The small size of the quail can cause some inconvenience when slaughtering and cutting carcasses. That is why it is so important to familiarize yourself with the important nuances of these procedures.
How to choose a bird for slaughter?
Only healthy and well-fed quails, whose age is not more than 2 months, go for slaughter. An adult bird has a tighter texture. Consequently, the long-term maintenance of quails is not beneficial for the farmer himself.
A bird for slaughter begins to be selected already upon reaching 40 days from the date of birth. The choice, as a rule, leans in favor of a muscular quail with a well-protruding keel.
Feathers should have a dense and shiny texture. This indicates that the bird is healthy.
Due to the fact that in addition to males, females are also sent for slaughter, it is recommended to choose from those who are not able to lay eggs. Since during the period of weight gain, males and females are kept in different enclosures, then during selection for slaughter, the division also occurs according to gender.
Feeding requirements and principles
It is recommended to feed the feathered bird only after the first month from the date of birth. The quail is switched to a high-calorie, nutrient-rich feed and restricted from excessive physical activity.
All these activities allow the bird to gain weight in a fairly short period of time. And the lack of movement contributes to the accumulation of fatty layers, thanks to which the meat acquires a tender and soft texture.
In addition to concentrates, quail must be provided with an additional source of vitamins such as A and D. They allow faster and easier absorption of such a large amount of food.
To accelerate weight gain, it is recommended to add animal proteins to the quail's diet. For example, curd mass, pre-boiled eggs and other dairy products.
Feeding is done at least 3 times a day. The amount of complementary foods is not limited in quantity. Due to the fact that a sharp change in diet can provoke a negative reaction from the body of the bird, it is advisable to add complementary foods in small portions for the first 4 days of feeding. The basis of the bird's diet should be the following foods:
- corn cobs;
- cereals;
- steamed peas;
- feed fats;
- compound feed.
Preparation of quail before slaughter
Shortly before sending the quail for slaughter, carry out a few simple manipulations. Following these steps will help increase the shelf life of meat:
- Place the pre-fed birds in a separate enclosure 24 hours before slaughter.
- During this entire period, the bird should be on a starvation diet. Cleansing the gastrointestinal tract can be carried out using salt diluted in water, in a ratio of 3: 1.
- 10 hours before slaughtering, the quail is limited to access to water.
Quail slaughter technique
At a large enterprise, quail is slaughtered using specially installed equipment. However, using such a technique at home is completely inappropriate. Therefore, farmers slaughter birds using the following methods:
- manual;
- "American";
- using a semi-automatic slaughterhouse.
Manual way
This method of slaughtering quail is the most used in the household. Due to the diminutiveness of the quail, the procedure is fast and does not require much effort from a person. For manual slaughter of quail, carry out a number of the following actions:
- Place the bird on a flat surface and lightly press the body and wings to it.
- Then, using a pre-sharpened knife, decapitate the quail and cut off the legs.
- Place the slaughtered bird in a separate container with hot water for half a minute.
- After scalding, proceed to plucking.
In the video below, see the "manual method" of quail slaughter:
Application of semi-automatic technology
If it is necessary to send a large number of birds for slaughter, it would be more expedient to acquire semi-automatic equipment. The cost of home slaughterhouse equipment is much lower than what is used on the farm.
Despite the fact that semi-automatic slaughtering equipment is intended only for the initial stages of processing, it allows you to achieve an ideal even cut and slaughter a large volume of birds. The machine is a blade and holder for the neck of the quail.
The bird is placed in the equipment manually.
"American way"
The method of slaughtering birds, in which the maximum exsanguination occurs, is still considered the most appropriate from the point of view of subsequent processing. The "American method" of slaughter is carried out in four stages:
- First, hang the quail by the legs, head down.
- Then, pressing on the ears, grab the bird's head.
- Using a sharp knife through the beak of the bird, cut the vessels that are located behind the palate.
- When blood appears, use the same knife to puncture the brain through the gap in the palate.
The final stage is necessary in order for the relaxation of the nerve endings responsible for the control of muscle fibers. This manipulation in the future will make it easier and faster to remove feathers from the skin.
Scalding and plucking finished carcasses
Today there are 2 methods of hand-cut quail. One of them allows you to preserve the skin as much as possible, thereby obtaining the presentation of the carcass. The second is designed to quickly achieve results, but visually the carcass will look less attractive.
Cutting with preservation of the skin
If you want to preserve the skin of the quail carcass, you need to do a number of the following:
- First, cut off the legs where they meet the lower leg, and the wings to the first joint.
