Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[SnapdragonQ]

Oxo poultry shears work great for cutting out back

I figured a good pair of Fiskars kitchen shears might work. Would I need something heavier like specific poultry shears?

 

[Molpet]

I figured a good pair of Fiskars kitchen shears might work. Would I need something heavier like specific poultry shears?

They should work

 

[SnapdragonQ]

They should work

I think I've asked this already, but about what age do you do yours by? And if you part them out, do you still let the meat rest in the fridge for several days like when they are whole?

 

[Molpet]

I think I've asked this already, but about what age do you do yours by? And if you part them out, do you still let the meat rest in the fridge for several days like when they are whole?

16 weeks for most. I let them rest for a couple days... older the bird or bigger..longer I let them rest .. even in pieces

 

[aart]

This has very good photos.

The entire article is very helpful, thank you for posting it! I've done a few birds, but the gutting and cleaning out properly had not been shown or taught to me very well and the pictures on the blog help a lot!

The article was really helpful. All I've ever done birdwise is plucking since I was the person that got attached to the meat birds sitting in the shade while waiting for everyone to be ready.

My biggest concern before my first slaughter was getting the slice right and getting the vent out without spillage.....that blog out of literally dozens of resources was the most clear by far. Happy to pass it along.

Speaking of processing...anyone know if a larger bodied standard breed is that much harder to do than a soft plump CX? I have small hands so cleaning out a standard size should not be too hard, but I'm wondering if I aim for doing them under 18 weeks will it be harder to clean out the inside in general? Are the membranes tougher?

The older they are the tougher the membrane.
I've only slaughtered one CX, did a trade out of curiosity, much easier to gut than layer breeds probably just because of age, 8wks vs 14-16wks.

 

[FortCluck]

I just like them to bleed out well. This did it for me.

Hatchet bleeds them out good too. You just hold them upside down. Less torture for me and the chicken from past experience. We had things happen when slicing.

 

[Parront]

My biggest concern before my first slaughter was getting the slice right and getting the vent out without spillage.....that blog out of literally dozens of resources was the most clear by far. Happy to pass it along.

The older they are the tougher the membrane.
I've only slaughtered one CX, did a trade out of curiosity, much easier to gut than layer breeds probably just because of age, 8wks vs 14-16wks.

I would agree, the CX are young and tender, so easy. Less feathers, too. They are made to eat. I admit to favoring the CX just because of that, but I like the taste of the older heritage birds myself. Family likes the mild taste of the commercial bird that they are used to. I ate the fryer Leghorns as a kid growing up, I guess it all depends on what you learned to eat as a kid!

 

[Parront]

Hatchet bleeds them out good too. You just hold them upside down. Less torture for me and the chicken from past experience. We had things happen when slicing.

I can understand that. Lots of people do not have good sharp knives. I sharpen the knives each time I processes, and use more than one, depending on the job. I have an old boning knife I got from a brother-in-law in Kansas who worked in a chicken meat plant, the family still calls it the chicken knife. Never a problem holding an edge for the length of the job.

 

[Morrigan]

I do think the heritage birds are a bit of an acquired taste. We've really grown to enjoy the fuller flavor, but it took a couple of years to adjust our expectations of what chicken "should" taste like.

As far as processing goes, we do the stump and axe, following immediately but putting the (now headless) body in a cone to drain out.

The one thing I'm loving about the naked necks is how much easier they are too pluck. Fewer feathers and they seem to come off easier as well.

 

[aart]

Lots of people do not have good sharp knives. I sharpen the knives each time I processes, and use more than one, depending on the job.

Absolutely! I keep two ready for the neck slice, cutting feathers dulls a blade quickly..and a couple others for the rest of the job. Also have a dedicated bypass pruning shear to remove heads and feets.

I do think the heritage birds are a bit of an acquired taste.

For sure. Took me a bit too.
Even the first CX I ate from a neighbor took me getting thru the whole bird,
I grilled the whole thing(parted out of course) and had 4-5 meals from it,
then having a grocery bird a week later to realize how much better homegrown tastes.