Dressing chickens/Rabbits

Discussion in 'Buy, sell, trade, give away & exchange' started by countrygirl, Dec 4, 2006.

  1. countrygirl

    countrygirl Guest

    I have just moved from the suburbs to a small block in the hills above Perth. I am regressing to my childhood in the country and am growing a vege garden and collecting chooks!
    I have hatched some chickens - and in anticipation of most of them turning out to be roosters :? I was wondering if there was anyone living nearby that could dress them for me perhaps in exchange for one/some of the dressed chooks? Happy to grow them on and eat them but can't do the deed! I also have exhibition rabbits and so have rabbits suitable for eating from time to time as well.....
     
  2. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Countrygirl,

    Good luck on your quest. I know of very few home chook enthusiasts that prepare their own chooks.

    We lost the skills and desire as a community originally due to the price. In the 60s a 'store bought' chicken could cost up to a days pay for a labourer. Now it costs around 20-30minutes labour time to purchase a large store bought chicken.

    You are either going to have to learn or be like everyone else in Australia and finish up with a collection of geriatric chooks... :D :D

    It's not all bad news though as rabbits are very easy to dress and clean.

    https://www.permapedia.com/index.php/Main_Page

    If you go here and search for rabbits and chooks the articles also explain how you can prepare them for the table.

    cheers

    floot
     
  3. Richard on Maui

    Richard on Maui Junior Member

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    Country Girl, if only I wasn't so far away I would be delighted to put myself at your service, in this regard. Alas, we are oceans apart.
    You know, it really isn't all that bad. Just make sure your machete is really sharp...
     
  4. Cornonthecob

    Cornonthecob Junior Member

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    Once you can bring yourself to do it once you'll find it easier and easier the more you do. The actual process is fairly simple.
     
  5. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    Hi again Country girl.I could possible show u how to do the roosters,but never done rabbits,though i have contemplated raising rabbits in a free range situation,and would be keen to barter if you wish, I visit your area sometimes having relatives in the area maybe we could arrange something,

    Tezza
     
  6. Richard on Maui

    Richard on Maui Junior Member

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    Rabbits are dead easy Tezza. You'll manage. :wink:
     
  7. FREE Permaculture

    FREE Permaculture Junior Member

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    not me, couldn't do it, glad it's cheaper these days to buy chicken then :)
    isn't there an art to finding the roosters at egg stage? candelling? well that may be the answer in future hatchings.

    speaking of eggs, the other night on american iron-chef, the main ingredient was ostrich eggs, wow how big are they! they had to hacksaw them to crack 'em.
     
  8. countrygirl

    countrygirl Guest

    Thanks for all your encouragement...but I don't know if I could "do the deed". My Mum did it when I was young and we always had to do the plucking but I must be getting soft in my old age!!!
    Unfortunately I can't really keep roosters - altho I may try and keep one and lock it up at night...
     
  9. It's not at all difficult and if you do it the humane way, it's not tramatic for you or the chicken. If you are going to do it, you need a few things to make it easier. There are several sources of supplies on the internet and so do some research and order a "killing cone." You can also order a knife that has a very thin and very sharp blade. Once you get the cone, secure it with a screw to a wall or a board somewhere that will hold the weight of the cone and bird. Place the bird upside down in the cone and let his head fall through the small hole in the bottom of the cone. Gently take his head in one hand while using the other hand to pull a few of the neck feathers off, just under his ear (that little red hole in the side of his head). You should be able to see the skin and you should see the juglar vien that runs right down the side of his neck just under the skin. It's a purple line. With the sharp tip of the knife, make a hole just big enough to get the blade in under the vien and then pull the blade toward you. If done right (and yes you can quickly learn this) it will cut the vein in half and cut nothing else except the skin. You will know you have cut it because the blood will come out very strong and steady. It's appears to be painless for the bird and all you do now is hold his feet so he doesn't try to get out. As he loses blood and his muscles are deprived of oxygen, he will tighten up slightly and then he's dead. That's it. You do not want to cut the wind pipe which is deeper under the skin. You want the chicken to bleed to death while his heart pumps all the blood out. You are left with a white bird that has no blood clots. If you accidently cut the wind pipe and he dies without bleeding, you will see the difference, the bird will be very red and to me it is not as tasty.

    You should have a large pot of water heating up but not boiling. You want it to be hot to your hand (you should not be able to hold your hand in the water but a second) but you do not want it boiling or to the point where it is dangerous if it gets on your hand. Take the bird by the feet and dunk him in the water and gently swirl to get the water to go under the feathers (feathers have oil that repel water) and continue dunking. I count to 3 very slowly. Remove the bird and pull the chest feathers. If they come out easy you are ready, if not you may have your water too cool or you may need to dunk him again. We have an electrical plucker but they are not that hard now to pull off by hand. If the skin is tore or discolored, your water is too hot and it starts damaging the skin. After the feathers are gone, lay him on a table and pinch the skin close to the anal area. You want to cut the skin without cutting the intestines. Reach in and pull everything out and let it fall in a waste bucket (save the livers etc if you like them). There is an oil gland on the tail head that you need to cut out to prevent a bad taste. Pull off the head, cut off the neck and wash it up. All in all it should not take more than 20 minutes or so your first time. You can do this and it gets faster and easier each time. This is not about money, it's about taste and quality. If you try one of these chickens you will never want store bought again!
     
