Tracy in Ky Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Didn't he do a great job? Today is chicken butchering day. Want pics?? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 BTDT, don't envy your job today.We just liked to skin them. SSSOOOOO much easier. Of course, not good if you like fried chicken, since there's no skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 4, 2008 Author Share Posted July 4, 2008 We skinned them last year, but this year we wanted the skin on. It is probably faster to skin them :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Wow. I'm just impressed that your husband made that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 I was watching a show on History channel last night where they rebuilt torture devices from the middle ages. That looks very much like some of them. Yikes! Yes, I am a big weenie....I like my chicken to come in a bag, frozen in little pieces. My poor girls, a friend brought us a rotisserie chicken for dinner after ds was born. I gave the two oldest each a leg. They polished them off and asked for another. I explained there were no more legs, chickens only have two. They about freaked out...."That was a REAL chicken!??!" I knew their education was lacking at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Can you post a video of it in action? I'm having a hard time picturing it working.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 4, 2008 Author Share Posted July 4, 2008 I was watching a show on History channel last night where they rebuilt torture devices from the middle ages. That looks very much like some of them. Yikes! Lol. The good news is that by the time of the plucking, they've already gone on to their reward! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 4, 2008 Author Share Posted July 4, 2008 Can you post a video of it in action? I'm having a hard time picturing it working.:) Dh has found some videos online of them. If you google table top chicken plucker, or something like that, you can see videos of it. It is pretty neat how they work. They just beat those feathers right off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 That is too cool. We learned how to do it ourselves just so we would know how, but after that we just sent ours to the local butcher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Lol. The good news is that by the time of the plucking, they've already gone on to their reward! Oh, my, I just got a good chuckle imagining these poor chickens squawking and flapping as this machine takes their feathers off while they are still alive. Yes, thankfully, they have gone on to the great chicken coop in the sky by the time they meet with this device.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Oh mercy, it must be time to let the feathers fly. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 http://susanwisebauer.com/blog/?p=40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 http://susanwisebauer.com/blog/?p=40 Krista, Thanks for sharing that link - very interesting blog post. For those of you that want to see it in action here is a youtube video I found: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 4, 2008 Author Share Posted July 4, 2008 Krista, Thanks for sharing that link - very interesting blog post. For those of you that want to see it in action here is a youtube video I found: Isn't it neat! That is the tub style. The one dh built just does one bird at a time, and you hold it against the turning fingers. It costs about $500 or so to buy one the size dh made. But he made this one for less than $50! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret in GA Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Hey! My dh built one, too. His looks very similar to this one, except that his sits centrally on a base. It works like a charm. Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 BTDT, don't envy your job today.We just liked to skin them. SSSOOOOO much easier. Of course, not good if you like fried chicken, since there's no skin. How does it work to skin them? Just cut and peel? Does it hold together for freezing OK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I am very impressed that you do this. But WOW that link to SWB blog has some funny looking pictures. I cannot imaging eating the chicken after seeing that!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in CA Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Chicken has feathers???? I just thought it came frozen in a plastic bag......:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I'm with you Chris in CA. Just serve it up cooked and flavored. Not need to know too much. :eek: Although to be honest I would like to be more independent...just do not have the stomach for it.:001_unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyX8 Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 We were looking at building a Whizbang. But it was still $500 with lots of work. That is a big commitment. But then we had someone take care of our Cornish X and they had the big time chicken plucker. Simply amazing. There is a video on YouTube of the Whizbang in operation, if you truly wanted to see a chicken defeathered in 90 seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyX8 Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Krista, Thanks for sharing that link - very interesting blog post. For those of you that want to see it in action here is a youtube video I found: That's the one. And then we saw a chicken plucker in action, IRL. A sight to be seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I was watching a show on History channel last night where they rebuilt torture devices from the middle ages. That looks very much like some of them. Yikes! Yes, I am a big weenie....I like my chicken to come in a bag, frozen in little pieces. My poor girls, a friend brought us a rotisserie chicken for dinner after ds was born. I gave the two oldest each a leg. They polished them off and asked for another. I explained there were no more legs, chickens only have two. They about freaked out...."That was a REAL chicken!??!" I knew their education was lacking at that point. I'm the same way. If I think too much about where meat comes from, I consider becoming vegetarian seriously! Ick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 Here is dh using it today: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Oh man, we're talking about doing the whole raising chicken thing, but after seeing this, I don't know if I have the guts for it. Dh better take care of the plucking/butchering bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 So what are those black things sticking up? How did he make it? We have some chickens who will need plucking in a few months, and I want to figure this out.... Thanks, Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Oh man, we're talking about doing the whole raising chicken thing, but after seeing this, I don't know if I have the guts for it. Dh better take care of the plucking/butchering bit. But having guts is part of the problem. ;) After "sticking" (that's the kill part), and scalding, and plucking, then you get to the eviscerating part. It's fascinating. And, it also has the capacity to encourage vegetarianism, depending on how all that strikes you. We harvested about 50 birds every year, so it became a regular part of our lives at the farm. It was never my favorite part of being there, but I did come to terms with it for that season of my life. Tracy, the plucker is great! We used one called Lil' Pluck or something like that which looked very much like the one your hubby built, except that ours was just the plucker part. We used a drill for the motor. Good job to him! It does feel good to be able to sustain yourselves so effectively from your own land, doesn't it!