Name: Jeric Manambay Luna Course-Degree: BSA CS1

Date: 12/22/23 Rating:

LABORATORY ACTIVITY NUMBER 5:

Slaughtering and Processing of Farm Animals (Chicken)

INTRODUCTION

The accepted term for harvesting, slaughtering, or butchering chickens is called processing. This is due to
the specific steps—or processes—that go into creating a finished carcass. There four basic steps to process a
bird include: removing the blood, removing the feathers, taking the organs out, chilling the carcass. Before
processing your chickens, you will want to remove feed no less than four hours prior to processing. This
will help empty the intestine and reduce the risk of breaking the intestines during step three. You will also
want to keep water in front of the birds until about an hour before processing. The only exception to this rule
would be during periods of extreme heat where the birds may become uncomfortable without fresh, cool,
and clean water.

1. Removing the blood

This is the first step, and, if you like to do things like grandma or grandpa did, then you should go sharpen
the axe. You can remove the head, but I recommend restraining the bird so it doesn’t jump around after head
removal—you don’t want to bruise that meat. If you hang the bird upside down and just nick the carotid
artery by cutting the neck just behind the ear, then the bird’s heart does the work of pumping the blood out
of the body. You want to avoid leaving blood in the body because the meat will be left with a strong
metallic or iron taste. Use a short, sharp knife for this step.

As the bird is being bled out, you can pith the bird. Pithing is when you take a sharp knife and plunge it into
the bird’s brain through the roof of its mouth. This is done by inserting the knife into one of the slits in the
roof of the mouth and aiming toward the angle of the eye. Once the blade is in the brain, give the blade a
twist to hopefully contact with the hypothalamus. If done well, sometimes the hypothalamus is hit and the
bird may release all of its feathers, making the next step easier.

To take this to the next level, consider making or investing in a killing cone. This holds the bird upside
down for bleed out while restricting the movement. Again, this relates to preventing any opportunities for
bruising the meat after you spent so much time and energy raising your flock. If you are really serious about
doing a lot of birds, then you may wish to invest in a stun knife which renders the bird unconscious before
bleed-out. The blood can be collected and disposed of in a compost pile, or washed down the drain.

2. Removing the feathers

Nobody wants to eat the feathers, much less see them left on the bird. We are spoiled here in the U.S.
because we don’t see grocery store chickens with feathers on the carcass. To do a good job of removing the
feathers, you will first need to scald the bird. Scalding in hot water loosens the feathers and makes plucking
easier.

Over-scalding is when you begin cooking the skin. This happens when you use water that is too hot or you
scald the bird for too long.
Scalding can be done with a big pot of water. Immerse the whole bird, feet included, then use a spoon to
agitate the bird. You’ll need a thermometer that can read a temperature of between 125°F to 130°F for 90 to
120 seconds, which is considered a “soft” scald.

Pull a leg out and test the scald by pinching the scales on the toe to see if they release. If so, then pull the
birds out and start plucking. Work by pulling the feather backwards from their natural direction. Many
home-processors eventually invest in a mechanical chicken plucker to cut down on the amount of time
plucking takes.

Don’t forget to remove the scales and toenails on the legs too. If you have a propane or butane torch, then
you can briefly singe the tiny hair-like feathers that remain after plucking the whole bird. White feathers, if
they accidentally remain on the carcass, are less visible than colored feathers. Feathers can be added to your
compost pile or disposed of in your regular trash.

3. Taking the organs out

If you do not remove the organs, and leave the head and feet attached, then you have what is called a “New
York” dressed chicken, commonly found in Asian markets. However, most folks in the U.S. prefer to
remove the intestinal tract and related organs. Keep in mind that a bird, freshly killed, will still be warm
inside.

First, you will want to carefully cut the skin in a circle around the vent using the side of a sharp knife. Using
the point of the knife at this step increases the risk of nicking the intestines and spilling intestinal contents
all over the inside and outside of the bird. If you should accidentally break or nick the intestines, then you
will need to clean the bird so that no feces are visible before the carcass goes into the chiller. You will also
need to clean the workspace and knives.

