Accidentally cutting bowels

[Maeschak]

Lots and lots of good advice! Personally, I started using scissors for the initial butt cuts. I pinch the skin and nip the pinch with scissors that have a blunt end. (The blunt tip is key) Then I stick one scissor blade in and cut the opening. Seems easier for me to not cut the intestines that way.

 

[Fairview01]

Consider confining the birds for 48 hours with no access to feed and the last 12 hours remove water. This way they will be pretty much empty.

As far as butchering I remove the head, the last wing joint and the feet in that order. I flip the bird on its back and make a small horizontal incision right under the keel of the breast. Reach in that slit with your hand making it larger and make sure the back of your fingers are up against the breast. When you hit the front, curl your fingers and pull everything out. Just cut the tail off at the backbone and you won't have to worry about the oil glands.

Nearly impossible to break the intestines this way.