I’d be willing to bet your great-grandmother knew how to butcher a chicken.
Am I right? It might be a funny thing to say, but even though chicken is the most popular meat dish, most people today have no clue how to butcher a chicken, and they don’t really understand why they need to know.
Well folks, I’m here to end that.
Today’s mission?
To teach my friends how to butcher a chicken — the right way. No, you don’t just grab a hatchet, chop off the chicken’s head and giggle as it runs around the yard. No, you don’t just grab any old chicken that’s been laying eggs for years. There are some real things you need to know before you start cooking your fried chicken from scratch. And these things will not only affect the flavor of your chicken, but also prevent you from becoming ill when eating it.
The first thing to know is that there are meat chickens and then there are laying chickens. One is designed to provide a large amount of meat and one is for laying eggs. I’ll let you figure out which is which. 😉 Technically, you could grab a laying chicken and butcher it, but it will not only be tough if it is old, it will also be on the thinner side, leaving you with a small amount of meat.
The second thing to know is that when you’re butchering a chicken, you must be careful when you remove the guts so as not to pierce the intestines or the gallbladder, both of which could make your family ill. Don’t let this deter you from butchering yourself, just learn how to do it the right way and you’ll do it perfect each time!
Are you ready for your lesson? Let’s begin!
Note: I posted this last night on my YouTube Channel and one of the first remarks was that this wasn’t appropriate for children. Personally, I find that odd. We’ve raised chickens for years and my children not only help in the process, they actually kill the chickens themselves. They take their job seriously and they know the importance of doing things as humanely as possible. So with that being said, I think this is TOTALLY fine for children.
Megan says
The only reason that restricts kids from ever doing anything are us parents. We eat chicken more often than we eat pork and beef. we should at least let our kids know where the chicken comes from and what is done to have chicken on our plate. If we become too over-protective of our kids and label butchering chickens as inappropriate, I wonder what kind of perception you’d like your kids to have. we may not butcher chickens personally but I have let my children watch the process so that they know. and that it is completely normal.
Mandy says
What do you do with the chicken blood, head, feet and other parts you are not eating? I’ve seen plenty of videos on how to butcher a chicken but none on the set up of the stations. Can you help me out?
Bobbi says
Hi Mandy-
If you are not going eat the leftover parts you can feed them to other animals you have or maybe your neighbors have (ok it with them first), such as dogs, cats, pigs, etc. You can also compost them, just be cautious of any pests (flies, etc.) or wild anmomals that may be attracted to the compost pile. If none of that works for you, you can call your county and see if they have pickup/disposal system for that. I hope that helps!
Thank you-Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
TANISHA says
People are funny. ‘Cause it’s much better to slaughter chickens in a facility that is inhumane versus our children understanding how important life is and these animals giving their lives for us and being harvested in the most humane way possible. Oh,….only as much as YOUR family can eat, versus the entire globe!
I am so glad I found you! I too am a city girl who just gets it and had to convince my country boy husband to give up his land. Our next step, now that my garden is flourishing and I see city kids can have green thumbs too, lol…..is the chickens. I have already learned so much from your Blog that I definitely am saying yes to raising chickens. Thanks yo much for inspiring!!!!
Lucy Goosey says
This is a really straight forward video. Are there any others to show how to continue to cut the rest up after this is all done? I was also wondering what you did ti get your kids involved in this, I want my son to be able to do it when the time is right but I want it to be a decent experience for him, and dont know when or how I would start to explain to him how and why we have to do this. I was also wondering if you know of any way to use the parts that are waste? I hate to see things go to waste, is there anything that those extra parts can be used for?
Michael Ernest Armbruster says
Thanks for the helpful instructions. The problem I had in following them is that my usual kitchen knives (the usual Henckel set) just don’t cut as well as yours. Mine are all stainless steel, and I’ve heard they don’t sharpen well. On the other hand, I am reluctant to invest the $50-100 for the fancy knives I see available online, unless I know they will really do the job well. Any suggestions?
Thanks again,
Mick
Bobbi says
Hi Michael-
You definitely need a sharp and durable knife, and one that fits well in your hand, if you plan to do a lot of butchering. I am sorry to say but most quality knives are going cost some dough, but are worth it!
One brand I like is Victorinox which usually runs around $60. Another one I like is the Dick Ergogrip which is a little cheaper and runs around $40. These are just a couple I have used, but may not be for everyone.