- Then place the carcass in a deep container with hot water. Make sure that the temperature of the water is kept within 80 degrees. The duration of the stay of the quail carcass in the water should not exceed 40 seconds. Otherwise, the feathers will move away with the skin.
- Use vigorous, quick pinches to remove feathers from the entire surface of the carcass. It is possible to pluck up to 15 quails in 1 hour.
How to pluck quickly: step by step instructions
In most cases, if the slaughtered quail is not for sale, then farmers prefer to pluck quickly. It consists in the fact that the removal of feathers occurs along with the skin:
- As in the first case, cut off the legs and wings.
- Then place the bird on a flat surface, belly up.
- Make a small incision in the sternum.
- Grasp the edges of the skin with your fingers and remove the skin with a sharp movement. Duplicate the back incision if necessary.
- Rinse the carcass in cool water and then eviscerate.
In the video presented, a quick plucking of quails is made:
Pros and cons of quickly plucking quail
The quick method of plucking quail has both positive and negative sides. And before giving it preference, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the pros and cons in advance. The obvious advantages of this method include the following:
- no need for subsequent processing of feathers, that is, scalding;
- due to the fact that the processing of poultry does not guarantee the cleanliness of the used space, such a plucking method excludes the subsequent cleaning of the workplace;
- the farmer requires less time and effort to carry out such a procedure.
The disadvantages include the following:
- unattractive commercial appearance;
- significant reduction in total carcass weight;
- loss of some taste, since quail plucked in a quick way has less juiciness.
Feathering machine working process
To facilitate the process of plucking the farmer, special feathering equipment, which you can make yourself, can. Such a machine is a small circular container with rotating discs and rubberized spikes with different diameters.
When rotating, the quail carcass touches the thorns, which grab the feather and remove it. The farmer is only required to periodically douse the carcass with water and monitor the operation of the equipment.
Cutting and gutting
Gutting such a miniature bird like a quail is carried out through the abdomen in a certain sequence:
- First, make a small incision in the abdominal surface.
- Then remove the ventricle and heart.
- Make another incision in the cervical region.
- Pull out the esophagus in a smooth motion.
- Rinse the inside of the carcass with cool water.
Most experts agree that there is no need to gut the quail. The fact is that by removing the intestines through an incision in the abdomen, there is a high risk that it will be damaged.
Violation of the integrity of the intestine leads to the fact that its contents adversely affect the taste of meat. Ultimately, it will take even more time and effort to clean the inside of the bird.
Based on sanitary and medical indicators, it is recommended not to gut the quail carcass at all. This is due to the fact that a gutted carcass contains a much higher amount of harmful bacteria.
The only prerequisite for refusing to gut the quail is the mandatory cleaning of the digestive tract of the bird a few hours before slaughter.
If gutting is nevertheless necessary, then it is advisable to carry it out through the anus of the carcass, having previously made a small incision there. It is much more difficult to carry out such a procedure than to remove the internal organs through the abdomen, but this way it will be possible to preserve the presentation of the bird.
Watch a video on how to gut quail:
Cooling and storage
To preserve the taste of meat, certain storage conditions must be observed. The quail meat must be kept frozen. However, immediately after plucking, it is not recommended to stir the quail carcass in the freezer. First, you need to minimize the differences in temperature between poultry and freezer as much as possible.
Immediately after processing, the carcass is placed in a deep container with cold water, which will have to be replaced periodically. This is due to the fact that the quail will give off heat to the water, changing its temperature. Then follow a series of simple steps:
- Place the chilled carcasses in any container with holes, such as a large colander, and let sit until all liquid has drained.
- Then spread the bird into the cellophane bags. Do not mix more than two quails in one bag.
- Place the packages of quail meat in the freezer, the temperature of which should not exceed 8 degrees below zero.
If you plan to cook meat in the next 2-3 days, then it is advisable not to send the carcasses to the freezer. Instead, wrap the required number of bird bags in a cardboard or wooden box and place in the refrigerator compartment. In this form, they will retain their taste and will not require additional defrosting in the future, in which, by the way, the amount of nutrients in the poultry meat decreases.
When slaughtering quails in winter, severe frosts can play into the hands of the farmer. Cooling the carcass in this case will be much easier. Immediately after plucking and gutting, pour the quail several times with cool water and hang in the open air. The resulting ice crust on the surface of the carcass will not only cool it, but will also preserve the beneficial substances and taste of the meat.
It is not at all difficult to slaughter quail, if you take into account all our recommendations. Various techniques will help you get meat not only for cooking, but also a quality product for sale.