Page 187 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

Fig 8.7: Killing cones for chicken
Source: https://pictures-nigeria.jijistatic.com/83036638_MTIwMC05MDAtMWQyYWU4NDQ4MQ.jpg
Plucking and carcass dressing

Plucking begins with scalding (immersion in hot water) followed by removal
of feathers, a process known as defeathering. Plucking may be done by hand or
mechanically using a special machine (refer to Figure 8.8). There are two forms of
machine plucking, i.e., dry plucking (removing feathers without scalding) and wet
plucking (removing feathers after scalding). With all feathers removed, the carcass
is eviscerated to remove all internal organs and legs. It is thoroughly washed ready
to be packaged as whole chicken after chilling. The chicken may be butchered to be
packaged as separate retail cuts (refer to Figure 8.9).

Fig 8.8: Small-scale feather plucking machine

Student’s Book Form Three
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AGRICULTURE FORM 3 9.11.2022.indd 176
AGRICULTURE FORM 3 9.11.2022.indd 176 10/01/2025 12:31