What other knives do others use that work well for them? Let us know! Thanks -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Nathan says
You can sharpen knives (including stainless) quite well. How long the edge holds is another question, but a whetstone is invaluable. If you don’t have a knife sharpener handy, you can use the bottom ring on a coffee cup or other ceramic dish!
Here is a tutorial on what I mean: https://www.facebook.com/elswares/videos/694541527325103/
Grama Barb says
I have butchered a lot of chickens and I use scissors to cut up a chicken. I worked in a mom and pop grocery 50+ years ago and the chickens came in whole and some customers wanted them cut up. My boss used scissors. He said it was safer on the fingers. He was right on. I use the cutco scissors from Costco or the scissors that came with a knife set. Works pretty slick. Any heavy duty scissors that are sharp will do.
Bobbi says
Hello-
What a great tip! Thank you so much for sharing it!
-Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Mike Ritchie says
I use a filet knife, usually used for filleting fish. They are very sharp and the sharp point can be used to insert into the side of the chicken’s neck to cut the arteries. They are reasonable priced in the sporting goods department of most big stores, like Dick’s or Walmart, etc. The good ones are made in Finland.
tina says
Well done, DaNelle! Your Video is very helpful! I`m not sure if I was able to do this, but seeing you killing and processing the chicken on this human way makes me confident. Fantastic Job, thank you very much for sharing!!!
Stephanie says
Thanks! This is the most detailed video I have found so far. I’m getting ready to process my (unintended) rooster, and I’m sure this will be a helpful guide.
(farm expert) Bobbi Luttjohann says
Hi Stephanie-
Thanks for checking out the video and good luck with processing your rooster! BTW: I love the “unintended” designation…had a few of them myself! 🙂
If you have any questions or just want to let us know how it went, shoot us back a response. Thanks so much! -Bobbi
Joanie L. says
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I made a first-timer mistake of buying 25 straight run chicks. I wound up with 7 roosters. This is by far, the most humane and quick method I saw, and it actually was as efficient as you made it look. My hens thank you also, as they finally now have a little peace with only 1 rooster.
(farm expert) Bobbi Luttjohann says
Hi Joanie-
Thanks so much for checking out the tutorial and for posting! So glad it worked out for you. And it’s nice to have peace, we all need a little of that. Thanks -Bobbi
Rita Hayes says
Hi DaNelle
So glad to see your video. My daughter in NC got chickens for the first time this Spring. She watched some videos on line and tried to do what they showed and had a horrible experience just this morning.My husband and I raised chickens for me for a few years when we rented a farmhouse out in the country, so I totally knew how to butcher and I tried to tell her how to do it, but either she didn’t rememberer something.(I couldn’t be there to help). so I went online and found your awesome tutorial and I’m sending her the link. Thanks so much for showing the right (and humane) way to butcher. 🙂
Lance Holt says
This was the best video I have found. Very clear and matter-of-fact. Just what I needed to look at before my lesson on the cycle of life. This is only my third bird and my first rooster, and it’s not something I will ever enjoy (I hope), but it was necessary duty, and with your help, I think I dispatched him in the most humane manner possible. The first two were dispatched by ringing their necks as I had heard that was one of the most humane ways to go about it, but this way offered my rooster a chance to settle down, and the stroke was clean and sure. The mornings are sure going to be quiet now without the crowing. A relief to my wife, but I will miss it. Thank you again on a brilliant DIY video. It was most appreciated.
Rikki says
At what stage do you butcher the whole chicken? I plan on aging my chicken, but when i freeze it I want several of them to be butchered so I can choose to pull out all breasts/legs/wings or whole chicken. Do I butcher the chicken before it is aged or after aging and before freezing? And if it is before aging does it need to chill for a little bit first?
DaNelle Wolford says
I think you mean “cut up” the whole chicken, right? If so, I’d say you can do so before you age, but it’ll be MUCH easier if you do it after it ages, but before you freeze it. That’s what we always do:)
Darren & Sandy says
We did our first 2 roosters this morning following your video. So much easier and quicker than I thought it was going to be. Thanks DaNelle. Love your work!
DaNelle Wolford says
Awesome! So glad I could make it easier for you!
Dave B says
Hey! This video was fantastic. I butchered my first chicken following your instructions, and it went perfectly.. Thank you so much for this useful, well done information.
DaNelle Wolford says
I’m so glad I could help, Dave!
