# I did it! I butchered my first chicken!!!



## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

wasn't as bad as I thought! lol went fairly fast and even cutting the head off was not a bad experience. i just cupped my hand over its eyes so it wouldn't look at me. lol
anyway here is a lovely gutsy picture for you all! :eyebulge: :laugh:


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Good job! :congrat:

In the future you will find it easier to hang them upside down and slit their throat and let 'em bleed out before you chop the head off.


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## JustCliff (May 21, 2011)

Agreed with Packer. A lot less mess.


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

Good job!  I guess we know what you're having for dinner tonight lol.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

thanks all! redhorse actually not tonight i am brining it in sea salt and dried herbs I grew last year in the frig overnight and will slow cook it tomorrow. This is the first time i have ever ever done this! lol
Then i went out to check on my other chickens to make sure they were ok and the rooster wasn't stressing and they were all fine plus i found two eggs waiting for me! lol Life is getting good! 
so I think i will order soon some meat chickens and try those. I have read pros and cons on those but going to try anyways. Also now i feel more confident raising a couple turkeys, some geese and ducks and maybe a few pheasants all for food unless my kids get too attached to one of them. lol we will see. Also i just met a local shepherdess who raises hair sheep they are dorper/katahdin and she has a few lambs that are 4 months old. going to her farm which is just down the road a few miles and might purchase a couple of lambs to grow for meat as well. Plus I also met another shepherdess who raises Jacob's and angora goats so going to scope that out too. I would love a small flock of sheep i have the perfect setup for them but unsure about the goat but will look at them anyway. It would be kinda nice to have sheep and goat milk for making cheese. I have only made cow's milk cheeses plus i make kefir and yogurt all the time. 
love this self sufficient living!!!!!!


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## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

Its been 15+ years since I have done it myself, but we used to pick up the chicken by the head, "drape" the bird over a piece of wood or a stump and lop it off at the neck with a sharp Machete or cleaver. Quick, painless, and humane (plus can throw the head away without making eye contact). Hot water helps the feathers come off too. Best to have a bucket below for the body to drop into as well, keeps it out of the dirt when flopping around.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Watch out now ... homestead critters are habit forming! 

Congrats!!!


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

This is going to be new to me in several months. Do any of you have a good YouTube vido that shows the actual gutting of the chicken? I have the head cut off down pretty good. 

I think the feathers come off next - not sure I have that down pat so I would appreciate more details on the hot water thing. 

What did you use to cut the feet off - from the picture it looks like they're cut off at a joint? What else is in the bowl with the feet? Were the feet the last thing to come off after you gutted the chicken? Do they need to bleed out for awhile - if so, about how long?


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

PackerBacker said:


> Good job! :congrat:
> 
> In the future you will find it easier to hang them upside down and slit their throat and let 'em bleed out before you chop the head off.


you know I did that! I picked the chicken up by its feet then i had a twine rope with a piece of wood on the end and twisted the twin around the feet then pushed that wood piece inbetween then let the chicken hang down. put a bucket underneath and wacked off the head! lol wasn't as bad as i figured and i cupped my hand over the head and cut just above the head.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

Country Living said:


> This is going to be new to me in several months. Do any of you have a good YouTube vido that shows the actual gutting of the chicken? I have the head cut off down pretty good.
> 
> I think the feathers come off next - not sure I have that down pat so I would appreciate more details on the hot water thing.
> 
> What did you use to cut the feet off - from the picture it looks like they're cut off at a joint? What else is in the bowl with the feet? Were the feet the last thing to come off after you gutted the chicken? Do they need to bleed out for awhile - if so, about how long?


here is a good two part video that helped me alot! 
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/hobby-farms-videos/how-to-butcher-chicken-part-1.aspx

and here are two blogs that helped me alot too....
http://www.butcherachicken.blogspot.com/
http://girlsguidetobutter.com/2010/08/chicken-butchering-101/


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

Country Living said:


> Do any of you have a good YouTube vido that shows the actual gutting of the chicken? I have the head cut off down pretty good.


Here's a good video from the "Chicken Whisperer."


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Bobbb said:


> Here's a good video from the "Chicken Whisperer."


At that rate it'd taken me 3 weeks to kill the 50 I did last time. :nuts:

I'm all about being respectful and thankful to the animal but she acts like she putting down her grandmother.:scratch


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I know what PackerBacker is saying but the actual killing only takes her a minute, they are making an instructional video.
I have killed way too many to count and her methods seem sound. I usually put them upside down and take the head right off, no bleeding out. 
Killing one bird is a whole different thing than a kill day, much more pleasant if it is less efficient.


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## Utahnprepper (Jan 29, 2013)

Slice the joint a little with a knife then snap off the leg. Cut it.off from there since it will be dangling. gutting is easy, except the lungs, that can be tricky. I dont have.chickens anymore otherwise I would post a video. The whole process is simple I used to do it from butcher to clean when I was eight.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

The hobbyfarms videos are very helpful. I'll have to watch his Part II video several more times to get a better understanding of the evisceration process.


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## Utahnprepper (Jan 29, 2013)

U want a challenge, butcher a turkey...


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Hah, turkeys are easy, if you have big hands the hardest part of cleaning and gutting a chicken is getting your hands in the darn thing.
Unless you mean handling the turkey when it's alive, then you have a point


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## MsSage (Mar 3, 2012)

A friend of mine uses a traffic cone to drop the bird in then cut its head off...no dropping or flapping all safe and secure in the cone. fits chickens up to a med sized turkey.
I am waiting till its my turn to butcher LOL ....city girl comes out in me at the thought LOLOLOLOLOLOL


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

MsSage, there are "killing cones" that you can make or buy that are a lot like that, mounts on fence or wall. They can make it less daunting and messy, especially if someone is new to it.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Well next time butcher in front of the chickens. I bet the egg production starts heating up when they see what happens to the slackers  Great job though!


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

I butcherd off eleven extra roosters a few weeks ago, I just hang em up by their feet and cut off the head, (just make sure the knife is damn sharp) messy but they dont bruise the meat by running into everything, when gutting be carefull you dont cut your hand on the two bones in the back, dont remember what bone it is, especially if you have big hands not to be gross but yes the lungs can be hard to get out kinda have to peel them away from the rig cage, noticed when I shut the birds up and collected eggs last night was three hens short down to six now, probably cyotes.


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## andy3 (Jul 4, 2012)

Congrats on joining the club. You will be a chicken serial killer soon. We have 45 meat birds that are 3 weeks old now.always enjoy knowing where your food comes from. 

A3


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

mojo4 said:


> Well next time butcher in front of the chickens. I bet the egg production starts heating up when they see what happens to the slackers  Great job though!


When mine slack off I just lean the ax against the coop wall and they seem to get the hint.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

Great stuff everyone! I love a sense of humor!
well i brined the bird overnight in cold water, sea salt and a bunch of herbs. Just pulled it out and gave a quick rinse inside and out and put it in the crock pot with more fresh herbs. My son who is battling the cancer has three friends over so we got a serious household to feed this weekend! lol and that one little chicken ain't gonna be enough just by itself so crock potting it then will debone and made a big pot of chicken and rice soup! should have some really nice stock base to work with! Plus some homemade biscuits and there ya go. 
My daughter already put dibs on a drumstick before it goes into the soup pot! LOL


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## raspberryjenn (Jun 6, 2012)

Congrats!!! That's a huge accomplishment. :2thumb:


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

My father in law who grew up on a farm is teasing us about food in "kit" form 

For now, it's about eggs. Not sure either of us is ready for chicken dinner.


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