At what age to slaughter geese for meat: average weight and top 4 ways at home

Growing geese is considered quite a popular pastime. These birds are bred in a variety of small or large farms. These birds are considered very unpretentious. At the same time, many novice farmers have a question at what age is it better to slaughter geese for meat. To make bird breeding as profitable as possible, when choosing the time for slaughter, you should focus on the age and weight of the birds.

At what age should geese be slaughtered for meat?

When growing birds for the purpose of obtaining meat, they are cut from 4 months. The specific period is determined by the breed of the bird and its diet.Simple rustic gray or white geese, which ate grass and a minimum amount of grain, reach the desired weight only in half a year. Meat breeds of broilers are considered very precocious and grow quickly. If the birds eat compound feed, they can be sent for slaughter as early as 4 months.

If geese are bred for down, the dates should be adjusted to account for the shedding time. Up to 4 months, goose cannot be slaughtered. By this time, the first molt of the bird has not yet ended. By about 4 months, the fluff is completely replaced by adult feathers. By the same time, stumps disappear from the bird - feathers that grow on the body.

According to the reviews of culinary specialists, geese, whose age is 7-8 months, have the most delicious and juicy meat. By this time, the meat is fully ripe, and the liver is large.

An early maturing individual of a meat breed by 4 months, on average, weighs 4-5 kilograms. After removing the entrails, paws, feathers and head, the weight of the carcass usually does not exceed 2.5-3 kilograms.

Preparation for the process

When performing home slaughter of geese, it is worth following some rules. Their violation provokes a deterioration in the taste of meat and a decrease in shelf life. First of all, it is important to clean the intestines of the bird from feces. To do this, you can not feed the birds before slaughter for 8-12 hours. Do not increase this period, as this will negatively affect the taste of meat.

At the same time, birds are not recommended to be limited in the water. Before slaughter, it is worth watering the birds with s alted liquid. This helps extend the shelf life of the carcass. Usually, at the time of famine, geese that are intended for slaughter are recommended to be separated from the rest of the livestock. It is advisable to do the sitting at night. In this situation, it is permissible to slaughter the birds in the morning.

If sitting during the daytime, the place where the birds are located needs to be darkened.

Slaughter techniques

There are several variants of slaughtering techniques, each of which has certain advantages and disadvantages.

External method

To kill birds in this way at home, it is worth preparing sharp scissors. They must have long blades. First, the bird should be tied up and placed upside down. To prevent the goose from flapping its wings, it is recommended to place it in a special cone in which a hole is made for the head.

To slaughter a goose, do the following:

• open beak and put scissors in mouth;
• cut the veins and pierce the sky so that the scissors hit the brain;
• bleed;
• after half an hour start plucking the bird.

Pros and conshigh efficiency;high speed of manipulation;ease of manipulation with skills.the need for special tools;the need for relevant skills.

Internal method

To prick geese with this method, they need to be fixed in the same way as with the external method. After that, cut the throat under the beak with a sharp knife. The incision should be deep enough to reach the vertebrae. To facilitate the removal of blood, the head should be removed immediately.

Pros and conshigh speed;the accuracy of the manipulation;accuracy.the need to separate the head;the need for certain skills and knowledge.

With an ax

Goose is often cut down with an axe. To slaughter a bird, it is recommended to do the following:

• quickly cut off the head with an ax;
• hang the carcass upside down to glass the blood;
• go to plucking.

Pros and conshigh speed;ease of procedure.the need for a sharply sharpened tool;the need for skills.

Industrial slaughter method

Cutting birds on an industrial scale takes a long time. To speed up this procedure, special conveyor lines are used. They help to quickly score, pluck and gut the carcass.

Pros and conshigh speed of the procedure;process automation;no need for human intervention.the need for appropriate equipment;the need for skills to work with devices.

How to pluck a bird

After draining the blood from the carcass, you can proceed to the process of plucking. To avoid getting blood on the down and feathers, it is recommended to tighten the tip of the neck tightly with a rope. Birds can be plucked dry or wet. The first option is used to collect fluff and feathers. Immediately after plucking, they can be sorted and processed.

When using the wet method, the carcass needs to be scalded with boiling water. This version of the procedure is considered simpler and faster.

How to butcher a carcass

Cutting must be carried out with extreme care, as this can lead to a deterioration in the taste of meat and the appearance of the carcass. To carry out the procedure, you should do the following:

1. Before starting the manipulation, make sure that the carcass is clean. It cannot have feathers or down. It is permissible to remove dirt manually or with tweezers.
2. Remove the bird's head. To do this, it is worth incising the skin in the region of the second vertebra.
3. Cut off the wings at the bend of the elbow and paw in the area of the joints. These sections are the easiest to cut off. Such fragments are forbidden to be used for cooking.
4. Start butchering organs. First of all, it is recommended to remove the esophagus and trachea. To do this, cut open the stomach. It is also permissible to pull out these organs through the cloaca. When difficulties arise, a knife can be used.
5. To open the abdomen, you need to take a sharp knife. In this case, you should start from the cloaca, and move down to the keel. The incision should be made carefully so as not to affect the internal organs and intestines.
6. Remove offal and other internal organs. The stomach and liver are usually used as food.
7. Remove the cackling pipe with a knife.
8. Rinse the carcass well and leave for 2 hours. She should lie down at room conditions. After this time, the meat can be frozen.

Useful tips for beginners

Beginning farmers should follow these recommendations:

1. In spring and summer, feed the geese with greenery. With the advent of autumn, it is worth introducing more compound feed into the diet of birds.
2. From September, restrict the movement of birds. This promotes better fat storage. The duration of the daily walk should be 1-1.5 hours.
3. Choose the best individuals for breeding.
4. After slaughter, let the blood drain. This affects the quality characteristics of the meat.

In order for the procedure to be successful, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the anatomical features of birds before slaughter. This will help to properly slaughter the bird and cut it. For manipulation, it is important to use sharply sharpened tools.

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