Processing a Chicken -By Independent Twist

Processing Chickens

To include cull (you can pluck by hand)*: https://youtu.be/_lxm3Y0j_NI
For detailed gutting*: https://youtu.be/b-Up-sieSu4
Butcher*: https://youtu.be/xRAFMFc-z-Y

Common Questions and Answers

1) I have an older bird I wanted to process but was told he would be tough. Is there anything I can do?

• There are two reasons a bird becomes tough, one is good muscle tone due to old age and the other is because it was cooked during rigor. (Rigor sets in in 1-12 hours.) To make sure that you will get a tender bird every time I suggest placing it in a brine and letting it rest in the fridge or ice filled cooler for 48-72 hrs. I prefer 72 hrs for older birds.

2) When I processed my bird he either had too much of or not enough of meat or fat. How do I increase or decrease either?

• Feeding high protein (20% or higher) feed will increase the muscle mass (meat) on the bird. Feed 16% protein feed for less muscle. Remember: The smaller the intake of protein, the longer it takes to grow out. Giving cracked corn along with feed everyday for the last two weeks will increase the amount of fat on the bird. I usually don't feed corn outside of this time because I like the ratio this gives.

3) When is the right time to process a rooster?

• As a general rule of thumb Cornish in 8-12 weeks, Freedom Rangers in 3-4 months, and Heritage varieties anytime you want except within a few weeks of puberty.

4) How do I know when puberty is?

• You will smell it! Pick up the live bird and have a whiff, if it stinks to the point where you don't want to taste the smell, give it a few weeks and try again.

5) I did everything correctly but when I cooked the rooster he tasted like shit. What went wrong?

• This can be caused by two things, one being that he was in puberty (see # 4) and the other being that you didn't remove the balls before you cooked him. They generally taste like they smell. The "bad" smell and resulting taste is simply the excess hormones in his body.

6) Where are the balls and how do I know I removed them?

• They are right next to the spine below the lungs. They are shaped like kidney beans and can be anywhere from about that size to the size of marbles. They will still be there when you pull the guts out and very easy to see.