at least 30 minutes prior to killing, perhaps more. Just test the water before killing. We also cover the pails with a sheet of metal or tin that can be slid to the unused pail with a gloved hand when dipping the chicken. It is important to have two pails, as the pail needs to reheat after having a chicken dipped. So you alternate pails. When you dip, you only dip for a certain amount of time. Dip then lift the chicken up, test the wing feathers to ensure that it just pulls. If you can't pull a feather, dip again. It is important not to scald too long. When you pluck, we pluck inside our garage using a big round bowl, one for each person, an extra 5 gallon pail for excess feathers. When you pluck there are variations of where you start. My husband, a long time expert, prefers to pluck the body first, then the wings. I like to get the hard part over with and do the wings first, then the body. For the body, you move your hand against the feathers grabbing a pile of feathers in your fist in one motion. Think of it as backcombing the feathers. It almost gets to the point where you can slide your hand along the legs and the feathers come off. Wings just grab and pull hard. Once all the feathers are off, then you must focus on the pin feathers, that is just using your fingers like twizzers for each little pin feather. All total, it takes me about 7 minutes to pluck to this stage (including pin feathers) and my husband takes 5 minutes. As your bowl gets full of feathers, hold chicken up with one hand and tip your bowl so the feathers go into the feather pail. I also tend to put big handfuls directly into the feather pail rather than my bowl. Then we place the plucked chicken in a huge tub of cold water which can hold about 10 chickens (4 pounds) each. Once the tub is full, we move to the eviscerating stage. Gayle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Thanks Gayle! I helped pluck chickens once and the feathers were hard to get out. Obviously they weren't in the hot water long enough. With pastured chickens costing $3 a pound, I hope to get myself in this direction one day. Elaine > We use two tin 5 gallon pails to scald. These tin or metal pails are > old pails from before plastic pails became the norm. But I'm sure you > can buy metal 5 gallon pails. Then we use a propane torch at the base > of the pails which must be placed at least 30 minutes prior to > killing, perhaps more. Just test the water before killing. We also > cover the pails with a sheet of metal or tin that can be slid to the > unused pail with a gloved hand when dipping the chicken. It is > important to have two pails, as the pail needs to reheat after having > a chicken dipped. So you alternate pails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Heidi Schuppenhauer <heidis@t...> wrote: > The best method is the " killing cone " ... an old traffic cone will > do, or sheet metal rolled into a cone. That sounds really sophisticated Heidi! We just use an old block of wood. Turn the chicken upside down by holding onto one leg. Then they are so surprised they quieten down because they don't know what to do. Then you can move their body so its head lays on the block, and with the other hand cut the jugular vein with an axe. You don't cut the head right off. > Chicken goes in head first. > Chickens get really quiet if they are upside down, they kind > of go into a hypnotic state. <laugh> No, they don't!!! What kind of chickens do you have, genetically modified?!! Once the vein has been cut, you have to grab a hold of both legs with in one hand as there will be a tremendous amount of kicking and flapping as the bloods comes out. > If you shoot them, the blood doesn't drain, plus it's > kind of cruel in my book, It's expensive too, the bullets! Gayle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 ><laugh> No, they don't!!! What kind of chickens do you have, >genetically modified?!! Really, yours don't quiet down? I was taught to carry them upside down after I got scratched real good by a rooster. Hold them up by the thighs, with the legs held by the fingers, and you can carry one in each hand when transferring them. I used to try to be " nice " and cuddle them, which works with the tamer ones but the rooster just attacked. They all seem to go comatose when upside down though, and ours are of many different breeds. My Mom claims that when she was a kid, they would put a hen's head down to the sidewalk, then draw a chalk line out away from it's eyes, and it would just stand there, hypnotized. I haven't tried it though! We used to hypnotize lizards though. > >It's expensive too, the bullets! > >Gayle Ha! Yeah, that too. My dh got into target practice and I had no idea the whole thing COST so much. I got my dd a bow and arrow to play target practice with ... a lot cheaper. And quieter. Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 " yoginidd " <hl@s...