# Can you butcher without scalding



## Judith (Jan 10, 2003)

I have 25 chickens to process. it's minus 10 sooooo the scald water would not stay hot enough. If I butcher one at a time so the body is still hot will I be able to pluck? I have always scalded so this would be new and I imagine not easy. Any thoughts


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Yes, you can. It will be tougher to pluck, but it can still be done. And it's not _that_ hard. Nothing like a goose. Now _those_ are fun to pluck dry. Heh.


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## RWDitto (Jan 23, 2009)

It is not impossible, but plucking will be very hard. Surely your not going to stand outside processing chickens at -10. A turkey fryer can keep 150 degree water in a enclosed room, out of the wind. Or you could skin them, which is a sin, but may be your best option.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

If you are going to dry pluck, then you need to alter the killing method.

The broomstick method will help the skin to release the feathers and make dry plucking a breeze. We do cut off the wings if we are dry plucking just because those nasty flight feathers never want to come out.

The broomstick method is where you place the bird's head on the ground, place a stick across the throat, place a foot on each side of the stick and pull up to snap the neck.
Then hang the bird (you will have tied the feet before neck snapping) and cut through the throat to bleed out.
The begin to pluck. The feathers 'zip' right out easily.


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## BarredBuff (Dec 16, 2010)

I prefer to skin them. Its much easier and less time consuming......


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

We prefer skinning also. Hubby doesn't like to eat big ****** of meat, so I pressure can the meat and then take it off the bone when I'm ready to put it into a casserole or enchiladas.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

- 10 .....:shocked:

If it were me Id send my wife off to the big city with a long time consuming list of stuff I probley did'nt really need ....and then,well you know...


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## Judith (Jan 10, 2003)

shoot guys -10 isnt even cold here in Canada LOL. Thanks for the advise  Sounds like it is doable although a pain in the bottom. As always thank you so much for you words of wisdom


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I did not know that broomsticking would help the feathers release more readily. How 'bout that? Cool.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

Judith said:


> shoot guys -10 isnt even cold here in Canada LOL. Thanks for the advise  Sounds like it is doable although a pain in the bottom. As always thank you so much for you words of wisdom


- 10 = spring thaw ..........

How long is your growing season for pastures???


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## stormwalker (Oct 27, 2004)

It's very doable, just a little more time consuming.
I just read somewhere that pithing will help loosen the feathers.
We'll try that next week.
I'm not going to try the broomstick method because I like to dispatch with the least fear and pain that I can manage.


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## Judith (Jan 10, 2003)

JTM, our growing season is 90 days frost free. We often have more safe days than that but I am the only person you will ever meet that can not grow a good crop of zucchini due to our quick freezes in September


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

stormwalker said:


> It's very doable, just a little more time consuming.
> I just read somewhere that pithing will help loosen the feathers.
> We'll try that next week.
> I'm not going to try the broomstick method because I like to dispatch with the least fear and pain that I can manage.


The broomsticking is not bad at all.
That is one of the reasons I do it.
I hold them upside down and stroke them for a few minutes first to calm them down considerably.
And while they are still all mellow I snap the neck real quick.

We tried the cone and found the birds to be much more agitated etc..


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

chickenista said:


> The broomsticking is not bad at all.
> That is one of the reasons I do it.
> I hold them upside down and stroke them for a few minutes first to calm them down considerably.
> And while they are still all mellow I snap the neck real quick.
> ...


After reading this thread, I decided to try broomsticking again (we usually decapitate). 

I found it worked much better than the chopping block, but the feathers did not pull out any easier.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I would fire the scalding pot outside. Get some bricks to set up a fireplace, put the pot on top, and fire it with some good dry wood. Kill and scald the birds, and bring in the house to pluck at your leisure.


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## KEW_Farms (Nov 25, 2011)

Have you tried waxing them? See link below:

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/hunting/33480-how-wax-ducks.html


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

How strong do you have to be to use the broomstick method? I'm not all that strong and need to do a couple of ducks. Does it work well on ducks? I hate trying to decapitate due to a little incident some years ago when I was young. Now I can't hardly stand doing it, but will if I can't find another way. Seems easier just to shoot em. LOL


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Broomsticking takes very little strength, just the ability to pull up. I don't have much upper body strength, but I invariably wind up pulling the bird's head off (chickens and ducks).


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## Lada (Jun 7, 2008)

I broomsticked a few yesterday and had my first experience with the head popping all the way off. I wasn't expecting it and screamed like a little girl.:teehee: It really doesn't take much strength, the important thing is to male sure your feet are planted firmly.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I have learned a nifty trick.
I learned it while researching better ways to pluck a duck. Oh gawd.. duck plucking is annoying. Their armpits are unbelieveably 'hairy'.

Anyhoo..
When scalding...
If you take an old towel (the hint said newspaper, but I use an old towel) and wrap the bird a'la a spa treatment and let it sit for a few minutes the feathers do come out even easier.
We did it on ducks and then we did it on the turkeys we butchered last week. Big difference. I even left the towel on the wing tips while we plucked the breast to make the wings even easier to pluck.

Yep.. love the spa treatment for fowl.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Did you do the towel after scalding or instead of scalding?


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

I use my propane bbq for keeping the water hot because it's portable. 
This fall when I butchered chickens I moved everything into the quonset to get out of the wind and it sure was nice to be able to move the scald water that easily too.
So try a bit from everyone....grab a stack of towels, and a bbq or turkey fryer. Once you scald the chicken wrap it up in a towel and go into somewhere warm to pluck and evicerate. I've plucked many times in my porch to get away from the wasps.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

chickenista said:


> I have learned a nifty trick.
> I learned it while researching better ways to pluck a duck. Oh gawd.. duck plucking is annoying. Their armpits are unbelieveably 'hairy'.
> 
> Anyhoo..
> ...


Interesting ...........Can you give more info. or provide a link please.


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