After butchering ???

[southtex]

After butchering can I keep the chicken meat in a cooler(ice chest) full of ice to rest for 48 hours? Do I need to bag them? Are zip Lock bags ok ? Some will be skinned and others plucked. Kind of worried about the meat goining bad. Any thing I need to look out for?

 

[Life is Good!]

Nope, the meat won't go bad. Bag it in a ziplock and store in refrigerator for about 2-3 days (until the rigor passes - you'll know because you'll be able to flex the leg joints - with rigor, they won't move). Then go ahead and freeze it.

Don't worry about the meat going bad in fridge - don't ask how long those birds at the grocer have sat there..

 

[southtex]

Instead of the refrigerator can I keep them the ice chest, if there is no space in the refrigerator for the 48 hours?

 

[Elke Beck]

As long as they are kept below 40 degrees, you are good to go. Bacterial growth is very slow below 40 degrees, and most bacteria die when they reach 140, so you need to keep perishable out of the 40 to 140 danger zone. The bacteria don't care if the temperature is maintained by packing in ice or refrigeration.