HOW TO QUICKLY AND CORRECTLY PLUCK A BROILER: INSTRUCTIONS, PHOTOS, VIDEOS

In order to successfully sell a battered bird, it needs to give a presentation, which means that the carcass must be smooth and free from feathers. Let's look at a few options for how to pluck a broiler quickly and easily.

Several ways to pluck a bird

After the bird is grown, it is time to slaughter it. Poultry farmers themselves determine which bird it is time to slaughter, and which need to be fed a couple more weeks. Usually broilers gain the necessary body weight by the end of the 8-9th week of life. Two-month-old broilers weigh about 2.5 kilograms. Such an age and body weight have the highest profitability in broiler chickens. It is very important not only to grow the birds, to kill them in time, but also to pluck them properly. It is especially important to carry out the correct plucking procedure if the broilers are for sale. The appearance of a slaughtered bird affects its price when selling.

Video: How to pluck a broiler

There are several ways to pluck a broiler:

pre-scalded;
steaming method;
using a special nozzle for plucking.

Did you know? A hen laying egg has been actively carrying eggs for five years. With proper care and maintenance (good food and warm, lit chicken coop) during this time she manages to carry up to 1300 eggs.

Scalded

From time immemorial, there is a known method, which was also used by our mothers and grandmothers - pre-scalding the poultry carcass in very hot water.

What you need for scalding

Scalding birds is a process accompanied by very unpleasant odors. Therefore, whenever possible, this procedure is carried out in the open air. If you have to pluck in the room, it is desirable to open the vents.
For work, you need a cutting table where you can put a chicken and conveniently pick it.
On the desktop set a deep tray or other wide and shallow dishes, which will be placed wet and hot chicken. If this is not done and put the chicken directly on the table, then the water flowing from the carcass will stain the table surface and the floors in the kitchen.
Hot water (almost boiling water) is prepared in advance. They put plenty of water to bask on the fire. Scalding one broiler will require at least 10 liters of very hot water. Water temperature should be at least + 85 ... +90 ° С.
They are looking for a large and high pelvis or other container in advance. The main criterion for selection: a rather large chicken (in width and height) should fit in the container, and the space should remain up to the top of the basin at least 15-20 cm.
You will also need a basin for collecting wet feathers (when collecting feathers for pillows), or the hostess needs to install a large garbage bag for feather waste next to the future plucking point.

Did you know? In the cockerel harem there are always two or three "beloved wives." The rooster pays attention and takes care of the whole chicken herd, but the favorites during the day accompany their master and walk in close proximity.

How to scald a broiler

Bird slaughtered immediately before boiling water for scalding.
Immediately after the slaughter, the carcass is turned upside down and allowed to drain for 8-10 minutes.
A little without boiling water is turned off and poured into a prepared bowl for scalding.
Holding the legs, the broiler carcass is immersed in hot water for one minute so that the hot liquid covers the bird well.
A wet chicken is pulled out, turned upside down and so lowered into boiling water for one minute too.
The chicken is again taken out of the hot water, it is held by the legs with one hand, and the wing is spread with the other hand and dipped in boiling water so that the axillary area is in the hot water. Armpits are scalded in boiling water for 40 seconds or one minute.
Exactly the same operation is carried out with the second wing.
The back of the bird (where the tail feathers are located) may need a longer "bathing", so stop the scalding of the tail part only after the larger and coarse tail feathers begin to pull out easily.
Whether the bird is well scalded and whether it is ready for plucking, you can check it out: the hostess tries to pull the feather out in different places of the bird carcass, if this is easily done - the chicken can be plucked. If the feather is not pulled out in any place, then the bird should be dipped into hot water in an uncooked place for another 30-40 seconds.
If the bird is old and badly scalding, then after bathing in boiling water it should be wrapped in a large plastic bag or cloth and left for 5-7 minutes for additional heat treatment. At the end of this procedure, the pen will be easy to remove.

How to nip

The bird, scalded to the desired condition, is pulled out of the hot water and placed on a cutting table.
The bird should not be allowed to cool down while it is hot - the pores on the skin are open and the feather is easily pulled out.
First of all, coarse feathers are pulled out of the tail and wings (primary and tail feathers), and then the axillary region, the stomach, the back and the neck are treated.
After the primary plucking, the chicken is carefully examined and the previously unnoticed down and feathers are removed.
After that, the carcass is ready for processing with fire (to remove small hairs on the skin).

Important! It is impossible to keep the bird in hot water for longer than the prescribed time - this can lead to the fact that when plucking feathers will sometimes be removed along with pieces of skin and fat. Such a carcass will lose its presentation.

Steam method

In this case, water heated to almost boiling (90 ° C) is also used. Visually, the desired temperature is easy to determine: small bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the heated water, after which the water is immediately turned off.

What is needed

Desktop with a smooth surface and comfortable height.
Deep tank for scalding birds.
Bucket for heating water.
A piece of fabric sufficient to wrap a broiler in it.
A large plastic bag to fit a large chicken.
In some cases, you may need an iron.

Did you know? The chicken herd is constantly talking to each other, the birds have different sound signals - food, danger, rivalry for roost or nest, and other sounds.

How is the process

Pour into a large bucket (12-15 liters in volume), the water is heated to the desired temperature (a little without boiling).
Dip a broiler carcass in boiling water for 7-10 seconds, while trying to hot water hit all hard-to-reach places (fenders, inguinal folds).
Without letting the carcass removed from the hot water cool it, it is wrapped in a piece of thick fabric.
The tissue bundle is placed in a plastic bag and tightly closed. Chicken kept in a closed package for 15-20 minutes. With the help of polyethylene inside the bundle, an atmosphere of the bath is created, which softens the skin of the chicken and facilitates further plucking.
At the end of the procedure, the hot and wet broilers are taken out of the paper bag, laid on a cutting table and quickly (without allowing to cool), they are plucked.
Sometimes the housewives hurry and instead of steaming the chicken in a plastic bag are limited only by a quick "hot bath", after which they wrap the carcass in a cloth and iron the cloth bundle from above with a hot iron. After ironing, the chicken is quickly and easily cleaned of feathers.
Regardless of the chosen steaming method (polyethylene or iron), plucking a medium-sized chicken takes about 15 minutes, a large broiler will take a little more time (20-25 minutes).

Did you know? In antiquity, the majority of people were guided in time, not by watch devices, but by rooster crowing. Also, people were convinced that the third night cry of a rooster expels evil spirits.

The use of special tips

For poultry farmers developed special nozzles for plucking birds. These tips can be purchased at veterinary pharmacies or online stores. Such nozzles look like a cylinder made of durable plastic, covered with long rubber processes throughout the area. The plucking tip is only used in conjunction with an electric drill or electric screwdriver. In the plucking cylinder there is a through central hole for attachment to a drill or screwdriver. The included power tool at a decent speed rotates the nozzle. A person brings a working electrical appliance to a hen's scalded and taken out of the water so that the rubber “spikes” in motion are in contact with the feathers. In the process, he holds the nozzle wherever it is necessary to clean the skin from feathers.

Did you know? Some chickens regularly lay eggs with two yolks, but two chicken never hatch at the same time.

The whole procedure of cleaning an average broiler carcass takes 5-7 minutes. When working with a nozzle for plucking is rare, but there is damage to the skin of the broiler (the device pulls out feathers with pieces of skin). The drawbacks of the device are insignificant compared to its speed and performance. In large farms it is very important to quickly pluck a large number of birds assigned for sale, because the delay threatens to spoil the meat.

Video: How to quickly pluck the bird

How to singe a bird qualitatively and correctly

When the broiler carcass is clean of feather cover, it needs treatment with fire - this will help clean the skin of the bird from small hairs.

