Is it okay to freeze birds without resting?

[JuliaSunshine]

I have 7 cockerels to process in a month but I don't have enough fridge space to rest them all.
I've read that you can freeze them right after butchering without resting and keep them in the fridge for awhile before you eat them.
Is that true?
Or should I process them a few at a time instead of doing them all at once?

 

[Birdsonghill]

A good question! I learned the hard way to rest the birds in the fridge for a few days if you can't get them in the pan in less than fifteen minutes. I have never tried resting them after taking them from the freezer, unrested before freezing! An old bird will still be fairly tough no matter what you do! I will watch for others response on this.

 

[Birdsonghill]

I should of suggested that you can keep many birds on ice but unfrozen in a good ice chest for a couple days or so, with attention.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can freeze them immediately and rest them after they are thawed for a few days. That's the way I do it. I freeze them the same day I butcher them and when they are thawed let them set a few extra days in the fridge to age properly.

You cannot stack unfrozen meat too thickly, you can insulate the meat in the middle so well it takes days to chill or freeze. So whether you are in an ice chest or refrigerator freezing it or chilling it you might want to spread it a bit thinly.