Anyone use their geese for meat (or at least sometimes)?

[Kevin565]

This is SO helpful you guys- really! I have read and re-read this entire thread several times. I know people like to use Embden for meat- but I really still am leaning towards Pilgrim. I love that they are on the Critical list. I wouldn't be mixing breeds (my Brown African will be housed near our house at night and if we do other geese they will get their own large house by the pond) and I think it would be easy to sell off the extra goslings (or juveniles) of this pretty breed of goose. Since I could tell the gender easily. Eat the extra boys to keep the numbers even, sell off what we do not need in general (although I plan on processing as many as I can- freezing whole, grinding some into ground meat, part it out like a chicken for dishes...). The more I read, the more we want to try this. But we need to find a goose to eat first. What if my kids hate it? LOL

A lot of people down here use Pilgrims for meat. You truly can't beat the auto sexing feature. It's a fool proof way to sell sexed birds from a young age so you aren't stuck with a bunch of extra males each hatch.

 

[Oregon Blues]

We eat the geese at my house. Any bird who isn't high enough quality to be breeding stock goes into the freezer.

Evaluating the quality of the meat is also an important tool for selective breeding to produce the very best birds.

My birds are dressing out about 10-11 pounds. Geese aren't as big as they look. The layer of feathers is inches thick, so what you see isn't all goose.

 

[zooweemama]

A lot of people down here use Pilgrims for meat. You truly can't beat the auto sexing feature. It's a fool proof way to sell sexed birds from a young age so you aren't stuck with a bunch of extra males each hatch.

Yay thanks! Glad to hear others do this. I will be very pleased to get a 10 pound dressed bird. I wonder at what age we should process a Pilgrim to get this weight? Or would a dressed weight of a Pilgrim be a bit smaller (still do not mind, if so)? 14-20 weeks seems to be the general consensus but that is a WIDE time frame. Any opinions?

We eat the geese at my house. Any bird who isn't high enough quality to be breeding stock goes into the freezer.

Evaluating the quality of the meat is also an important tool for selective breeding to produce the very best birds.

My birds are dressing out about 10-11 pounds. Geese aren't as big as they look. The layer of feathers is inches thick, so what you see isn't all goose.

Which of your geese (Poms right?) are dressing out to that size? I am trying to figure out what a Pilgrim would be dressed out to. I could easily roast 2 birds at once at that size and that is time saver! (just debone the goose and package up the cooked meat for the freezer- ready to go) Any larger and I think I'd have to buy a gigantic boiling pot and I'd rather not have to do that.

I have been reading up on processing. Some people skin them (I would do this for the birds I plan on ONLY grinding into ground meat), but roasting is my method of cooking choice. I would love any links or suggestions anyone has on this topic.

Do any of you save the down? If so- how many birds does it take to make a nice pillow?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kevin565]

Yay thanks! Glad to hear others do this. I will be very pleased to get a 10 pound dressed bird. I wonder at what age we should process a Pilgrim to get this weight? Or would a dressed weight of a Pilgrim be a bit smaller (still do not mind, if so)? 14-20 weeks seems to be the general consensus but that is a WIDE time frame. Any opinions?

Everyone down here processes by 16 weeks lately due to rising feed costs. With them being a medium sized breed I don't think they would be 10 pounds dressed but meat birds is not my specialty. I would think it would be closer to 8 or 9.

 

[zooweemama]

Everyone down here processes by 16 weeks lately due to rising feed costs. With them being a medium sized breed I don't think they would be 10 pounds dressed but meat birds is not my specialty. I would think it would be closer to 8 or 9.

Ok that stills sounds great. A supermarket chicken is about 3- 4 pounds on average (some larger I know). A home grown chicken (mine are free ranged heritage dual purpose breeds) is going to be about almost half that size dressed. We feed 7 people for dinner. So a dressed bird of 8 pounds is quite a feast. I compare it to- how many chickens would I have to process to get the same amount of meat? Whew!

I am calling a local butcher and asking if he can get his hands on a goose for us to try.

