# How long will bleeding a chicken take?



## Graceless (Apr 28, 2003)

just trying to figure out how to set up a co-op butchering.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I am not sure exactly. 
I kill three and hang them all and cut them to bleed as I go. 
I leave them where they hang as I pluck, so the bleeding continues to dribble out slowly as I work the birds.
When I have finished plucking those three, I do three more. I try not to do more than 6 at a time because it is just me.
When I have them all plucked I move them down to the butcher area and clean and gut them etc...


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I can tell you how long a duck takes, 2 hours. Well, it seems like 2 hours.

Chickens hanging upside down with the head removed, if I remember right it's about 10 or 15 minutes before they stop flapping their wings.


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## Graceless (Apr 28, 2003)

So an hour maybe?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

You really don't want to wait an hour between cutting off the head and cleaning the bird. Rigor mortis sets in and makes it very hard to pluck because the wings and legs get stiff and won't move. 15 minutes and you should be good to go. 

The reason I say ducks take 2 hours is because the person who taught me how to bleed them out does not cut the head off and does not hang them upside down. When the head is off and the bird is hanging by the feet it really takes a lot less time. 

My grandma could kill, pluck, and singe the pin feathers off 5 chickens in an hour. And that was when she was in her 60's.


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## Graceless (Apr 28, 2003)

excellent! so we could do 60 chickens in a good morning of work:~) if we do about 3-5 at a time. it shoudn't take to very long. I think they are wanting to do the cone method and chop heads with a sharp knife. now I do wish I could figure out a good mech.. plucker..
Thanks~


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Remember that my grandma had been killing and cleaning chickens for most of those 60 years. But yes, if you have enough people you could do 60 in a day. Between Grandma and me we could get 20 in a morning, cut in pieces and packaged. I feel good if I get 1 duck done in an hour. But I don't have her nice set-up.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

When Artificer does our birds, he lets them bleed 20 to 30 minutes. We've never had any problem with that timing.


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## Pat (Jul 24, 2004)

I cut their heads off, and start 2 1/2 gallons of water to boil. When the water is boiling (ready to dunk them before plucking)... they ain't droppng any blood. (nor no blood when I pluck).

Regards


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