Plucking chicken at home without certain knowledge and practical skills can cause a lot of inconvenience and nervous experiences. This article will discuss the rules of this procedure, the necessary actions before and after, as well as the possible use of feathers.
Features of plucking
The success of the process depends on how quickly it is started after the decapitation of the chicken. The sooner you begin the procedure, the easier the feathers will be removed from the skin, without leaving broken ends. If for some reason hesitated, the cooled carcass is recommended to steam in hot water. 
The first thing to do is remove the horny cover from the paws, if they will be used as food. With the cooled carcass remove the scaly coating is much more difficult.
They start cleaning the carcass with feathers that have the thickest point (the end of the rod located in the skin) - these are tail and fly (feathers on the wings). They do it with sharp movements, capturing 1-2 feathers, pulling in the direction of growth. Great efforts are not required, the main thing is to act quickly and in the right direction.
You will also be interested to learn about the rules of slaughter and processing of chickens, how to properly and quickly pluck poultry and how to do it with a duck.
If you capture a large number of feathers, there is a risk of tearing the skin and leaving bits of it in it. In the case of remaining broken ends, they can be easily removed with ordinary medical tweezers. In order to minimize the gap of the skin, in the process it is slightly tensioned with the other hand.
Until slaughter, the chicken intended for food is kept hungry for several days, so that there is no residue of undigested food in its stomach. 
Did you know? Evidence of breeding chickens in ancient Egypt are represented by images of birds on the walls of tombs, including archaeologists have discovered such an image on the walls of the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Training
For the process will need:
- pelvis;
- a bucket of boiling water;
- knife;
- tweezers;
- containers for collecting feathers and down;
- trash bag.
It is better to engage in plucking in court conditions, if this is not possible, then windows should be opened in the room. The smell of feathers, especially if they are scalded, is rather unpleasant and corrosive.
How to pluck broilers: video
Important! When pouring boiling water into a scalding bucket, keep in mind that when you put the carcass in water it will spill out. Calculate the amount of water so as not to scald yourself.
Plucking chickens
After slaughter, the carcass is turned upside down, allowing blood to drain. After that, begin plucking.
Hand plucking
If necessary, to facilitate the procedure, the chicken is dipped in hot water (90 degrees) for 30-40 seconds, then act as follows:
- The carcass is placed in a bowl.
- Remove the coarse paw skin (bird's foot) with a knife.
- Begin to pluck the largest feathers on the tail and around it, then on the wings (flight feathers).
- Next, clean the abdomen, do not hurry much, so as not to damage the skin. Help yourself with your hand, slightly pulling off the skin in the place of plucking.
- Transfer to the breast and the inner side of the wings.
- The feather cover is then removed from the back and terminated by the neck and legs.
- The remains, if necessary, removed with tweezers.
Important! Keep the bird in boiling water for more than a minute is not worth it, the skin is too soft and will tear in the process.
Mechanical plucking
Manual plucking is advisable when processing one, maximum two carcasses at once. If there is a need for processing, say ten pieces, this occupation will be quite tiresome and will take a lot of time.
The genius of engineering thought with a simple invention came to the aid of farmers: a round block with holes from which silicone cones or screws protrude.
To carry out the plucking, you will need any electric tool such as a drill, a hammer drill or a screwdriver, a bucket or a bag for feathers. At the same time the procedure of cleaning one bird takes only a few minutes. 
The processing process consists of the following actions:
- The nozzle puts on on a drill.
- The working tool is fixed at a convenient stand and height.
- Under it is a bucket for waste.
- The tool includes and to the rotating nozzle bring the right side of the carcass for processing.
The disadvantage of this method is considered the remaining damage on the skin, which adversely affects the presentation of the chicken.
Learn about the best meat and egg breeds of chickens, how to choose the right broiler breed, and also what breeds of chickens are best to keep: Poltava, leggorn, brahma, orpington, Russian white, foxy chik, rhode island, golosheyek, Adler silver chickens, minorok, Bielefelder, Kuban Red, Hubbard, Amrox, Maran.
What to do with feathers
Bird feathers and down can be useful for making feather beds and pillows. If you are fond of needlework, then feathers can be useful as a material for various crafts or decor. From one chicken you can get about 30 grams of fluff and 130 grams of feather, with a rooster a little more (up to 200 grams).
During plucking, feathers are immediately sorted: large in one direction, small in another, down in the third. After sorting, it is necessary to cut off very bright spots, transfer raw materials to fabric bags, sew and rinse in soapy water.
How to hack and quickly pluck a chicken: video
Washing will help to get rid of both dirt and unpleasant smell, prepare the solution as follows: for 1 liter of boiling water, add 20 grams of grated laundry soap and 80 grams of laundry detergent.
After washing, feathers should be rinsed in clean water and dried well. The bags are dried in the open air, in the sun, if the weather does not allow, in a room that is well ventilated. Dried as linen, hanging on clothespins.
Did you know? In ancient Rome, wealthy citizens preferred pillows stuffed with goose down, and in ancient Greece, wealthy people more often used pillows stuffed with sheep wool.
How to singe a chicken at home
Plucking chicken does not always remove the weight of the down coat, often hairs remain on the skin that are difficult to see. To get rid of them, however, it is necessary, so the carcass after plucking is subjected to the process of tar. 
In the conditions of a private house, in good weather, a bonfire is lit and the carcass is tarred over it, holding its paws. They also use a gas torch or a paper torch, uniformly conducting fire along the sides of the chicken's body.
In the conditions of an apartment or house, use a gas stove, after removing the fire divider from one of the burners and the grid stand. The carcass is also held by the paws, turning it from time to time with the right side. If chicken legs go into food, they also need to be processed by fire.
Important! Before osmolka it is necessary to open the windows and make a small draft (turn on the hood), since the smell of burning skin is quite strong and extremely unpleasant.
After the process, the carcass can be washed under running water to remove traces of soot.
The procedure for plucking birds at home is not as complicated as it seems. Attentiveness, accuracy, lack of haste and preliminary preparation (including theoretical) are the main components of a successful result.
