In this chapter you will learn:
This chapter is about killing a bird and processing it. If you are at all squeamish, this is not the chapter for you. If you do not feel that you cannot do this in the proper order and safely, like the squeamish, hire a local butcher to do this, (There will be a fee for this and unless you meet all the federal, state and local regulations, the butcher cannot sell this meat it is for your use only
First while you can do this in the outdoors or in your garage or kitchen, you will most likely want a separate building for this. This building should have a tile interior and floor, (For easy cleaning), electricity, running water, lights, a hot plate and some sort of a refrigerator or cooler.
To start at least 24 hours if not 48 hours the bird(s) selected to be killed must have no food, but allowed to have water. This is to clean out as much as possible the digestive tract so that the bacteria count is as low as possible and any no material such as feces can contaminate the meat. You will need to sanitize the inside by wiping down the tile with Dakin’s or some other of bacteria killer. You also need to have your boots soak in Dakin’s up to the top of the sole and wipe down any aprons or goggles you will use. All knives and other implements you will use need to be placed in a pot of rolling boil for at least 30 minutes to kill all bacteria then placed in a closed container that was wiped down in Dakin’s and has paper towels to lay the tools down on. Finally you will need a large pot of water with some dish soap on a rolling boil ready to go before slaughter.
In addition to the above you will need a container for any waste including feathers, (This will head to the compost bin), a roll of paper towels, a container for the chicken, and hand sanitizer.
After we got everything ready to go, we need to secure the chicken so they can be killed without bruising the meat or torturing the chicken. A old feed bag washed out and having a hole cut in it large enough for the chicken head to stick out or a metal plate or table with two hose clamps on it. The one secures the head, the other the body. Secure the chicken and if you want to say goodbye or bless the bird and its meat, this is the time. After this take an axe or sharp knife and sever the head from the body. The bird will flop around for about a minute and there will be a good deal of blood loss.
As the bird dies, his bladder and colon will empty and this will need to be cleaned off with the paper towels, hand sanitizer, and boiling water. Putting paper towels underneath the bird before slaughter can also help with cleanup. Then stick the bird in the pot of boiling water for at least a minute as this will make the feathers easier to remove and also help clean the exterior of the bird.
Hold the chicken over the waste can and remove the feathers. You will not be able to get all the feathers at this point, but you are looking to remove as much as possible quickly. Use the running water in the shed to give the bird a rinse and then you want to make a cut in the stomach and stop after piercing the skin and stomach wall. By carefully, (And I do mean carefully), you should be able to locate all the organs.
Locate where the colon and skin meet and cut a circle around this making sure to not cut into the colon. After loosening the colon from the skin, you can then empty out the stomach area of all the organ you are not going to use and remove them without spilling their contents. You can with a simple knife cut to the interior chest wall remove the heart, lungs and liver, (Save them as these are great things to eat), and be careful to separate the bile from the liver without spilling it. Like the rectum you can cut the neck away from the skin and toss all these internals into the waste can.
After rinsing out the bird once again, it is time to remove the feet. This is done by twisting at the knee to have a space between the bones and cut through this space. The feet are fantastic for stock or with cooking low and slow meat and flavor for a gravy. Now is the time for removal of any other feathers. Another quick dip in the boiling water and use of tweezers will allow this to be done. Give your bird a final rinse inside and out and either cool the bird for twenty four hours in a plastic bag in your fridge or you can cut it up at this time. When you remove a piece immediately putting it into the fridge or cooler in the shed and like the feet, you twist to separate the bones and cut through the space. When finished and the bird either in the fridge or cooler it is time to clean your shed again. The feathers and organs can go to the compost bin, (Make sure the bin stays closed as they will really smell), you will need to wipe down the walls, floor, re-boil your tools and store, and boots just like your prep. The chicken needs to rest twenty four hours before using.