At what age and average weight of geese to slaughter them for meat, top-4 ways

Raising geese is considered a fairly popular activity. These birds are bred on many small or large farms. These birds are considered very unpretentious. At the same time, many novice farmers have a question at what age it is better to slaughter geese for meat. In order for the raising of birds to be as profitable as possible, when choosing the time for slaughter, it is worth focusing on the age and weight of the birds.

At what age to slaughter geese for meat?

When raising birds in order to obtain meat, they are chopped from 4 months. The specific period is determined by the breed of bird and its diet. Simple village gray or white geese, which ate grass and a minimum amount of grain, reach the desired weight in only six months. Broiler meat breeds are considered to be very early maturing and grow rapidly. If the birds eat compound feed, it is permissible to send them for slaughter as early as 4 months.

If geese are reared for fluff, the timing should be adjusted to reflect the molt time. You cannot slaughter a goose until 4 months. By this time, the first molt of the bird has not yet been completed. By about 4 months, the down is completely replaced by adult feathers. By the same moment, the hemp disappears from the bird - the feathers that grow on the body.

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

Preparation for the process

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

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

If the seating is performed in the daytime, the place where the birds are located needs to be darkened.

Slaughtering techniques

There are several options for slaughtering techniques, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages.

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External method

For slaughtering 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, you should do the following:

• open the beak and place scissors in the mouth;
• cut the veins and pierce the palate to get the scissors into the brain;
• release blood;
• after half an hour, begin to pluck the bird.

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 elimination of blood, the head should be separated immediately.

With an ax

The goose is often hacked with an ax. To slaughter a bird, it is recommended to do the following:

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

Industrial method of slaughter

On an industrial scale, cutting birds is long enough. To speed up this procedure, special conveyor lines are used. They help to quickly hammer, pluck and gut the carcass.

How to pluck a bird

After draining the blood from the carcass, you can proceed to the plucking process. To avoid getting blood on the down and feathers, it is recommended to tighten the tip of the neck with a string. You can pinch birds dry or wet. The first option is used to collect down and feathers. It is permissible to sort and process them immediately after plucking.

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

How to cut a carcass

Cutting is required with extreme caution, as this can lead to a deterioration in the taste of the 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 mascara 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 area of ​​the second vertebra.
3. Cut off the wings at the bend of the elbow and paws in the joint area. These areas are the easiest to cut. Such fragments are forbidden to be used for cooking.
4. Start cutting organs. First of all, it is recommended to remove the esophagus and trachea. To do this, cut the belly. It is also permissible to pull these organs out through the cloaca. If difficulties arise, you can use a knife.
5. To open the abdomen, you need to take a sharp knife. In this case, you should start with the cloaca, and move downward, towards the keel. The incision should be done 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 for food.
7. Remove the burning pipe with a knife.
8. Rinse the carcass well and leave for 2 hours. She should lie down in room conditions. After this time, the meat can be frozen.

Useful tips for beginners

Novice farmers should follow these recommendations:

1. Feed the geese with greens in spring and summer. With the arrival of autumn, it is worth introducing more compound feed into the diet of birds.
2. Limit the physical activity of birds from September. This promotes better fat storage. The duration of the day's walk should be 1-1.5 hours.
3. Choose the best breeding animals.
4. After slaughter, let the blood drain. This affects the quality characteristics of the meat.

For the procedure to be successful, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the anatomical features of the birds before slaughtering. This will help you to properly slaughter the bird and perform its section.ku. It is important to use sharpened instruments for manipulation.