Kerry Stack says
Don’t like the idea of having to do it, but the reality of someone else doing it, after raising the poor thing in a brutal fashion, is even more distasteful. Thank you for a very well done step-by-step. A horrid (but necessary) job done in the best way possible.
Sheanna says
Thank you for posting this I had to butcher a rooster the dog broke its neck but didn’t kill and yes my great-grandmother used to kill her own chickens
Jennie says
Thank you, our first batch of hens is just about to start laying, and all the “extra” roos that were in the mix have to be dispatched this week. Great questions to read also, now I know why the chickens we ate as kids were so stinking tough, Mom would just throw it directly in the freezer.
Alana C. says
Thank you for this video. My husband and I have to butcher our first chickens this weekend and I’m struggling with the idea. I remember the days of my childhood with my grandmother using a hatchet and chopping block resulting in headless chickens running through the barn yard. Your way is so much more humane and your instructions are clear and concise.
DaNelle Wolford says
I’m so glad!
Ricci says
You are my new hero. These videos and articles are so perfect, I’m blessed to have found them. We’re in the beginning stages of building on our property. You have everything I want to do and had no idea someone had made videos like this. Perfect!
DaNelle Wolford says
Wonderful!
Melissa Jensen says
Thank you, thank you, thank you ,for this video!!! It helped me so much with my first chicken processing. I was so worried that I was going to do it wrong but your instructions were so easy to follow. I had my chicken on the table with my iPad on the side eviserating my chicken right with you.
I feel like this knowledge has been lost over the last couple of generations and I am so glad you were willing to share with everyone something that is so vital in today’s world. I think we all need to know where our food really comes from. This is a first step. Keep up the good work and information on this site. You are amazing!
Alaina says
Thank you for this video! We just processed our first 3 meat chickens yesterday, and have 4 more to do next Saturday. Your video was so helpful and gave me the confidence I needed.
Bethany says
Awesome, it really does seem so simple, thank you for sharing this. I agree it is so important to know where our food comes from so we can respect it and we shouldn’t shelter our children from this real life living. They can handle it, and if anything it will teach them their proper place on this earth and the responsibility that it entails. You did a great job, with this video, I can see you respect the animals that feed you and your family. Outstanding.
Carrie says
Can you tell me what kind of knife you used? Also, do you have a video showing how to cut up a chicken properly? I butchered a rooster, using your video, not too long ago. He looked good! I did have trouble breaking him up though.
DaNelle Wolford says
Hi Carrie,
This video only takes you to the “whole, plucked, eviscerated chicken” stage. As far as breaking down a chicken, I don’t have a video on that as of yet:)
Elentarien says
I had a bit of trouble watching this. Poor chicken!!! On the flip side, I want to raise my own chickens – and I want to raise meat chickens as well as layers. Partly because then I’ll know for SURE the chickens have been raised not only humanely, but have had good lives up to the point that. . .well, they’re no longer there. (Unfortunately, no way to get your meat and not have the animal have a bad moment. 😛 But, fear and discomfort can definitely be minimized.)
Even watching this, though, I don’t think there’s any way I can do the actual killing myself. 😛 It looks like a far more ‘gentle’ way of killing. The chicken did not look scared out of its wits (not entirely comfortable, but not totally freaked out either). Not the quickest of deaths, but. . .bah. No, I can’t do that part. I’d have to have someone else do it and hand me the chicken after it’s head is gone. I can look at them as meat after that. But. . .no, don’t think I could get myself to actually *take* its life. 😛
Thank you for the demonstration, though! It was helpful. Or will be helpful. When I can start my flock. 🙂
Julie says
So, do you keep some of the meat chickens to lay eggs that you hatch?? Or, do you just buy the chicks and raise them until it time to butcher them?
DaNelle Wolford says
I don’t keep any to raise to hatch:)
Iryssa says
Ahh this is amazing! Thank-you! This is seriously the best instructional video I’ve seen on butchering a chicken.