Once the vent has been released from the rest of the skin, then widen the opening with your fingers. Turn
the bird around and work on the head end of the bird. Remove the head using a pair of sharp chicken shears.
Run the knife up through the skin along the back of the neck to avoid hitting the esophagus and larynx. Pull
back the skin and locate the esophagus. It is the soft tube along the front of the neck, whereas the hard tube
is the larynx. Grab the esophagus and work it loose from all of the surrounding tissues. Then work toward
the crop and carefully loosen it from the skin and all surrounding tissues.

Honestly, this is the hardest part—most people don’t realize how strongly the crop is attached to the other
tissues. Work carefully, but use a firm touch. Reach into the neck cavity and loosen all the tissues inside so
that the crop will be pulled smoothly into the body cavity when you pull on the intestines from the vent.
Once loosened, you will be pulling from the vent. The crop and esophagus, as well as all other attached
organs, need to slide out with almost no resistance. Remove the larynx and lungs as well as the reproductive
organs. The lungs are bright pink and are wedged in between the ribs. Use your fingers to gently remove and
discard them.
Flip the bird back to the vent end and reach inside along the breast plate to grasp the heart. This is
considered a giblet and can be set aside for later. Pull out the intestines and separate the liver as it is also a
giblet. Make sure that you do not nick or break open the gall bladder which is the small green sack attached
to the liver. The bile within the gall bladder will stain your hands, your clothing, the carcass, as well as your
work surface. You can also cut the gizzard out of the intestines as it is also a giblet. Discard the remaining
sections of the intestine.

Using the poultry shears, cut the neck off of the carcass as close to the shoulders of the bird as possible.
Keep it for use in soup stock. Cut the top part of the heart off where the veins and arteries enter and exit.
Squeeze out any blood that may have coagulated within the heart. Cut open the gizzard and wash out any
remaining feed or other contests. You will notice a thick leathery yellow lining which is called koilin. This
will need to be peeled free from the rest of the gizzard and discarded. Wash the gizzard thoroughly. Remove
and discard any excess ducts as well as the gall bladder from the liver. Save all of your giblets and the neck
separately in a small plastic bag or other container as they are great for adding to soup stock or gravy.

Flip the carcass onto the breast and look at the tail of the bird. The preen gland will need to be removed or it
can impart a strong flavor to the carcass. At the head end of the gland, use a knife to cut straight down the
bone and then scoop the gland out by sweeping the blade back toward the tail. Discard the preen gland.
Remove the feet, otherwise known as paws, at the hock joint, which is the joint where the skin and scales
meet. These can also be used to make a wonderful soup stock as long as there are no lesions caused by
ammonia anywhere on the foot pad or toes. Wing tips can also be used in soup stock.

4. Chilling the carcass

Before adding the carcass to a chill bath, you will need to vigorously wash it out on both the inside and
outside with clean water. You should not see any visible fecal material on either the inside or the outside of
the carcass.

Before processing your chicken, you will need to prepare an ice water bath. Use a bucket, bin, or ice chest
large enough to immerse a whole bird or multiple birds. The chicken will need to remain immersed in the
chill bath for up to four hours. This helps the muscle fibers complete rigor mortis in a timely manner and
you will end up with tender muscles rather tough ones. However, since the meat chickens are typically
younger, the meat will be automatically more tender than an old hen. During these four hours, you will want
to continue adding more ice as needed to ensure that the thickest part of the meat (usually the breast) drops
below 40°F. Use a thermometer to make this measurement directly into the breast muscle of the bird.

Once chilled, let the chill water drain and place the carcass in a resealable plastic bag. Keep the carcass
refrigerated or place it in the freezer until it is time to prepare it for the table. I hope that you now
understand the method of processing a chicken for your home consumption. Ask your local poultry
extension specialist for help the first time or consider going to a poultry processing class so that you can
gain experience. From there, it is up to your imagination to create a wonderful chicken dinner for all to
enjoy.(Chicken Whisperer Magazine, 2023)
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this activity, the students are expected to:

1. List the basic steps in processing poultry (chicken);

2. Explain the importance of basic poultry (chicken) processing;

3. Perform the basic poultry (chicken) processing procedures.

METHODOLOGY

In this activity, students are expected to read more articles, magazines, books etc.for gathering
information about the slaughtering and processing of farm animals (chicken). Students are also expected
to perform slaughtering and processing of farm animals (chicken) by following the information they
gathered from the internet or any information sources. The students are free to choose what type of cook
they desire after they perform the slaughtering and processing of farm animals (chicken).

