Adam Danforth - Butchering Chickens: A Guide to Humane, Small-Scale Processing

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Carleen Madigan and Sarah Guare

Art direction and cover design by Carolyn Eckert

Book design by Erin Dawson and Carolyn Eckert

Indexed by Christine R. Lindemer, Boston Road Communications

Cover photography by Carmen Troesser, except author photo by Hendrik Haase

Interior photography by Keller + Keller Photography, 23, ,

Additional photo by Adam Danforth,

Illustrations by Karin Spijker

Text 2020 by Adam Danforth

Ebook production by Kristy L. MacWilliams

Ebook version 1.0

March 3, 2020

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Be sure to read all instructions thoroughly before attempting any of the activities in this book. No book can replace the guidance of an expert nor can it anticipate every situation that will arise. Always be vigilant when working with animals and use extreme caution when employing potentially lethal implements.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Danforth, Adam, author.

Title: Butchering chickens : a guide to humane, small-scale processing / Adam Danforth.

Description: [North Adams, Mass.] : Storey Publishing, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: Expert butcher and teacher Adam Danforth covers the entire slaughtering and butchering process in this photographic guide to slaughtering and butchering chickens Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019041928 (print) | LCCN 2019041929 (ebook) | ISBN 9781635861655 (paperback) | ISBN 9781635861662 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Slaughtering and slaughter-houses. | Chickens. | PoultryProcessing. | Meat cutting. | Animal welfare.

Classification: LCC TS1960 .D28 2020 (print) | LCC TS1960 (ebook) | DDC 664/.93dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019041928

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019041929

For Hendrix Belle
May your freak flag always fly high.

A chicken in every pot was touted during the late 1920s as the aspiration for Sunday dinners across the United States. American meat production has come a long way since this statement was made. Today, Americans eat a lot of chicken more than any other species of livestock, and by a long shot. (In fact, it almost averages out to a whole chicken in every Sunday pot across the country!) Because of increased awareness of how meat is produced, astute modern poultry consumers often ask questions like Where was that chicken raised? and What was that chicken fed? and How was that chicken killed? You can easily answer these questions for yourself when you raise your own animals.

Raising animals for meat is no easy task, whether it is a backyard operation or a sizable pastured-poultry enterprise with rotating flocks. Immense consideration should be taken to ensure that the animals environment follows their need for natural behavior and positive socialization while spurring the regenerative impact a flocks presence can have on the land. The outcome of these efforts is well worth it: succulent and wholesome meat that has been responsibly raised.

For many, the hardest part of raising meat birds is the final step of the process the slaughter and for a good reason. The killing of an animal is a responsibility that shouldnt be taken lightly. I derive no pleasure from the kill, yet the moments where life and death transition inspire me, transforming an animal I care for into sustenance for my own continuity. I dont rush through these raw moments in life. I am fully prepared for the day. I have considered a process that revolves around reducing animal discomfort and duress. I am confident that the method of slaughter, when under my control and according to my priorities, will create superior outcomes the death, the life, and the meat.

A day of processing chickens is also an excellent opportunity to connect with your community. Theres no need to go it alone! In fact, the process is far more efficient when stations are separated and the process has a flow. So, invite those you know who are intrigued and ready to support better food grown locally.

The final day isnt the only one to consider, though. Every day of an animals life is either improving or degrading the quality of products that come from it. Its not a romantic notion that a well-lived animal a bird that lives among its peers, with an abundance of food, and secure in its conditions results in more exceptional meat; its science. The circumstances that are conducive to the very best meat are those same conditions that animals strive to exist in freedom to move, diverse diets, slow growth, and living to a prime age. (These are the exact opposite conditions provided by industrial operations, which promote confinement, commercial feeds, accelerated growth, and juvenile slaughter age as the keys to successfully raising meat.) The outcome of a happy chicken is not just a boastful hashtag for locavores. Its meat exhibiting flavors from the territory the animal lived in terroir at its purest form. Its an eating experience that will spur emotions and cement memories when shared with those around you, reinforcing the value of all the efforts made to get this humble bird to your table. Remember these tenets during your daily chores tending to a flock.

When the deed is done, you are left with an abundance of incredible poultry. Newcomers to the process will notice that the meat is vastly superior to any they have had before. After reading this book, you will know how to make the most of that meat, by learning all the options for breaking down carcasses and being able to create your own cut sheet. Learning how to package meat well will ensure that it stays fresh and that your efforts do not go to waste.