The Old Folks Home

moxies_chickienuggets said:

She was about 8 months old.

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I thought she might have been older. I was told that the birds for eating should be abt. 16-18 wks old. Or they are tough. We have only put one rooster in freezer camp but he is still in there. There is not enough meat on him for a meal. But I may cook him and give him to the dogs! He was a rooster that jumped on me 3 times. I don't know if I want to eat him....

prairiehen74301 said:

I don't think any bird under a year old would be considered old. Cooking method possibly? Slow cooker for several hours and it should fall off the bone. Maybe breed of bird? Grind and make chicken sandwich spread be creative.Looking forward to another fall like day thank the man for the cool air yesterday. I'm noticing the wild critters starting to get ready for the coming season my neighbor was telling me her swallows have left already I'm having a senior moment and can't think of their name the ones allot of folks put up the apartment houses for. Purple Martins!! I knew it would come to me. I'll be here alot of mornings at this time, have to get my morning routine out of the way so I can get on with my day.

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I am sure you are right about cooking method. I am loving this cooler weather also! And most of my birds are gone from around here also.

chickadoodles said:

I thought she might have been older. I was told that the birds for eating should be abt. 16-18 wks old. Or they are tough. We have only put one rooster in freezer camp but he is still in there. There is not enough meat on him for a meal. But I may cook him and give him to the dogs! He was a rooster that jumped on me 3 times. I don't know if I want to eat him....

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I usually wait until 6 months before offing mine so they're meatier, but they also get offed in the order in which they are jerks. So if you're a young head jerk, you go first regardless of age. Have good manners? You get to stay a few more months until we can take care of you. So we have birds from about 16 weeks to about a year in the freezer. The older ones are a bit tougher, but we just mark them as such and cook them slower. Also when you off them, put them in the refrigerator for 2 days before freezing them. This gets rid of rigor mortis, which can also make them tough.

Yesterday I bought BF a smoker for his birthday (which isn't for another 4 weeks but he's getting it early). Can't wait to off a turkey and try it in the smoker.

Oz, are you anywhere near the fighting in the Philippines?

superchemicalgirl said:

Oz, are you anywhere near the fighting in the Philippines?

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I had to jump onto the news to see what you meant in case something had started.

The problems in the Philippines are in Mindanao. It's a whole island away and even then, its limited to the south-west corner. Mindanao is a huge place with amazing beaches, mountains and the things that go with them. I would have no hesitation going to most places on the island.

Interesting. Thanks for the information.

superchemicalgirl said:

I usually wait until 6 months before offing mine so they're meatier, but they also get offed in the order in which they are jerks. So if you're a young head jerk, you go first regardless of age. Have good manners? You get to stay a few more months until we can take care of you. So we have birds from about 16 weeks to about a year in the freezer. The older ones are a bit tougher, but we just mark them as such and cook them slower. Also when you off them, put them in the refrigerator for 2 days before freezing them. This gets rid of rigor mortis, which can also make them tough.

Yesterday I bought BF a smoker for his birthday (which isn't for another 4 weeks but he's getting it early). Can't wait to off a turkey and try it in the smoker.

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I now have a pressure cooker that I can use on the older ones when the time comes. Thanks for letting me know.I have ate turkey smoked at my DD's in FL. it was delish! it takes a very long time to cook but so good it's worth the wait!

ozexpat said:

I had to jump onto the news to see what you meant in case something had started.

The problems in the Philippines are in Mindanao. It's a whole island away and even then, its limited to the south-west corner. Mindanao is a huge place with amazing beaches, mountains and the things that go with them. I would have no hesitation going to most places on the island.

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I cooked that little hen for 2-3 hours, slow cooked. On top of the stove slow cooked. I think game hens are just tough and stringy. I do have a pressure cooker, but haven't used it on the home grown birds yet. We are both new to growing chickens for meat. DH was rasied around them, but didn't get the practical education for cooking them. He was just a kid then.

This next batch of cockerels....4....are April 1st hatches. I was going to cull them all last week, but remembered I needed to fatten them up with scratch and low activity levels for 2 to 3 weeks first. We didn't do that with the other PR rooster we cooked. He was better then the game hen, but I forgot about fattening him up first. I guess there is something to that theory.