> wrote: > > > I have looked at library books and they say you don't want blood in > the lungs, so don't ax the head off. I have too many roosters. You don't eat the lungs; you rip them out. And if you hold them upside down, you won't have problems. Axing has been down for centuries! Gayle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 > > ><laugh> No, they don't!!! What kind of chickens do you have, > >genetically modified?!! > > Really, yours don't quiet down? I realized I said to hold them by one leg but I got carried away. I should have said to hold them by BOTH LEGS in one hand. With holding only one leg, they are still trying to flutter and turn upright. You hold the legs midway, so into the thighs. There, that is corrected. Heidi, they relax once they realize they are not moving anywhere. Relaxed enough that they will allow their heads to lay on the block of wood. But it happens so fast that they don't have time to go comatose from being held upside down to being killed. When you think about it, how often does a chicken find itself upside down? only once . . . at killing time. > I was taught to carry > them upside down after I got scratched real good by a rooster. Ouch!! > Hold them up by the thighs, with the legs held by the fingers, > and you can carry one in each hand when transferring them. Yes, we do that almost into the thighs, sort of halfway. > I used to try to be " nice " and cuddle them, which works > with the tamer ones but the rooster just attacked. > They all seem to go comatose when upside down though, > and ours are of many different breeds. We've had Red Rock, ISA Browns, Red Sussex and Cornish Giants. Maybe you are holding them upside down for too long before killing them? After the axe cut, all hell breaks loose with our chickens, sort of speak. But that is good as the blood is being pumped out! > My Mom claims > that when she was a kid, they would put a hen's head down > to the sidewalk, then draw a chalk line out away from it's eyes, > and it would just stand there, hypnotized. I haven't tried it > though! We used to hypnotize lizards though. I've never heard of that method! Another way to hypnotize is to put a weight (like a old timepiece) at the end of a string and swing it like a pendulum. Gayle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Threw this thread by dh who was the butcher at a turkey farm 20 years ago. When he did our chickens when we had them he'd hang them upside down, cut their throat then insert a knife in an eye socket and twist to destroy the brain, realization and pain. Knife process he was told to do at turkey farm. Turkey farm used cones. Hanging and throat cut is cone substitute. Wanita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 >We've had Red Rock, ISA Browns, Red Sussex and Cornish Giants. Maybe >you are holding them upside down for too long before killing them? >After the axe cut, all hell breaks loose with our chickens, sort of >speak. But that is good as the blood is being pumped out! I only HOLD them upside down when carrying them. Like when moving them from roost to roost or something like that, which doesn't happen often. I don't think I could hold one AND kill it. Esp. since our meat chickens got to be 10 lbs or so. > >I've never heard of that method! Another way to hypnotize is to put a >weight (like a old timepiece) at the end of a string and swing it like >a pendulum. That works in cartoons, does it work on chickens??? Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Heidi Schuppenhauer <heidis@t...> wrote: > I only HOLD them upside down when carrying them. Like > when moving them from roost to roost or something like > that, which doesn't happen often. I don't think I could hold > one AND kill it. Esp. since our meat chickens got to be 10 lbs > or so. I couldn't hold one AND kill it either! That's why my husband does that job. I just watch him and marvel at his strength!!! And I really don't like it when he hands me a 14 pound meat chicken that has just been been axed. It is devilishly hard for me to hold that heavy, fluttering bird at arm's length so as not to get splattered. But we aim to do better next year. We hope to kill at 8 pounds as that is the ideal weight. Oh, one other way to kill that is more an old European method. Hold the chicken between your knees. Bend the head back and slit its jugular vein with your knife. > >I've never heard of that method! Another way to hypnotize is to put a > >weight (like a old timepiece) at the end of a string and swing it like > >a pendulum. > > That works in cartoons, does it work on chickens??? Yes, it does! And then the chickens just lay there for quite a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 >>I have looked at library books and they say you don't want blood in >>the lungs, so don't ax the head off. I have too many roosters. >> >> > >You don't eat the lungs; you rip them out. And if you hold them upside >down, you won't have problems. > >Axing has been down for centuries! > >Gayle > Thanks belatedly, Gayle. You are quite correct about lungs being of no consequence. Thanks for the experience and reason. We are trying your method freehand on the block early in the morning with the rooster that came with the chicks and hens a couple months ago as, well, a token rooster. I have no idea how old he is, but since he's older than the others, he's first. I have searched through the archives on plucking, rigor mortis and all of that, but I may ask more tomorrow of anyone reading and knowing chicken processing. I figure I shall make coq au vin with Mr. Raspberry - the old rooster in wine recipe that actually calls for a mature bird, just in case. ;-) As for preparation, well, we are watching Chicken Run in case they have some clever tips for killing chickens, lol. I think we will end up keeping 3 roosters and get ourselves some more adult hens. I suppose I will need help there. I think I will inquire of my local group, because I would like well treated birds raised as close as possible to WAPF principles. Chickens are cheap and easy to find in these here parts, however, I'd rather spring for healthy pastured hens. Anyone with North Texas links of this sort should chime in. Cheers! Deanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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