Materials

For this activity, the animals being used in Laboratory Activity Number 1 (Measurement of Pulse
Rate, Respiration Rate, and Body Temperature of Poultry (Chickens) will be used. Additional materials
are listed below.

 Knife
 Clean water/clean hot water
Cooking materials, equipment, and seasonings for the cook desired
 Camera
 Reading materials (books, journals, articles, dictionary and other forms)

Procedure

For listing and explanation, the students are encouraged to read as much of the available reading
materials to gather the most comprehensive result.

For evaluation, the students are instructed to take photo documentation of every step of the
procedures. The camera must be set to capture with date and time. Failure to do so will invalidate the
conduct of this activity. Always handle chickens with care and minimize stress during the process. The
native chickens in this activity are intended for meat production.
 Evaluation

1. Gather the native chickens raised. Ensure that the chicken was atleast 1 kg.

2 . Perform the basic steps in slaughtering and processing chicken.

3 . Cook the processed chicken according to the cook/recipe chosen.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Animal slaughtering is the most vital step in the preparation of chicken meat. The step ensures the meat is
safe for human consumption since the procedure of animal slaughtering can affect the meat quality.
(Nazariyah Yahaya 2021). The best method and most human way to kill the animals is to cut the jugular
veins with a sharpest possible knife. This way they will quickly loose consciousness because the blood is
drained from the head within seconds after the cut. Allow app. 1.5 – 2 minutes of draining in order to get
the best possible bleeding. Cutting off the head of the bird completely will result in less bleeding.
Moreover the plucking afterwards will also be more difficult.

The Scalding and plucking process:

Scalding means the passing of the bird through hot water after they have been killed and bled, which is
normally done to prepare the epidermis (upper skin), so that the feathers come off morechicken being
plucked easily. Immersing them in a bucket with warm water of about 60 degrees Celsius (140 F) for app.
45 -60 seconds will be sufficient. The aim of scalding is to open the follicula (in which the shaft of the
feather is held), so that these can be removed easily. Plucking should be started immediately after the
scalding, since otherwise the effect of scalding is lost for a big part and also the bird will become stiff. If
the scalding was done properly it should not be very difficult to remove all the pinfeathers, although this
can sometimes be a time consuming process, especially with ducks.

Evisceration
Evisceration basically means removing everything inside the body plus the head and feet.

To remove the head make a cut around the neck just behind the head, and twist. The neck skin should then
be split down the back and a second cut made at the base of the neck. A twist will usually separate the neck
from the body. Next the esophagus, trachea and crop should be separated from the neck skin. They can be
left attached and be pulled from the body with the viscera or can be cut off before. The body cavity can be
opened by making a cut near the vent,(cloacae) extending the cut around the vent, whereby you should be
careful not to cut the intestine so that the carcass will not be soiled with fecal material.
When the abdomen is opened the viscera can be removed through the opening. It is very important to
remove all the viscera, including the lungs which are attached to the back. For this the incision in the skin
around the vent should be big enough to allow the entrance of a hand to remove the lungs properly. When
all the contents of the cavity have been removed the bird should be thoroughly washed.

When the viscera have been removed from the product the heart, liver and gizzard (stomach) can be
separated and saved. The ends of any parts of the vascular system that may be attached to the heart should
be removed by trimming off the top to expose the chambers. The heart should be washed and squeezed to
force out any remaining blood. The green gall bladder should be carefully trimmed away from the liver,
whereby it should prevented to damage it, since the green liquid will not only spoil the way the product
looks, but it also has a bitter taste.

Next the gizzard should be split lengthwise and the contents washed away. The lining should then be
peeled away from the rest of the gizzard to make it edible. After the evisceration procedure has been
completed the carcass should be cooled as soon as possible. Ice water or a refrigerator can be used for this.
Ice water will do the job somewhat faster. If birds are to be frozen the gizzard, heart and liver can be
wrapped in a small plastic bag and placed inside the body cavity. The birds can then be placed in a
moisture-vapor proof plastic bag and frozen.”

