Preparing to Butcher Chickens

As we were getting ready to butcher chickens, we realized there is a lot of prep involved!

We were blessed to have a friend who has butchered before come over & help us. That was such a blessing!

He also told us what we needed to have in preparation.

*A kill cone (properly sized)

*A chicken plucker – this is expensive & not necessary, but definitely a time saver. It takes a few seconds to pluck the bird instead of who knows how long to do it by hand. For one or 2 birds, probably not necessary, but for doing the large amount that we butchered in one day, definitely a HUGE time savings! We rented one since it was our first time, but will be investing in one with the same friend who came to help, since we both foresee butchering several times a year.

*Shrink wrap bags…you put the bird in the bag, put it in boiling water for about 10 seconds & it basically shrink wraps the bird for freezing. Amazing!

*A turkey fryer…again, not necessary, but you do need to have a huge pot & a way to boil water, so this seemed like the best option, all things considered. (Vs. a stand alone pot & a heating element to heat the water to 140°.)

*A work table (or several) & water source. We used 2 plastic 6′ folding tables, a picnic table & a hose. We covered the tables with tarps.

*Disposable gloves & a trash bag

*Sharp meat shears & several sharp knives & a large cutting board

Bottom line is that there are some definite NEEDS vs. several things that would make things much easier. 😀

*Oh, & this is important: Don’t feed the chickens the day before butchering! 😉