I processed some of our Roosters Saturday, and we ate one for dinner Saturday night. My wife commented that the opening when I gutted the bird was huge compared to commercially processed birds, and I agree, it's a pretty huge cavity. But I can't fit my hand in there to rip the glop out unless I really open it up, especially when I try to get up to the heart and all that.

Does anyone know of a technique or tool that solves this problem? I can't be the only person who has run into this issue.

And while we're on the topic - how can you wash chicken feathers? We wanted to keep them but they STINK horribly.

I'm no expert, but when I was a kid I had an American Indian lore book that described washing feathers very gently in a wide tub (a lot like a cat litter box) filled with moderatly warm water and Ivory flakes (do they still make them??).

They would wash them gently, rinse them, and then leave them on a towel to dry. Then they'd "brush" with fingertips them to bring the featherlets (word?) back into alignment.

Again, this is just a 30+ year recollection from a book that I LOVED to read. Hopefully there are more experienced folks out there though.

you should use a gut hook. It is nothing more than a hooked shaped bar. That is used to pull the guts out of a chicken or other bird, opening can be a lot smaller, But if you are going to cut it into pieces for frying i dont think it would matter much.

That would work - I'll make one. Thanks.

Yep, a gut hook works wonders for cleaning fowl. Once you've done it by hand a while, like you've done already, then you should understand the anatomy of the bird enough to be able to apply the guthook with a little thought and make a cleaner job of it. It does take a little practice, but it is effective.

As for chicken feathers, I do not consider them worth saving much. Some roosters produce dress feathers suitable enough for making flys for fishing, but I don't know what else you would want to use chicken feathers for. I've heard of them being processed for use in other livestock feed and such, but that is more an industrial application not suited to home implementation easily. I can think of much better plumage to use for decoration.

There are quite a few fowling knives on the market almost as cheap as fishing fillet knives. Check out Smoky Mountain Knife Works and you should find a good assortment to choose from. I've heard of some chicken farmers using re-fashioned wire coat hangers, but I think for the average chicken grower that is a bit too backwoodsey. As for removing feathers, I find that a bucket full of melted paraffin wax and a bucket of cold water makes the job a lot easier than the old pluck and rotate method. The wax is just hot enough to loosen up the quills without really scalding the skin, and it penetrates well, and when it sets up it is like peeling a grapefruit.