Sarah says
I have a question! What about afterwards? I think I read somewhere that you have to let the dressed chicken sit in the fridge (not freezer) for a few days to let the rigamortous pass?? We’re going to be butchering our first chickens tomorrow and my husband and I have watched your video several times! He’s going to pull it up on his phone so he can watch it as we do it too! 😉
Susan says
Good luck on your butchering! You’ll do great! This last time we butchered, I didn’t have enough room in the refrigerator, so I put them in freezer gallon bags (after we’d cut them up, I prefer to cook white and dark meat separately, but I digress) and placed them in a good ice chest, packed with ice. Ah, also, the bags were filled with fresh water, after we had cleaned our ‘batch’. I wasn’t neurotic about refreshing the water, but I hear it’s good to. I just filled them with cold water, stuck the baggies in the cooler and dumped ice in and all around, to help keep those guys safe and cold. After a few days (and several bags of ice) we pulled them out, decided they looked/moved good, so we gave cooking them a try. Brined them overnight, (again in the cooler) then pressure cooked them for 40’ish mins. Incredible, Amazing, how wonderful they turned out! Keep in mind we butchered middle aged Roos. Not meat birds. But it worked! 🙂 let us know what worked for you, I’m very curious!
DaNelle Wolford says
Hi Sarah,
We usually let the chicken sit in the fridge (placed in an open bag) for 3-4 days, and after that we either cook it or freeze it:)
Carrie says
We are butchering 25 meaties in July. After the chicken has been eviscerated and cleaned, would you cut them up at that point and then let them rest for 3 days. Or, let them rest and then cut them up, package and freeze?
DaNelle Wolford says
That’s a great question! We loosely wrap them in plastic bags and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days before freezing:) This improves the tenderness.
Erica says
I’m so glad I found this video. I grew up on a farm and am familiar with raising animals for meat but I never really paid attention to exactly how they processed the chickens. Today I had to butcher a roo that was terrorizing my family and attacked my brother when he came over. I just did a quick search, saw some pictures and thought, “I can do this!” Off I went to get the roo and only after it was dispatched and plucked did I really think, “How the heck do I do the rest?” My only family that had processed the chickens was either too far away or had passed away to do me any good so I blundered along getting most of the meat off that I knew like breasts, legs and wings. I ended up leaving a lot of good meat still on the bone simply because I had no idea what I was doing. Now that I’ve seen this video I feel confident that I can do my own meat birds in the future. Thank you so much!
Lakendria says
I watched the video with intigue and horror lol. I was like “I watched a chicken get murdered.” The guts is really the only gross part but it’s so interesting! I’ve only heard of my mom and grandma working on a farm but not details.. I’d love to tell my husband “let’s start a farm!” and he’d be all for it (he loves organic) but we live in an apartment. One day..!!!
DaNelle Wolford says
Thanks for your support! One day I’m sure you’ll have your own farm!
Juanita says
I grew up on a farm, but all the adults worked at day jobs, so every day after school we went to our babysitter, who lived with her husband on an acre lot right in town. About twice a week her husband would come home from work, say hi to us kids, and walk out back to their chicken pen. He’d walk inside and grab a chicken, then behead it with a hatchet on a stump set in the middle of the pen. The chickens would often run around in circles for a minute before they dropped dead. The other chickens would scurry out of the way, but as soon as the mess was cleaned up they went right back to their business. The chickens’ behavior seemed weird to us kids, but not the act of butchering or eating the chicken.
We couldn’t keep chickens because nobody was home during the day or had time to care for them, but every now and then we’d get a few live birds from a neighbor, “process” them and put them in the old chest freezer. My grandma hadn’t been raised with chickens so she didn’t like to do it – my grandpa taught my mom when she was a little kid. My mom preferred to ring their necks, felt it was quicker and more gentle. She was so good at cleaning them people would bring over their pheasants during hunting season.
My husband taught my kids to hunt pheasant because he wanted them to learn gun safety and “where food comes from”. We had a crazy bird dog – he would catch the birds, just tackle and hold them, and my husband would ring their necks – saves ammo and meat. Our older son was disgusted on the first trip, never went again, and won’t eat game. But the younger one learned to do it quick and humane, like his dad. My husband is also good at cleaning birds – with pheasants, you just pull the skin off, it’s different than chickens.
I have wanted to keep chickens or goats, but we’re not zoned for it. I sure like to read about it! Thanks!
Jules says
Just found your site and love it. Been raising and eating my own meat chickens for a while but learnt some time savers from your video. Thanks
DaNelle Wolford says
Thanks Jules!
Katie says
How do you wrap them up for freezing? And how many do you raise at once to sustain your family for a full year? Freezer space for 50 chickens seems gigantic.
