Here is a pic of our Rhode Island Red rooster. Not sure why, but in every batch of chicks we have bought from Dell’s we have received a rooster. He’s handsome, isn’t he? Thing is, he knew it and would strut his stuff and his call all day long beginning at 5:00 in the morning. It wasn’t a huge issue for me, except that we live in a community where the houses are literally an arms space away from each other and I was sure the neighbors were going bonkers. The coop is right outside Seri’s room and every time she fed them she would threaten to kill him if he woke her up the next morning.
She finally got a chance to exert her revenge and her, Mike and Matt processed the rooster. I tried to post pics that weren’t to graphic, but for the weak of heart or stomach you may want to stop reading now.
We tried to sell him on craigslist but no one wanted him and Matt wasn’t willing to let me free cycle a perfectly good dinner.
So, here is how to process a chicken 101:
In a large pot, boil water to 145-155 degrees Fahrenheit. any hotter and you will scald the skin.
Make sure you have cutting board, really sharp knives, everything sanitized….
Something to hang the chicken from while bleeding out and plucking. We find those Plant hangar things work perfectly. Drape the area under it for bleeding or place a large tub or bucket under the hanging area.
Hubby says you have to calm the chicken first. I find this step comical considering what is about to happen. “Hey sweetie, you’re about to die, but calm down and breath, everything will be ok”.
Through friends we have discovered that the easiest way to take off the head is to place the head under the rake, step on the rake with enough weight to hold the head in place and then pull the body. Yep, pretty easy.
Hang it to bleed and then when the bleeding stops, or slows dip it into hot water until the whole body is submerged and then pull it out, don’t leave it in to long, you stand the risk of cooking it. This helps open the pores and make for easier plucking.
Now you pluck and pluck and pluck, oh… and then pluck some more.
Cut off the legs and gut the bird. sorry no pics for that step. Well, there are pics, but for those weak of heart I wont post them.
I must say home grown chickens do taste the best. There is also a certain satisfaction to knowing that we have reached a place in self-sufficiency where we can grow and process our own food.
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