Is this overkill for a poultry butchering class?

[Greg]

When I was a broke-ass college student the only kitchen knife I owned was a Chinese cleaver. It worked fine.

I’ve taken plenty of Elk apart (haul them out in quarters) using one or two decent knives with a sharpener.

Knowing the anatomy of the animals is far more important than the knife (or knives) you use.

[RevolverRob]

Maybe I'm weird.

I don't mind butchering game animals I've shot (including birds). But "processing" animals, in particular birds, freaks me the fuck out. Like I looked at the "killing cones" posted up thread and I recognize that it's a humane method of quickly killing birds, but man, that just freaks me out. Maybe it's because by the time I go to process a game animal, it's already dead, as opposed to stuffing a live chicken or turkey into a killing cone. Anyways, that's not for me, that's for sure.

Moving on - when it comes to butchering a bird or really just about anything, a sharp knife is all that's needed. I tend to err on the side of "too small" than "too large", if only because you have more precision with a smaller blade. I have a 3.5" Dexter Vent knife (https://www.dexter1818.com/shop/sofgrip/p153hg.html) in the kitchen right now that I use for de-boning birds and pork.

I've also processed game and lots of animals for skeletal preparation using just a scalpel and a pair of shears. In fact, I once processed an adult male Komodo Dragon with two scalpels and a pair of dissecting shears (though I longed for a pair of game shears when I was doing it).

[OnionsAndDragons]

Cone, kill or large traffic variety rigged to hang, and a sharp ass knife and good shears. Just like everyone else that’s ever done it has said so far. Oh, and a bucket for blood and offal.

Farscotts tip about brining before vac sealing for the freezer is dead nuts on.


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[okie john]

I feel like the kit is overkill.

Can’t say anything about poultry but that kit would be overkill for deer.


Okie John

[pangloss]

I've never cleaned a chicken, but I've never used anything besides a pocket knife for ducks. Chickens are bigger than they used to be, but pocket knives are too.

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[Lester Polfus]

I think that is way overkill for birds, and doesn't include a pair of game shears.

If somebody told me "Hey I want to spend $50 on processing birds," I'd go look at their kitchen knives. They probably have one or two that are perfectly adequate for the job, and just need to spend the money on a decent sharpener, and the time on learning how to sharpen.

[LittleLebowski]

Really good responses, thanks gents. This is for a level headed gal friend of mine in...Seattle. I had figured on a Mora knife and that’s it (like many of you, I have literally taken down an entire deer with one Mora knife), but the shears are a good suggestion.

So, how about shears, a Mora knife, and some gloves?

[okie john]

Really good responses, thanks gents. This is for a level headed gal friend of mine in...Seattle. I had figured on a Mora knife and that’s it (like many of you, I have literally taken down an entire deer with one Mora knife), but the shears are a good suggestion.

So, how about shears, a Mora knife, and some gloves?

Probably plenty. As a rule, the handle should be longer than the blade. In Seattle, Outdoor Emporium carries Mora knives. She should be able to get one with a 4" blade for well under $20. She can get vinyl exam gloves at Walgreens for a few bucks. She can get shears at Home Depot. They're not expensive.


Okie John

[Lester Polfus]

Probably plenty. As a rule, the handle should be longer than the blade. In Seattle, Outdoor Emporium carries Mora knives. She should be able to get one with a 4" blade for well under $20. She can get vinyl exam gloves at Walgreens for a few bucks. She can get shears at Home Depot. They're not expensive.


Okie John

This.

I'm pretty plugged in to the Pacific Northwest rewilding/primitive skills/homesteading community and it's amazing how complicated some of those people make their anti-materialistic lifestyle.

ETA:

I don't know how my Grandfather made it through the Great Depression without thousands of dollars worth of gear.

AND:

EMT shears make good game shears.

[txdpd]

Long waterproof apron, disposable rain pants, rubber boots. For me at least, the worst part of chicken butchering is inevitably getting splashed with nasty chicken waste and having it run down my legs and end up in my shoes. That is just disgusting.

Check with your local feed stores, some of them might rent pluckers.

http://www.dexterrussellcutlery.com/...-31366-p40003/

These are like 3 bucks a pop at the restaurant supply. That's all you need. Shows up sharp enough, easy to touch up the edge.