AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[Farmfresh]

It is AMAZING how crispy fried chicken eliminates trauma.

I am here to cheer for you! GO AL!

 

[TanksHill]

I knew when she called for cheerleaders Dace would come. Bring the whole squad honey were gonna need it.

I think we should look at this whole thing from another angle. Your doing these birds a a favor. They were not meant for long life. The have been genetically manipulated to serve this purpose. You wouldn't want them to hang around any longer because they would just suffer.

Now who wants the big, stinky, dumb meaties to suffer?

This is my favorite thread.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=109583

g

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

how ya doin' AL?

 

[AL]

OH MY GOSH!
We are taking a lunch break and then back to it......we've only managed 3, 2 plucked 1 skinned. How do you get all of the gut ooze out? The skin seems to be yellowing and tearing with temp at 155 for 45 seconds (ish). There is detergent in the scald water and then we dunk them in cool water. Could be just drying out in the days it is taking us to process!
we want to skinand part them up...any tips?
more later

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

FF will know better but it sounds like your water is too hot.. your thermometer may be wrong

gut ooze?

humm.. not sure what that is

but

reach your hang in and gently pull so the guts come out in a big heap.

rinse rinse rinse

you are doing it!!!whooooot!

 

[Farmfresh]

OH MY GOSH!
We are taking a lunch break and then back to it......we've only managed 3, 2 plucked 1 skinned. How do you get all of the gut ooze out? The skin seems to be yellowing and tearing with temp at 155 for 45 seconds (ish). There is detergent in the scald water and then we dunk them in cool water. Could be just drying out in the days it is taking us to process!
we want to skinand part them up...any tips?
more later

I dunk in the scald water right before I start plucking - NO cold water dip. That cold water may be closing the pores back up. I start plucking with hot water still in the feathers.

If you eliminate the cold dip and the skin is tearing it could be one of two things. 1. You are having to pull too hard to get feathers out (not scalded long enough) or 2. Water too hot and you are cooking the skin. In this instance the skin will have a definite cooked look to it.

Dunk and then test by trying to pull some main wing feathers out first.

Gut ooze? Be more specific please.

I remove neck, leg/thigh and wing first then split the carcass along both sides and open it up to get out the guts.

Hope this helps.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

(see? i knew FF would be on the job! yay!)

 

[TanksHill]

I just got home. First thing I did, after a potty break course, was to stop here. How it going? Any more updates?

 

[AL]

I had an entire post and all but one photo and I accidentally closed the window!!
I have now been awake around 26hrs (with only a 1 hr nap before that stretch) so I deny any and all accountability.

I am totally and completely sore and exhausted!! WOW. I got off work at 6am, friend (K) was here just after 7. We decided our scald pot wasn't big enough so we went a couple of minutes up the road and she bought a turkey fryer that came with a stand / burner. The stand and burner were "Some assembly required". At 938 I called my dad to come help us. After all of that time and effort, we find out the connector hose won't work on my dad's propane tank. 2 hrs wasted.
We put her pot on my dad's fish cooker and after a little bit we were ready to go!

The first volunteer was live weight of about 7lbs. I literally walked around the corner of the privacy fence and plugged my ears while the hatchet fell. I think the 1st bird we had in too long and the water was too hot. After the scald and cold dunk (no idea where I read that, but I know I did.... ) , friends 7yr old daughter and I started plucking. The big feathers were super easy to pull, but those pin feathers were ridiculous! It took forever.

Friend and son started plucking another one while we still worked on ours. Son said this isn't quite the view he expected on a Saturday morning

We only managed 3 birds before lunch - 3 whole ones of 5lbs, 5lbs and 4 1/2lbs. We skinned one and plucked 2. None of us had any problems scarfing down some enchiladas, but then it was sure hard to go back out when we were full and tired. Our inspiration was the thought of having to do 18 next week.

After lunch we decided to cheat - we just skinned and parted them up, didn't even gut them. We managed 4 that time, before high winds, dark clouds and sunset shut us down.

There was only one horrible moment when the volunteer escaped son's grasp while on the stump... I thought the flopping meant it was done but it was a multiple attempt thing.

The "gut ooze" that I was talking about rinsed out at the final bath time when we could really work on it. It was just where we couldn't / didn't get all of the kidney? lungs? something.


Anyway.... the finished product:
before washing

D7 and K - 2 breasts in one bag and 4 leg/thigh combos in the other

I am beyond exhausted, and the hot shower just about paralyzed me. I am going to eat some beef and let my eyes glaze over here for a while

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

you did GREAT!!!

and yes you are supposed to be tired and sore and a little frazzled.

but now you know what to expect and hopefully can get some more sleep before you take a run at the next batch.

and they look beautiful!

yay!!!!