After the slaughter and before it's cooked ...

[raingarden]

They wouldn't spoil that quickly in the frig. If it doesn't smell spoiled then I wouldn;t worry about it. After all, it has to smell like something. I don't know what "gamey" smells like but it doesn't sound bad.

 

[CNJ]

I roasted a young 3 month old hen right after I processed it and it was tender. I also cooked an old chicken in my pressure cooker right after I processed it and the meat fell of the bone., so it depends on how you cook it and the age of the chicken.

 

[Molpet]

Hi! This thread was a great read, but I have a question. This was our first time raising cornish cross. All was well until butchering day, where things went haywire. Last minute my husband brought the birds to a butcher) we had originally planned to do it ourselves but time was up and they needed to be processed) and he ended up coming home late with bags and bags of chickens. They gave them back to us in large clear garbage type bags and my husband put them right in the refrigerator. We butchered a couple that night (we didn't know we should let them rest) and it went well, they looked good, and didn't have an odor. But 48hrs later when I started to take them to cut them up, I noticed that had a strong odor. We called the butcher who said it is probably from staying in the original bags where there was blood collecting into the bottom. Would this still be safe to cut up and freeze? It smells...not spoiled, but gamey I guess. The butcher said it could also be from the food they were eating....it was a high quality organic food. I'm just concerned we really messed up but leaving them in those bags ans the blood has ruined them or we have just never had fresh chicken before and this is what it's like lol. Thank you for any insight/info!

They will be safe. People used to hang game birds not plucked or gutted for days at 50f.
https://honest-food.net/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

Were they cold when you put in the refrigerator?

Next time get coolers and ice to keep them cool for peace of mind..

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I suspect it has more to do with the plastic bags they used than anything else - transfer to new bags (I use ziplocs, which smell distinctly different than, say, Hefty bags) after rinsing with potable water. No issues.

 

[rjohns39]

I agree with Mo and the other posters. Your birds are fine. If you're going to break them down before freezing, I'd rinse in cold water and vacuum pack, if you're going to freeze whole I'd rinse in cold water and then put them in shrink wrap bags.

 

[ktrap923]

Thank you for the responses! They were not cold when he brought them home. They were butchered and given back to him within a half hour and then he came straight home so they were still warm. We cooked two thighs last night that i had just cut apart to see if they tasted how they smelled. It wasn't too bad. It definitely tasted more strongly than the store bought than we are used to, but after reading through lots of comments I've seen some others say that store bought is very bland. So I guess this is just more flavorful chicken that we will have to get used to it I am cutting them up (slowly, I have a very active 2 year old who is not interested in letting me get much done lol) and freezing them flat as I go and will go back and vacuum seal them into portion sizes. I was just afraid I was doing all of this for ruined meat and wasn't sure if I should give up. I have 12 more to cut apart today. Thank you all for your input!

 

[ktrap923]

I suspect it has more to do with the plastic bags they used than anything else - transfer to new bags (I use ziplocs, which smell distinctly different than, say, Hefty bags) after rinsing with potable water. No issues.

I think you're right. If we have to use a butcher again we will definitely be prepared to do this next time. Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

When you put a lot of meat or veggies in the freezer it can take a while for the freezer to catch up and cool it, let alone freeze it. If it is piled up, the center can stay unfrozen for quite a while. The same thing can happen in the fridge. It's best to cool the meat before you put it in the freezer and not stack it in too thick a pile.

 

[raingarden]

I roasted a young 3 month old hen right after I processed it and it was tender. I also cooked an old chicken in my pressure cooker right after I processed it and the meat fell of the bone., so it depends on how you cook it and the age of the chicken.

Pollo al carbon (BBQ chicken) roadside restaurants are very popular in Puerto Rico and many Latin American cultures. They slaughter wirey and gamey birds that would normally be as tough as a boot.. But, they cook them immediately before the bird can cool off and rigor mortis can set in. The meat comes out very tender and flavorful. It is not as good as the chicken at Waikane Store, but close enough.