On to the finishing round of processing the chickens, which includes the gutting and cleaning.
The Gman started with cutting the feet off, using a 4 inch buck knife.
Then he started made a small slit just below the breastbone, with the blade facing Up. This was to prevent any rupturing of the organs.
Next, he put his finger in that slice and carefully worked his way down to the pelvis section.
You have to keep 2 fingers inserted in the open cavity keeping the organs away from the skin and fat layer you are cutting.
Next you have to cut around the vent – keep your blade low (closer to the tail of the bird)
Insert your hand in the open abdominal cavity – first thing u will feel is the large hard gizzard. Use 2 fingers to pull it out.
The intestines will come out with the gizzard.
Put your hand farther in the cavity and you will feel in the upper portion a small hard object – that is the heart. Pull out the heart. the Liver will come with it.
After the heart is out you have to remove the lungs, which are attached to the upper right and left ribcages of the bird.
Turn bird over, slit skin along neck, working from the neck – pull out the crop and windpipe and clean up the fatty tiisue surrounding the neck. There are small glands around the neck – be sure they are removed.
Cut off excess skin hanging from around the neck, this helps to clean things up a bit.
Wash the inside completely out – over and over again, get it all clean, cold water, rinse over and over again.
Turn bird over and chop neck off. Clean out all remaining fatty tissue attached to skin around the neck area.
Do a final close inspection for pinfeathers, weigh it, bag it, tag it . Now cool it for at least 18 hours (we put ours in the fridge and then in coolers with ice if we need extra room. Then put in freezer to enjoy later.
7.6 pounds…