During the evisceration process the birds can be put on a table, which, however, presents a risk of
contamination, especially when more birds are to be treated and cross-contamination could occur. It is
therefore of the utmost importance that this table is cleaned thoroughly and preferably also between the
treatment of the birds. A better way is to hang them by their feet into a shackle which should be wide
enough and flexible to allow easy access to the inside of the product. (Poultry Information ).
Evaluation/Recipe Tasting Images
Recipe Name: Lechon Manok

Overall Evaluation:

Appearance: 95%

Taste/Flavor: 93%

Texture/Consistency: 91%

Aroma/Smell: 96%

Overall Acceptability: 93.75%

 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

In conclusion, processing is the process of harvesting, slaughtering, or butchering chickens, which involves
four basic steps: removing the blood, removing the feathers, taking the organs out, and chilling the carcass.
Feed should be removed four hours before processing to empty the intestines and reduce the risk of breaking
the intestines. Water should be kept in front of the birds until about an hour before processing.

The first step is removing the blood, which can be done by sharpening the axe or restraining the bird to
avoid bruising the meat. Pithing the bird involves inserting a sharp knife into the bird's brain through the
roof of its mouth, aiming towards the hypothalamus. A killing cone or stun knife can be used to prevent
bruising the meat.

Feathers should be removed by scalding the bird in hot water to loosen them and make plucking easier. This
process ensures the chickens are cooked properly and are safe for consumption. Over-scalding occurs when
the skin of a bird is cooked due to over-heating or prolonged scalding. To avoid this, use a large pot of water
and immerse the whole bird, including the feet, in it. Test the scald by pinching the scales on the toe and
plucking the feathers. Remove scales and toenails on the legs and singe the feathers with a propane or
butane torch.

If you don’t remove the organs, you can create a “New York” dressed chicken. However, most Americans
prefer to remove the intestinal tract and related organs. Cut the skin around the vent using a sharp knife,
avoiding nicking the intestines. Clean the bird and workspace before chilling the carcass.

After releasing the vent, widen the opening, and work on the head end. Remove the head and work towards
the esophagus and larynx. Loosen the esophagus and crop from the skin and tissues. Use a firm touch to pull
the crop and esophagus out with minimal resistance. Remove the larynx, lungs, and reproductive organs. To
prepare a chicken, follow these steps:

1. Flip the bird to the vent end and grasp the heart, intestines, liver, and gizzard. Discard the bile
within the gall bladder. Cut the neck off the carcass and discard it for soup stock. Remove the top
part of the heart, squeeze out any blood, and wash the gizzard. Remove the koilin lining and discard
it.

2. Flip the carcass onto the breast and remove the preen gland. Cut straight down the bone and scoop
the gland out. Discard the preen gland. Remove the feet and paws at the hock joint.

3. Wash the carcass thoroughly with clean water. Prepare an ice water bath for up to four hours to
ensure tender muscles. Continue adding ice as needed to keep the thickest part of the meat below
40°F.

4. Once chilled, place the carcass in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate or freeze until ready for
preparation.
Lastly, animal slaughtering is a crucial step in the preparation of chicken meat, as it ensures the meat’s
safety for human consumption and prevents contamination. The best method is to cut the jugular veins with
a sharp knife, allowing 1.5-2 minutes of draining for optimal bleeding. Scalding involves passing the bird
through hot water to prepare the epidermis, allowing feathers to be easily removed. Plucking should be
started immediately after scalding to prevent loss of effect and stiffness. Evisceration involves removing the
entire body, including the head and feet. This involves cutting around the neck, separating the esophagus,
trachea, and crop, opening the body cavity, and removing the viscera, including the lungs. The bird should
be thoroughly washed after removing the viscera. The heart, liver, and gizzard can be separated and saved,
and the green gall bladder should be trimmed away from the liver to prevent damage. The gizzard should be
split lengthwise, washed away, and the lining peeled to make it edible.

Note: A separate video clip on the performance of slaughtering and processing of farm animals (chicken) is
presented in another file.

REFERENCE

Chicken Whisperer Magazine, (2023) How to Process Chicken at Home

https://chickenwhisperermagazine.com/health-and-wellness/how-to-process-chickens-at-home

Nazariyah Yahaya, (2021) Influence of neck slaughtering in broiler chicken meat on physicochemical
analysis and metabolites ‘fingerprinting’ to enhance meat quality
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878535221000575

Poultry Information, (2023) Slaughtering Poultry at Home, https://poultry.information.in.th/manual-

slaughtering.html