Rare chicken breeds desired for their meat qualities?

[Shellz]

Great analysis based on your personal experiences, GaryDean I think it would be great to create a thread on just the subject of 'Meat Tasting Parties'. Would love to hear other accounts/in-depth reviews.
Yes, there are many variables as to what makes a chicken yummy. Personal tastes differ as well.

This reminds me of a recent article I read about on another poultry forum. The Dong Tao chicken. A delicacy in Vietnam but demand is out-stripping supply. They're becoming rare, but they can't be raised via modern commercial methods. They do best on free range. A comment was made on the forum that perhaps Greenfire might pay the hefty price tag of $2500 U.S. for a breeding pair. Nudge, nudge!

 

[Our Roost]

Okay, I hatched out only 6 of the Belgian Malines meat breed.I wont be able to increase numbers or eat any of these until next year. Bummer! I acquired a couple of barnevelders and some speckled sussex chicks. Wont be eating them anytime soon either! Hmm, I have some very beautiful and large blue orpingtons but they look too good to eat. The rest of our birds are older and mostly soup stock. I might have to survive on cornish hens for a while.

 

[LindaB220]

Okay, I hatched out only 6 of the Belgian Malines meat breed.I wont be able to increase numbers or eat any of these until next year. Bummer! I acquired a couple of barnevelders and some speckled sussex chicks. Wont be eating them anytime soon either! Hmm, I have some very beautiful and large blue orpingtons but they look too good to eat. The rest of our birds are older and mostly soup stock. I might have to survive on cornish hens for a while.

Pick you up some CX's and fill your freezer in 6-7 weeks.

As a stop gap until you can get your numbers up.

 

[Our Roost]

If I have room, I just may do that! Thanks.

 

[galanie]

Okay, I hatched out only 6 of the Belgian Malines meat breed.I wont be able to increase numbers or eat any of these until next year. Bummer! I acquired a couple of barnevelders and some speckled sussex chicks. Wont be eating them anytime soon either! Hmm, I have some very beautiful and large blue orpingtons but they look too good to eat. The rest of our birds are older and mostly soup stock. I might have to survive on cornish hens for a while.

Ah, but Orpingtons are very tasty. At least the non-hatchery "breeder quality" ones are. Lots of delicious dark meat.

I had one last year that needed harvesting and was in a situation where I was moving soon and my cones were unavailable. So I elected to sit down and do the deed with the bird wrapped in a towel in my lap, head down. That was the most peaceful death I've ever seen, but the hardest on me. Only one convulsion upon death. And do you know, that was the best tasting bird ever! Even being the same breed as others I've harvested before and since, he was memorable.

But I'll not be doing any more that way even so. That is a gut wrenching experience, having them so close and personal as I slit the throat and hold it while it bleeds out and dies. Way too close.

 

[Our Roost]

galanie, I purchased blue orps from a hatchery @ $20.00 per bird last year. I ordered a roo in the bunch. He turned out to be monstrous and beautiful! These birds are half again as big as the buff orps. Really good sized with lots of meat on their bones. A buff colored orp just hatched out 3 blue orp chicks and one cross of her own. All but the cross have maintained coloring very well. The buff blue cross is multicolored and unique but smaller as she herself is. The blue orps lay eggs of good size and are pretty consistent layers. Tempted. but havent eaten any as yet. This fall I will cull some of our stock and Iam sure to sample a few on the "Bucket" list. Thanks for your input.

 

[GaryDean26]

Quote:

Ah, but Orpingtons are very tasty. At least the non-hatchery "breeder quality" ones are. Lots of delicious dark meat.

I had one last year that needed harvesting and was in a situation where I was moving soon and my cones were unavailable. So I elected to sit down and do the deed with the bird wrapped in a towel in my lap, head down. That was the most peaceful death I've ever seen, but the hardest on me. Only one convulsion upon death. And do you know, that was the best tasting bird ever! Even being the same breed as others I've harvested before and since, he was memorable.

But I'll not be doing any more that way even so. That is a gut wrenching experience, having them so close and personal as I slit the throat and hold it while it bleeds out and dies. Way too close.

On two occasions I have been to family farm that owns an industrial plucker that teaches backyardrs how to process their unwanted chickens. The lady who teaches the classes says that when birds come to the evisceration table she can tell when she works on the birds which had a peaceful death and which didn't (with newbies I guess she sees a lot both). She said that bleeding the birds and letting them peaceful pass is best for the chicken. She said that she will never go back to chopping or popping the heads off. She said that they don't bleed completely out when head is chopped off and that if they struggle (i.e. running and flapping around headless) that the meat quality is ruined. I don't remember the science that she explained with that, but assume that adrenaline or lactate acid that goes to the muscles from the struggle stays in the muscles changing the meat. What I do remember is that the less the bird struggle and the faster it bleeds out the better. I think your towel wrap method was probably perfect for that.

 

[galanie]

On two occasions I have been to family farm that owns an industrial plucker that teaches backyardrs how to process their unwanted chickens.  The lady who teaches the classes says that when birds come to the evisceration table she can tell when she works on the birds which had a peaceful death and which didn't (with newbies I guess she sees a lot both).  She said that bleeding the birds and letting them peaceful pass is best for the chicken.  She said that she will never go back to chopping or popping the heads off.  She said that they don't bleed completely out when head is chopped off and that if they struggle (i.e. running and flapping around headless) that the meat quality is ruined.  I don't remember the science that she explained with that, but assume that adrenaline or lactate acid that goes to the muscles from the struggle stays in the muscles changing the meat.  What I do remember is that the less the bird struggle and the faster it bleeds out the better.  I think your towel wrap method was probably perfect for that. 

I've heard exactly that. But you know about things you hear on the internet. Anyway, apparently this is absolutely true. It's just that holding them and all.. I cried for half an hour. And I hated the bird. I do try to make sure they are calm and actually hold their heads and stuff when they are in cones, telling them to just go to sleep in a calm voice. Some thrash more than others but all do have more activity than the one in my lap did. I just don't think I could do that again though. Maybe I haven't done it enough to be sufficiently hardened.

Once they're gone and the head is off, then it's no problem. It's just meat. I do slit the throat with a surgically sharp knife, let them die and bleed out first, THEN cut off the head. I don't break the neck as part of the killing. Anyway, Orps were developed as a table bird that lays well.

Our Roost: The reason your blues are so much bigger than the buffs is that the blues are a new offering. They haven't been "messed up" by teh hatchery breeders (where quantity trumps quality) like the buffs are. I have both hatchery and "breeder" buffs and OH the difference in size! My hatchery girls are only buff colored. They don't have the proper shape or size to be called "orpingtons." They are 3.5 to 4 lbs. My breeder birds, the pullets are 7-8 lbs, the cock birds 10-12 lbs. Monstrous difference.

 

[cutipatooti]

I should be receiving a rare chick special from Greenfire Farms today. It will include Malines, Sulmtaler, and black and blue Bresse. I think this is going to be a great opportunity to chart how they grow side by side. Also to compare personalities and egg production. I would say I can compare taste also but I am only receiving 3 Malines and won't be eating any this year. If this is not a good thread to post this comparison just let me know. I have enough Bresse and Sulmtalers that I can compare flavor. I also have Bielefelders but will have to compare them next year with the Malines as I only have 3 and have not charted their growth thus far ( just over a month).

 

[Our Roost]

cutipatooti, 3 malines? Well, I have 2 different bloodlines of Malines I will be breeding in the spring of next year. If you are a breeder and have interest in longevity and better quality stock , you can contact me via private messaging. This an open forum so I am told. All conversations are pretty openly talked about. I wont be tasting any this year either!