 

[LightningTFarm]

Thanks for asking all these questions, Zooweemama, as a lot of this was information I want to know. I am adopting two of the California Toulouse and they will not be eaten, but I am thinking of either getting some female Toulouse down the road to breed them for the table, or getting another breed (such as the Pilgrim) for this. I have just started a flock of Welsh Harlequins, and it appears that most of the ducks that got killed by snakes were girls. I am left with more drakes than ducks! They are molting now, and I am waiting to see which of the males is the best and he will be kept for breeding. The rest of the drakes will go in the freezer. We will process them ourselves. There is a great post on here about how to process birds. I copied and pasted it into a Word document that is shorter and easier to read. I will be happy to send it to you if you want it. Be warned, the pictures are graphic, but it gives you the process step by step. It is not for the squeamish, but processing your own food is a messy business.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Your easiest butchering will be when the birds are fully feathered. There won't be any pin feathers at that time. Those fully feathered periods are sometime within 9-11 weeks, 15-17 weeks, and 22-26 weeks. If you feel the breast, you can feel whether or not there are pins.

I waited until the last period, but think it isn't worth putting it off for the extra month. They don't grow all that much bigger for the extra feed they eat during that time period.

If you cook a goose, the wings look like a total loss. They are so skinny! But that is the best tasting piece of the goose, so don't throw them out.

Because of the structure, there is a lot less meat on a goose than there is on a turkey of the same weight. But goose meat is very rich and filling, so diners will be content with a smaller portion.

 

[zooweemama]

Your easiest butchering will be when the birds are fully feathered. There won't be any pin feathers at that time. Those fully feathered periods are sometime within 9-11 weeks, 15-17 weeks, and 22-26 weeks. If you feel the breast, you can feel whether or not there are pins.

I waited until the last period, but think it isn't worth putting it off for the extra month. They don't grow all that much bigger for the extra feed they eat during that time period.

If you cook a goose, the wings look like a total loss. They are so skinny! But that is the best tasting piece of the goose, so don't throw them out.

Because of the structure, there is a lot less meat on a goose than there is on a turkey of the same weight. But goose meat is very rich and filling, so diners will be content with a smaller portion.

This was very helpful- thank you so much. So 16 weeks-ish (on either side checking for pins) is my ideal window for butcher. I figured the turkey would be a lot heavier around the breast and leaner. I personally am not a breast/white meat eater. Neither are any of my kids. ONLY my husband is. So with 5 of us preferring dark meat...sorry hubby. haha But we will still have chicken (occasional turkey too) and he get his breast on there haha!

 

[zooweemama]

Thanks for asking all these questions, Zooweemama, as a lot of this was information I want to know. I am adopting two of the California Toulouse and they will not be eaten, but I am thinking of either getting some female Toulouse down the road to breed them for the table, or getting another breed (such as the Pilgrim) for this. I have just started a flock of Welsh Harlequins, and it appears that most of the ducks that got killed by snakes were girls. I am left with more drakes than ducks! They are molting now, and I am waiting to see which of the males is the best and he will be kept for breeding. The rest of the drakes will go in the freezer. We will process them ourselves. There is a great post on here about how to process birds. I copied and pasted it into a Word document that is shorter and easier to read. I will be happy to send it to you if you want it. Be warned, the pictures are graphic, but it gives you the process step by step. It is not for the squeamish, but processing your own food is a messy business.

Was it this? I have a few saved. I have read and read and read and looked at the pics. I'm not squeamish. I think the hardest part will be the 'kill' portion for me personally. Then after that I think I will be fine. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-eviscerating-cutting-up-your-chicken-graphic

 

[LightningTFarm]

Yes, that was it. I copied and pasted it into a Word document, then resized the pictures so more fit on one page. You can still see everything fine in the pictures, but if you want to print it out to refer to it while doing the "wet work" it will be easier to read. You could put the pages in plastic protectors (ha!) to protect them during this very messy procedure. I think that's what I'll do. I will have my dad helping me and he has processed chickens and ducks before, but it was a long time ago so some instructions will come in handy. If you want this version, I can send it to you.