Food Processing (How to Dress Chicken)

     In my Animal Science class I learned the procedures to properly dress chickens. 

I felt so nervous when I heard about it.  I'm scared at the thought of chickens being dressed and.....But at the same time I felt the excitement, because I will experience doing it.

     Dressing poultry may be considered as a simple task for individuals who are used to do the job. However, for beginners especially for students like me, dressing poultry is quite tough.

In order to have a good dressed chicken, especially if it is for commercial purposes, a person must be skilled enough to produce one that is acceptable dressed chicken in the market.

     And for this activity, I am expected to dress chicken by following the steps and procedures I have learned. I will evaluate the end product based on the qualities of good dressed chicken. Perform the job without the supervision of anyone or my professor and develop the skill of dressing poultry.

     For dressed poultry or dressed chicken, we need the following materials and guidelines:

MATERIALS:

1. Gas stove
2. Kettle/ Cauldron
3. Honing Stone 
4. Sharp knife 
5. Basin
6. Tray
7. Used newspaper
8. Chicken about 1.5-2.0 kilos (for several trials)

GUIDELINES/PROCEDURES:

1. Hold the fowl by the leg below the thigh and do not strike its breast in hand surfaces to avoid bruises. Hold the wings when picking the bird by the shank to prevent struggling. Then, suspend the bird by the leg shackles.
2. Grasp the head and hold it firmly with the left hand. Cut the carotid arteries and jugular veins along the region of the throat just below the left earlobe.
3. Bleed properly and completely.
4. Scald at 125-132 degree F (depending on the sex and age of the birds). Test the length of scalding by pulling the feathers along the region of the thorax and thigh.
5. Remove the pin feathers and singe if necessary. Wash thoroughly with water.
6. Carve the connection of the vent or cloaca by making a circular incision along the anal region.Cut along the fleshy portion of the abdominal wall and draw out the visceral organs with your ring and middle fingers locked to the proventiculus. Pull the crop out of the body. Care should be exercised not to burst the gall bladder while the visceral organs are being pulled.
7. Wash the body cavity to remove blood clot and other debris.
8. Hang the birds to remove body heat and excess water prior to packaging, chilling and disposal.

     Following these steps with proper materials, I now know how to dress chickens!!! Even If it made me scared at first, that feeling fades when I started doing this activity. And surprisingly, I enjoyed it a lot. Being an agriculture student is fun because you encounter different activities as exciting and fun as this all the time. :)

"It is much easier to show compassion to animals. They are never wicked." -Haile Selassie

I am Proud to be an Agriculture Student

   When I started attending an Agriculture class, I was so surprised ..Why? Because I expected it as the simplest and easiest course  I can attend to. I really love plants and animals. I love cats and dogs......

   I was so shocked because there are scientific terms and words that are new to me. Example would be the scientific name of sheep is Ovis aries and for goat is Capra hircus and the list goes on...but when I started to focus and go deeper into the subject.. I came up with one question  in my mind: "All of these are not just about farming and growing crops, It's all about Science, isn't it?"

And yes, it is definitely Science, why would they call it Bachelor of SCIENCE in Agriculture, If it's not about Science, right? It is now the leading course in our country. It is the most interesting and exciting course ever!!!!

I learned a lot from my professors. I learned the different steps or procedures on how to grow plants,  making or picking a good quality of feeds for the animals that you're taking care of,  giving high quality of products that we can produce, and also by exporting products to other countries.

   I am proud being  an Agriculture student because in the process of learning this course, we need extra effort, extra patience and hard work to care for our plants and animals. It felt so good if the hard work and efforts you've give for this course are paid off with good results. And even sometimes, we are not getting what we are expecting, learning this course makes me a well rounded individual. I now appreciate all living things in my surrounding and I am now getting closer to the environment. 

Being one of the students of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, I'm proud to say that I'm not just a farmer or a future farmer. I will be one of the future agriculturists of the Philippines. An agriculturist who had given and will continuously provide hard work and passion. Will take all the risk that might be presented to us, all for the growth and success of the Agriculture here in the Philippines... :)

"You are always a student, not a master. You have to keep moving forward. " -Conrad Hall

ALONE

"I restore myself when I'm alone" -Marilyn Monroe

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...eto ako ngayon...Mag isa.