Ma Kettle says
Chicken butchering was an extended family event when I grew up! Because we raised the birds for several aunts’ & uncles’ families, young & old gathered to ‘take care’ of 100 chickens at a time. The uncles butchered, scalded & machine-plucked; the aunts fine-plucked, gutted, chilled/rinsed & bagged; the kids carried the carcasses from the various stations along our long farmyard. We all had a grand ol’ time.
DaNelle Wolford says
Sound like my kinda day;)
Monica says
Ha ha! Your description of picking out the right chicken reminded me of our first attempt, where we just went to Big R and got chicks. They were all leghorns. Great layers, the females, but the males were skinny for sure, almost comical for eating. (Even the layers after a few years made great soup!) Now we know better and get different breeds from a hatchery. I will watch your video a few more times, even though my hubby does the butchering and I do the cleaning, cutting, cooking, and broth-making. After the first batch, he decided not to pluck, but instead skins the chickens. Sometimes I wish he left the skin on — but I guess not enough to offer to do the plucking, yet.
I also agree that there’s nothing inappropriate for children in this video. We haven’t involved our own in the actual butchering, but not for thinking it’s inappropriate. We have met many people who grew up on farms in our area and who seem to want nothing more to do with that life. Hubby doesn’t want to burn the kids out like that, I guess. But the kids definitely know where their food comes from, and are proud to have our own eggs and meat. My dad still chuckles about a visit he made with our 5-year-old daughter to the coop; she walked in and greeted the chickens, “Hello, Food!”
Susan says
Lol, lol! I love it! “Hello Food!” BAHAHAHA! Smart kid! We had to butcher a mean roo who was terrorizing us and our 4 yo granddaughter. She was here for it, we gave her the option, be involved or not. She didn’t want to see it die, but watched from a distance, then came right over and helped out! Then thanked us for giving her the yard back! Lol. I think if you don’t make a big deal out it, make it educational, not horrifying, kids understand just fine. She’s almost 6 now and asks when we’re butchering again, she loves fresh chicken! <3 Gotta love that kid! She also loves collecting the eggs and always yells 'Thank you for the eggs ladies!'
Erin says
Thanks so much for timely and informational video. While not urban, we started raising chickens earlier this year on our homestead. I have been looking for a basic video that I could show my kids how to butcher in a humane way. I feel much more comfortable taking on that task with my older kids now – both watched the video!
kim says
Great video! Just wondering if you pluck them by hand or do you have a plucker?
Angelique V. says
LOL! This so reminded me of my first time slaughtering a chicken. I didn’t know about the scalding part. The plucking took hours. I had six fine young roosters to tackle that day. I was there from morning till night, kept wondering how the pioneers did it. Our intended dinner (chicken stew) became breakfast, instead. Thankfully, I learned to scald before plucking by the next chicken harvest. My children learned right along with me.
Brooke says
Great video, very informative. I’m always puzzled by the “this is inappropriate for children” crowd too. I think it’s a relatively recent phenomenon, brought on by the schism of raising vs buying food. It’s so easy to just go to the store and buy factory farmed meats packaged up nicely in pretty little foam trays. People don’t like to get their hands dirty. We raised and harvested our very first batch of meat chickens this past summer, and it was a great experience for everyone. My toddler wanted to watch the first few, and she was neither disturbed nor distressed. She knows where her food comes from. I think that’s a great thing! She got to feed and pet and know those chickens, and saw them live a good life. Then she saw what happened later, to get them on her plate. She was very respectful of that. Now whenever we cook chicken she asks if it was one of “ours”, and I’m so happy to say yes. Eating meat should come with a price, in my opinion. If you want to eat it, you should make sure it didn’t suffer or live in deplorable conditions!
christie says
Thanks Danelle for the video. It was so informative and helpful. Your so cute and crack me up when you say butthole! LOL What type of meat chickens do you raise? I think you said previously, but forgot. Thanks again, gonna have my hubby watch this video!
Jenny says
Thanks so much for this tutorial, we will be raising meat chickens in the Spring so this is helpful 🙂 I think the video is entirely appropriate for children… it’s important for kids to know where their food really comes from.
Lindsey says
Great video DaNelle! This is great timing too, I’ve got a rooster from our latest batch of chicks that is gonna need to hit the dinner table in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing! It helps give me some more confidence going into our first butchering 🙂
DaNelle Wolford says
Awesome Lindsey! I think you’ll do great!