  10. Inge

    Inge Junior Member

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  11. RobWindt

    RobWindt Junior Member

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  12. Shack Living

    Shack Living Junior Member

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    You can not determine the sex by candling, only the fertility and embryonic development.

    You can breed chooks so they are sex linked (males and females can be determined from down colour), or learn the art of chick sexing.
     
  13. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    I agree no candeling can sex chooks unless u got xray specs..

    Fishnets sounds good Rob. If they get laddered its handy for them to get up to their Perches


    Tezza

    If their perches are too low to the ground and you can afford maybe you could seek finance or get them on Higher Perches
     
  14. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Thanks WolfeMountain,

    Very informative post and for me, a new (better) way to "do the deed". Seems much less chaotic (and violent) than head-chopping! I am highly in favor of your calm approach.

    Part of the home butchering of livestock for food is getting back in touch with where (and how) our food is obtained. It requires some mental preparation. I always try to provide a clean/sanitary, and natural life for my chickens. In return they provide me with eggs, primo fertilizer, feathers, insect control, land clearing, etc., and ultimately Sunday dinner. For this last, I have adopted the "First People's" (Native American's) practice of thanking the animal for all of it's benefits and for giving up it's life to provide me with food. Although this doesn't seem like much, it's surprising at how it changes my outlook when "doing the deed"!

    9anda1f
     
  15. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    9andalf,

    I agree. I always try to honour the animal by giving it the best of attention and care. I am a stickler for fresh, clean water which in the tropics means frequent washing and changing of water.

    I dont like despatching animals but I do like the end home-grown product. With chooks I 'waste' the head, feet and skin/feathers. Everything ellse is cooked for either human or dog consumption with the added bonus of producing some nice stock.

    I have never specifically raised meat birds and generally just eat young cockerels as it's not hard to sell trios of bantams and chooks.

    floot
     
  16. Susan

    Susan Junior Member

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    sexing chooks

    Hi Country girl,
    Locking your rooster up at night will not stop it making itself heard. Where I live (outer 'burbs) I am allowed one rooster, so for me it is not a problem...
    I have been told that if you restrict the head height in the perch area then there is less noise at night. Roosters choose the top perch (naturally) and if it can't raise it's head and neck to crow then problem solved. But of course during the day - out and about you can't stop the crowing.

    As for sexing chickens, no candeling won't do.
    Most male birds, with the exception of water fowl, do not have a penis, so there is no different features to look for.
    Males get their feathers earlier (but only by a day or so),and as they grow bigger their combs are larger. Most good poultry books have diagrams and practise makes perfect...lots of it!
    I like others in the forum have sex-linked chickens- Silver penciled Wyandotts. The male has very different colouring to the female so you can pick them out long before they mature.
    I grew up with my parents dressing their own chickens so it is not as gross for me as it is to others. We have a freezer and usually do a job lot, because when you have to gut and pluck them it is easier (or so I think), if you set up just once and go for it...
    Rabbits are easier because you don't have to pluck them. With practise you can peel their fur and skin off, in cylindrical form, a bit like taking off a sock.
    I have tanned a few rabbit skins; but the chook feathers go in the compost, once they are wet I can't imagine drying them and stuffing a dunna cover.
    Too lazy; and hey I have a sheep fleece filled dunna.
    Life can be good
    Susan
     
  17. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

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    Anyone in Brisbane want to come collect there own very free range, organic rabbits ... come out to my place. I am overrun with fluffy bunnies, black with white tails and fawn ones. Definitly no mixo among my rabbits. count about 10 any night. Small 22 would do nicely but you could easily trap. Hate the idea of poisoning them and personally dont like to kill anything... but they are a feral pest.
    Cathy
     
  18. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    Hiya Cathy. Why dont you rais them yourself Organic free range rabbits..

    TTTTTTThats AAAAAAAAlllllll folks

    comon hop to it

    Tezza
     
  19. Jackie K

    Jackie K Junior Member

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    sexing chooks

    Hi all, One of my livestock books states that a Rhode Island Red rooster with Light Sussex hens will produce red male chickens and white female chickens. So they can be sexed from the first moment they hatch. Anybody else tried this combination? If so, what was the result as per colour/ sex? As soon as I build my mobile chook house on an old box trailer I have, with fox proof popholes in the sides that they can access by a series of diagonally ascending perches to said popholes - plan still being developed in head in quiet moments - I intend to go this way with my choice of poultry breeds.
    Cheers,

    Jackie K
     
  20. wendyville

    wendyville Junior Member

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    WolfeMountain

    Thank you for detailed explaination regarding dressing chickens. Do you think it is the same for rabbits. I mean cutting only the vein and not the windpipe area.

    I also am new to the group and look forward to learning more.

    Wendyville
     

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