My wife has informed me that on Saturday we will be butchering the old laying hens.   We have a scalding vat and drum chicken plucker.   They work great for young meat birds but in the past it didn't go so good with the old hens.   Feathers don't come off that good and the skin gets torn.   Any tips?   I'd like to skin them but wife likes to make chicken soup and it's the fat and the skin that provide the flavor.