Stinky internals

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

I cleaned out the first meatie the same day we culled them all. I wasn't able to do the other 4 until 2 days later. They all had the same stink while I was cleaning them out. Oh, it made me want to gag!Is that normal? I didn't nick any organs or anything. Is this how they all are? This was my first time.

I guess I need to clearify that after they were all processed and washed out there was no stink. It was only when I was taking the intals out.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

are you saying that you waited 4 days to gut the dead birds?

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

Quote:
No, I didn't get to the 4 other dead birds until 2 days later. I kept them all in the fridge.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

We just processed 19 Cornish X and I was surprised at their lack of smell!! I had myself all psyched out for a gag fest.

I wonder why some stink and some don't. Feed maybe? I fed mine a vegetarian commercial feed.

 

[bwmichaud]

I know this sounds gross but was the smell poop? Sometimes the intestines get squeezed and a little poop comes out and smells "really nice".

 

[SteveH]

While I've read that hanging and ageing ungutted [meaning with the entrals still in] birds was once common, I sure would not try it myself, even in the refridgerator. That was a different age. I prefer to purge ny birds by allowing them only water the day before processing, and even with the guts [intestines] nearly empty, they're coming out and the cavity flushed before cold soaking and refrigerated. I would imagine a gut [and possibly crop] full of partially digested commercial feed, laying in the center of the bird and insulated from the cool refridgerator air by the surrounding meat, might stay warm, the bacteria needed for digestion might keep working, possibly creating even more heat, for a day or two. By then, I would think, the digestive bacteria would be dead, the intestines rotting, and still full of poop besides.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

X2

 

[Oregon Blues]

Yes, it is normal for the insides to smell, and the smell will get riper fast if you don't clean the birds at the time they are killed.

If they rinsed up clean and don't smell rotten after they are washed, they are fine. only because you kept them refrigerated.

 

[PotterWatch]

In defense of the OP, they did post here asking about keeping the meat after the birds had been sitting in the fridge without being cleaned out and I think the only responses they got was that it would be perfectly fine.

I have heard people talk about an awful smell, but I have never found my birds to have a very bad smell. For me, the smell that lingers with me after processing is just that wet feather smell that you get from scalding.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
I thought the question was in regards to the cause of the foul smell of the 4 birds when gutted after a 2 day pause in their processing. I hope my own post answered that question, and should add that the practise of purging plus finishing the processing ASAP on day 1 helps to eliminate both oder and chance of contaminated meat IMO.