How to Kill and Defeather a Rooster

Raising and preparing your own poultry can be a great way to save money and to also be in complete control of what goes into your meat and how it is dispatched. By learning how to kill and defeather your own rooster, you can remove all the hands in the business except your own.

Things You'll Need

  • Small, sharp hand-axe
  • Chopping block
  • Bucket
  • Running water
  • Bowls
  • Hot water
  • Sharp hand-knife
  • Garbage bags
  • Refrigerator
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Instructions

  1. Killing and Defeathering a Rooster

    • 1

      Starve your rooster for 14 to 24 hours before slaughtering it, as this gives it time for the digestive tract to empty. Make sure it has fresh water and is in a familiar environment to keep it as comfortable as possible. The more you stress a chicken, the tighter its feathers will be and the harder it will be to pluck.

    • 2

      Kill the chicken by holding its legs and wings tightly in your left hand (if you are right handed) and placing it head down on the chopping block. Tipping its head back toward its back will give you a clear shot at its neck. Use a strong, quick chop to sever the head of the bird, and be prepared for the reaction of the body as it flaps and kicks. Hold the decapitated chicken over the bucket, allowing the body to bleed out.

    • 3

      Scald the body of the chicken in water that has been heated to 128 degrees F for about 30 seconds. Give it a quick rinse in cool water to keep the skin from cooking and make the feathers cool enough to touch.

    • 4

      Using a firm pinching method, grip the feathers at the base of the shaft to pull sharply and cleanly. The feathers will be slightly looser from the hot water and should pull out more easily. Only take a few at a time, as grabbing large handfuls can cause you to tear the skin. Pinfeathers (undeveloped or immature feathers) are smaller and harder to loosen and must be attended to carefully.

    • 5

      Strip all the feathers from the chicken and rinse it in cool water. If there are remaining pinfeathers, you may need to scald them and strip them again, but make sure you just scald the feathered area and follow with a cold rinse. It is now ready to be eviscerated.