Cooking BIG birds? 10lb CX

[Amandakae]

Hey guys, I just finally got the last batch of my spring chicks processed...and by chicks I mean that there were MONSTERS. I actually didn't lose even one this year, which was so nice, since i lost quite a large percentage my first go around due to a bad case of coccidiosis. These were pastured poultry fed limited rations.

How do you guys like to cook extra large birds? These guys were 19 weeks old, and I'm thinking at least a few of them will be close to 10lb dressed. They look like turkeys... I know that it is not ideal to wait this long to harvest, but with my husbands seasonal work schedule there was just no other way. At least the first 30 were butchered relatively young.

In the last batch last year I had a few big ones, and they always turned out really dry. They were also skinned though, and I am used to roasting whole birds with the skin on, so that could have been a reason for them to be so dry.

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Kiki]

I'd make a big pot of chicken gumbo!

 

[Morrigan]

We turn our monster birds into sausage -- breakfast, Italian and spicy. Just grind up the meat along with all of the skin for fat, season and freeze into patties or as bulk sausage. Even with the skin, it's much leaner than store sausage, and is one less food item to buy.

 

[Lynn-n-JimsVT]

Glad I stumbled on this thread. My first run of meaties goes to Cone Camp next week and one of them we have named Birdzilla. Clocking in at 10lbs live weight just a day ago. it's crazy to think they were just chicks May 5. Thanks for the post. Wondering how the chicken sausage would go, I have a meat grinder. I will have to google some seasonings ideas. Like the concept.