Processing Meat Quail

Aug 16

Quail meat is rich in protein and low in fat compared to other meats. Quail meat contains essential vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of vitamin B6, B12, niacin and pantothenic acid. It also provides essential minerals such as iron, phosphorus and zinc.

Equipment and supplies:

Sharp knives or poultry shears
Cutting board
Garden Hose
Cooler
Freezer bags or freezer paper

Steps:

Preparation:

Set up a clean and sanitized processing area
Ensure that all tools are equipment are clean and in good condition

Harvesting:

Use a sharp knife to make a quick, humane cut through the neck just below the head. If you are comfortable, another option is to use a butcher scissors to cut the head entirely off. These are both AVMA humane methods of euthanasia.

Bleeding:

Allow the quail to bleed out. Hang the bird upside down to facilitate blood drainage.

Wing and Feat Removal:

Remove the wing by stretching it out and cutting it off as close to the quails body as possible.
Remove the feet by cutting them off on the joint closest to the body.

Skinning:

Tear the skin and feathers back until you see the fleshy part of the breast. Keep pulling the skin and feathers until all the skin is off the meat.
Keeping the skin?
- You can defeather the bird. This can be done by dipping the whole body into boiling water for 10 seconds. Once you pull the body out you can easily hand pull the feather or use a defeather.

Gutting:

Using your scissors cut along the spine on both sides being carful not to cut the intestines. Once cut Pull the neck and spine out and clean out the entrails.

Chilling: