Best Tasting (Not Gamey Tasting) Meat Birds

[CK Chickadilly]

I am not real fond of a lot of meat but do like chicken, pheasant, partridge, sometimes cornish hens. My meat no matter what kind it is has to be fall off the bone tender.

What is the best meat birds to raise that are going to be the most tender without cooking for hours or all day.

Thanks!

(edited to add) I am not very fond of dark meat, I prefer more of a white meat taste.

 

[NurseNettie]

Quote:
I don't know the answer-- I'm sure someone will chime in soon.
Although you don't want to have to cook for hours-- should you choose to, and don't want fuss-- use your crockpot. I love mine and use it several times a week just because I don't have to hover over a stove!

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Yes! I love my crockpot too! Now that the weather is getting colder I use it more often! I just noticed someone else posted a similar question, must take a look at that one! Thanks!

 

[becky3086]

Quail

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Quote:
The next question then is....what is the best tasting tender quail you can raise for meat?

Thanks!

 

[ggrap]

I have only had Quail a few times, but isn't it more on the dark meat side?

 

[Cetawin]

quail is more dark meat. I understand that the cornish have a lot of white meat and they look full breasted to me.

I am a dark meat fan so I love the game birds more than chicken breast or turkkey...I eat the thighs and legs alot.

 

[MichiganWoods]

My family knows that every Thanksgiving, I lay claim to one of the turkey drumsticks. They know better than to try and take them both.

Interesting thread! I might have to try quail in the near future.

 

[MissPrissy]

When you say 'gamey' I have to presume you are refering to wild game. Yes? Those are animals that have run and flown and lived a natural life out in the wild. Meat that can taste strong (gamey) and a tougher texture.

Domestic meat are generally animals purposefully raised to produce young tender meat at an early age. The broiler and broad breasted type fowl developed for the table are intended to be dispatched very early is what I think you are looking for.

As far as being 'tender' and not having to cook some thing 'all day' - the younger the meat the more tender it is. But home grown meat won't be mushy like grocery store chicken. It does have a bit more flavor and has a better texture. When you get into larger animals - pork, lamb, beef - home grown meats taste sweeter, look better and are often far removed in flavor in comparison to commercial produced meats.

If you want to raise your own it depends on what you really are looking for. In the birds you can get broilers with thick breasts and thighs. You can get young cockerals for 'fryers'. You can raise broad breasted turkey varieties for that tradition whopping big turkey or the standard varieties that will produce something that looks along the lines of a big chicken.

Every meat animal you produce will be better tasting when you take time and care to feed out that livestock. You make it what it is. An animal that is thrown into a pen and left to only eat feed - will have an under tone taste of feed. Again the meat is what you make of it. Whatever you put into it is exactly what you will get out of it.

What is it specifically you have in mind for your table fare?

 

[mudderhen]

Something that I think would be worth trying is capon chicken. I haven't tried it yet, but I am getting ready to caponize a couple of roos to try it. I have heard from several different sources that if you ever try a capon, you will never go back to regular meat. There are places, can't remember exactly where.... very high end restaurants that serve capon chicken and it is a delicacy.
A caponized chicken is a castrated roo. They get bigger than a regular roo and are more docile due to the lack of hormones from castrating them. I have been told that the meat is juicier, and that there is a very noticable difference in the taste of the meat. If you have a way to do this, or know someone who can, I would recommend trying it to see if this is something you like.