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Here is dh using it today: Tracy, my dee-aitch is pretty envious of that plucker! :001_smile: He spent the day erecting goat pens, but he got a big gleam in his eye when I showed him your chicken-stripper. :lol: Might your hubby be willing to share some technical pictures of it? Dee-aitch would be most appreciative! PM me if you like. Thanks for the inspiration, as always. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 In all seriousness, does beating it like that affect the meat somehow? I mean, since it's dead, I know there is no bruising, but the video showed a serious beating going on, and I just wondered... Is it just too fresh to matter? Does it stave off rigor? Sorry, I got a little too curious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 In all seriousness, does beating it like that affect the meat somehow? I mean, since it's dead, I know there is no bruising, but the video showed a serious beating going on, and I just wondered... Is it just too fresh to matter? Does it stave off rigor? Sorry, I got a little too curious! I had the very same thought. Does it make the meat overly tenderized? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Sorry -- not Tracy. But, up in the middle of the night looking at a question I can answer. All those little fingers are made of rubber, so they aren't as forceful as it looks on video. You can run your hand over it and it doesn't hurt. The scalding process loosens the feathers so that they just rub out from the finger action, but it's a bit like I imagine a Swedish massage to feel. :) It doesn't damage or affect the meat at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 As usual, Doran, you are the expert on these matters!!:) You are one smart woman! The meat really does seem fine. Once or twice I've noticed a place that it might have gotten whacked a little hard, but all in all it is fine. Ds 13 is doing a lot of the work along with dh, and I think he gets carried away with the plucker. lol. Ds 8 is all over the place, doing whatever she is allowed to do. She's a spunky little thing. We got a late start yesterday, and we moved slowly because we are doing it differently this year. So we have a lot more to do today; we're hoping it moves more quickly today since we have a routine down now. I finished the day yesterday pulling green tobacco worms off my tomato plants! :ack2: I searched until it was so dark they were hard to see. I bet I pulled 20 off. Yuck. I've learned not to sqeeze to hard when I pull them.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 Tracy, my dee-aitch is pretty envious of that plucker! :001_smile: He spent the day erecting goat pens, but he got a big gleam in his eye when I showed him your chicken-stripper. :lol: Might your hubby be willing to share some technical pictures of it? Dee-aitch would be most appreciative! PM me if you like. Sure--we can take some more pictures of it--up close and personal. ha. We'll get some photos, then I'll pm you for your e-mail address.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 As usual, Doran, you are the expert on these matters!!:) You are one smart woman! The meat really does seem fine. Once or twice I've noticed a place that it might have gotten whacked a little hard, but all in all it is fine. Ds 13 is doing a lot of the work along with dh, and I think he gets carried away with the plucker. lol. Ds 8 is all over the place, doing whatever she is allowed to do. She's a spunky little thing. We got a late start yesterday, and we moved slowly because we are doing it differently this year. So we have a lot more to do today; we're hoping it moves more quickly today since we have a routine down now. I finished the day yesterday pulling green tobacco worms off my tomato plants! :ack2: I searched until it was so dark they were hard to see. I bet I pulled 20 off. Yuck. I've learned not to sqeeze to hard when I pull them.:glare: Glad to be of help, but I think you've gone too far there, Tracy, with all the accolades. :D Take care with the scald. Often the temp or timing of that process will make the skin vulnerable to tearing on the plucker, not so much the plucker itself. Have you considered Dipel for your Hornworms? Bt really is amazing stuff. Also, while you're plucking, notice if any worms have little white eggs sticking up all over them. If you see those, leave them. Those eggs are from good wasps that parasitize hornworms. Yea for good bugs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Sorry -- not Tracy. But, up in the middle of the night looking at a question I can answer. All those little fingers are made of rubber, so they aren't as forceful as it looks on video. You can run your hand over it and it doesn't hurt. The scalding process loosens the feathers so that they just rub out from the finger action, but it's a bit like I imagine a Swedish massage to feel. :) It doesn't damage or affect the meat at all. I'll never look at a Swedish massage quite the same way. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 Also, while you're plucking, notice if any worms have little white eggs sticking up all over them. If you see those, leave them. Those eggs are from good wasps that parasitize hornworms. Yea for good bugs! I have noticed those eggs! They are amazing to look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret in GA Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 We were looking at building a Whizbang. But it was still $500 with lots of work. That is a big commitment. But then we had someone take care of our Cornish X and they had the big time chicken plucker. Simply amazing. There is a video on YouTube of the Whizbang in operation, if you truly wanted to see a chicken defeathered in 90 seconds. DH spent about $150.00 on his-- he was able to use a motor he'd found somewhere and didn't use a tub, but made it free-standing on a base of plywood. Worth every penny at $150. $500? Not so sure. Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I have noticed those eggs! They are amazing to look at. And, doesn't it give you such pleasure to know that all those little eggs will open out into all those little wasps which will then further manage the hornworm problem? Hornworms are so nasty I don't even think our chickens would eat them! :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 And, doesn't it give you such pleasure to know that all those little eggs will open out into all those little wasps which will then further manage the hornworm problem? Hornworms are so nasty I don't even think our chickens would eat them! :glare: I have fed them to our chickens, and they ate them!! ha. Nasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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