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

[Compost King]

One reason we're considering the ranger type chickens (we'll probably try a batch of each), is that no one in the family is too crazy about white meat (except wings). We want big, meaty thighs and I have to be creative about breasts when I buy whole chickens. Usually I make homemade breaded chicken tenders but sometimes the only way to get DH to eat breast meat is to make chicken salad or chicken chili.

If you lived closer I would raise and process chickens with you, white meat to me and dark meat to you. We might have to go halves on the bone carcass.

 

[FortCluck]

One reason we're considering the ranger type chickens (we'll probably try a batch of each), is that no one in the family is too crazy about white meat (except wings). We want big, meaty thighs and I have to be creative about breasts when I buy whole chickens. Usually I make homemade breaded chicken tenders but sometimes the only way to get DH to eat breast meat is to make chicken salad or chicken chili.

Wing

I only eat the breast meat myself, the rest goes to friends, I do not eat the one section of wing I save, I back it up with the drumstick and thighs and give it away. I am not much of a meat eater and when I eat meat its usually the whitest least flavorful cut of meat I can get. Exception is bacon, thats high flavor high fat and I love it. I eat meat because its healthy but I would rather eat beans. I also like the bone broth I get from the birds to cook my dry beans in. Bone Broth is very healthy and of all the parts of the chicken the bone broth turned out to be the best use of a chicken for me.

I just did a whole 6 lb chicken in the instant pot. Dan ate some breast meat... 5 lbs was left so it’s going in the dogs dinners

 

[FortCluck]

If you lived closer I would raise and process chickens with you, white meat to me and dark meat to you. We might have to go halves on the bone carcass.

That sounds like a deal

 

[Compost King]

If you cut at the 1st joint after the wing connection that’s the only place there really is meat. After that joint it’s pointless.

The little meat that I toss is enough to feed maybe an ant... it’s not much

oh we might actually cut them off at a different spot. I discard the part of the wing with 2 bones. I can't skin that part cleanly. those feathers seem to go deeper than the skin. That meat can be salvaged still but I have so much breast meat at that point it doesn't seem worth the time. I used to give it to my male cat because he loved them and unlike dogs cats will not coke on the bones. However he passed away and my remaining female cat only eats Iams cat food. She doesn't change cat foods very easily either. She used to eat only Meow Mix but I started eating healthy myself so I figured why not my cats and Iams was the only healthy cat food available at my store.

 

[FortCluck]

oh we might actually cut them off at a different spot. I discard the part of the wing with 2 bones. I can't skin that part cleanly. those feathers seem to go deeper than the skin. That meat can be salvaged still but I have so much breast meat at that point it doesn't seem worth the time. I used to give it to my male cat because he loved them and unlike dogs cats will not coke on the bones. However he passed away and my remaining female cat only eats Iams cat food. She doesn't change cat foods very easily either. She used to eat only Meow Mix but I started eating healthy myself so I figured why not my cats and Iams was the only healthy cat food available at my store.

My cat eats what the dogs eat. He’s obsessed with chicken. I still have some wing on my birds

 

[3KillerBs]

If you lived closer I would raise and process chickens with you, white meat to me and dark meat to you. We might have to go halves on the bone carcass.

Indeed.

If we were in the same county it could work, but NC is a larger state than many people realize.

oh we might actually cut them off at a different spot. I discard the part of the wing with 2 bones.

That's what I meant about the flat. In restaurant-speak the wing consists of the drumette, the flat (the two-boned piece), and the tip (which is discarded or used for soup stock). I'd hate to sacrifice the flat when I love wings so much.

 

[CindyinSD]

One reason we're considering the ranger type chickens (we'll probably try a batch of each), is that no one in the family is too crazy about white meat (except wings). We want big, meaty thighs and I have to be creative about breasts when I buy whole chickens. Usually I make homemade breaded chicken tenders but sometimes the only way to get DH to eat breast meat is to make chicken salad or chicken chili.

The Rangers are also breast-heavy. Last year I did both Ranger-types (Color Yield) and CX. The only difference I could see was that the CX were somewhat larger & more tender, but not by a great amount.

DH loves breast; I don't care for it. It's okay in casseroles, etc. but dark meat has so much more flavor. I don't get the whole breast thing. The only way I can enjoy it on its own is heavily brined and cooked very, very slowly. Otherwise it's like sawdust to me.

You might consider heritage turkeys or waterfowl. I haven't tried them yet, but I hear Muscovy ducks are esp good for flavorful dark meat. Heritage turkeys aren't as huge-breasted as BBW/BBBs. Rabbits are all dark meat and can be raised in tractors provided you put wire on the bottoms to keep them from digging out.

There will always be white meat with turkeys & chickens. You can try things like grinding the breast with some of the fat for casseroles, meat balls, etc., sausage making, jerky smoking/dehydrating... Don't know about you and yours, but my chief complaint about vast expanses of breast is that it generally gets overcooked in a roast bird and is dry (in addition to bland). Using it in moist, seasoned dishes helps alleviate that.

 

[3KillerBs]

Don't know about you and yours, but my chief complaint about vast expanses of breast is that it generally gets overcooked in a roast bird and is dry (in addition to bland). Using it in moist, seasoned dishes helps alleviate that.

That's DH's big problem with it. No matter how carefully I cook it, he always approaches breast meat with suspicion -- and I have to say that the only truly reliable means of it not getting dry is breading it for deep-frying as homemade chicken tenders that I cut to cook fast before it can get dried out.

We do plan on trying some meat ducks and are considering turkeys if we can find out what the blackhead situation is in our county.

 

[aart]

Wings without skin aren't worth eating....but it's gotta be crispy!
I don't eat the tips tho.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I Love duck! As a meal. That would be why I went out of my way to get muscovy, now we can make mule ducks and havd pure muscovy and pekin
. Oh and heritage turkeys take 6 to 7 months to be ready to eat but Wow!