In households in order to singe the bird carcass use:

the included gas burner with the disc removed the flame distributor;
a small fire from dry twigs, divorced in the yard;
a blowtorch;
homemade torch from newspapers rolled into a tight tube.

Learn how to pluck chicken, duck, goose and turkey at home.

Carrying out the procedure of roasting a carcass over a fire or a gas burner:

The bird is held by the legs and neck.
The held bird is lowered to an open fire for one or two seconds.
After that, they lift up, inspect and lower the carcass to the fire with a different side.
When all the accessible surfaces of the skin are cleared of hairs, they begin to searing hard-to-reach places (underarms and inguinal folds).
Processing the liner - for this, both legs of the chicken are taken in the left hand, and in the right - the wing of the bird and they are dragged off so that the fire gets access to the armpit. This procedure is carried out for both liner.
Processing the inguinal folds - the broiler is taken by the neck with the left hand, and the bird's leg is grabbed into the right arm and pulled away at an angle of 45 degrees to the side so that the inguinal folds become accessible to the fire. This procedure is carried out for both the right and left leg.
If the chicken legs are needed by the hostess to cook jelly - they are also pissed over the fire.

Important! When firing a broiler over a gas burner, it is necessary to open a window or a vent, since during the procedure the air will be heavily polluted by the smells of burnt hair.

When processing the newspaper "torch", a blowtorch:

The carcass prepared for scorching is placed on a stand that does not quickly catch fire (a thick wooden stump, an iron barbecue, two bricks mounted on the edge).
A fire from a blowtorch or a lit tube from newspapers is quickly carried along the bird. This operation takes no more than 1-2 seconds.
After that, the carcass is turned over to the other side and fast fire treatment is carried out again.
To process the fenders, the broiler is placed on the back, a wooden stick-strut (8-10 cm long) is inserted between the wing and the bird's carcass. Such a strut should be inserted under both wings. This allows the fire to process the armpits in one or two seconds.
Processing inguinal folds - for this, the chicken also fits on the back, between the legs of the bird is inserted one long wooden stick-strut (across the torso). The inguinal folds are also processed by fire for a few seconds.
At the end of the procedure, the treated broiler is inspected for remaining untreated places. If such places are found, they are re-fired.

Important! In order to prevent the occurrence of a fire, the treatment of a bird with an open fire over a fire, with the help of a blowtorch or a newspaper "torch" is certainly carried out outdoors, outdoors.

Video: bird searing gas burner

Further actions with the carcass

At home, the hostess:

Scorched birds are thoroughly washed with warm water using a kitchen sponge.
Cut off with the help of a kitchen hatchet legs and head.
A cross-shaped incision is made in the lower abdomen and the insides are taken out (esophagus, stomach, heart, lungs, liver, gallbladder, ovipositor). This procedure requires care and accuracy, as a crushed gallbladder will spoil the meat and give it a bitter aftertaste.
When the entrails are pulled out - the bird is cut into portions (legs, wings, breast, back).
Cut into portions, the meat is washed under running water and laid out in containers or plastic bags for long-term storage in the freezer.
The stomach is cleared of gastric film and washed in clean water along with other by-products (heart, lungs, and liver). After washing, the offal is also placed in the tray and stored in the freezer for storage.
Chicken legs are cleaned from coarse film, claws are cut off on them, and a beak is cut off on the broiler's head. After that, all this is washed and placed in storage until the time when it comes time to cook the jelly.

The legs of poultry, cows and pigs (as well as ears of cattle and piglets) are used in cooking to harden cold dishes. During long cooking over low heat gelatin is extracted from these products. For example, to get a great jelly, for 10-12 hours, the hostesses cook the legs, after which they add the meat and cook until ready. At the end of cooking the legs are removed from the jelly.

Did you know? Scientists believe that the far progenitor of the usual domestic chicken is the prehistoric pterodactyl.

We hope that the above methods of plucking broilers will facilitate this procedure, make it faster and easier. After the hostess, once or twice, independently plucks the chicken carcass, the process will not be difficult for her.