Birds not going out of rigor?

[Salixx]

Hi all,

I am starting to get a little confused. I have slaughtered three of my excess cockerels thus far and none of them have gone out of rigor within a week time frame. The first two I still put in the freezer but now that I am on my third, I am wondering if I am doing something wrong.

I’ve killed then in a kill cone via severing the spinal cord with a pair of loppers then cut their throats and let the blood drain for 1-5min. I scalded the first two, plucked and gutted. The last one had really tough to pull feathers even after scalding so I ended up skinning it.

One done, I give the carcass a quick rinse in cold water and place in the fridge in a freezer bag. I’ve tried leaving it both open and closed. The most recent one I slaughtered on the 21st. I just checked it and it’s still stiff as a board. I’m getting worried about having the carcass in the fridge so long without freezing it food wise.

So far it’s been two EEs and one Wyandotte, all born around last July/August.

Any thoughts? Maybe this isn’t abnormal and I just need to wait longer?

 

[iwltfum]

Sounds like they might be just tough old birds. Were they free range? 9 months is a little past the most tender stage and males tend to toughen up more quickly than females. If you dont notice the bird loosening up in 2 days, then it's probably not rigor. I would try a all day crock pot braise on low for one of them to see what you're working with. Maybe condider bringing it for 24 hours before cooking to make sure.

 

[gatrapper]

Throw them in the slow cooker and you'll be fine.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've butchered LOTS of birds that old and older. As the other posters said, long past tender. After two days, that's not rigor.

Recommend, as they do, long slow braise in the crock pot with just a tiny amount of liquid in the bottom. For our birds, 3 hours high, three hours low tends to be the sweet spot, or an hour on high before starting the day, then drop to low till near dinner time.

You can brine, which does nothing for tenderness, but does impart flavor and assist moisture retention, then smoke - connective tissues gelatinize between 160-165 and about 180. Well below the boiling point. So if you can keep your smoker about 175, you lose no moisture from the bird, have plenty of flavor to stand up to what the smoke imparts, and you will get that lip-smaking unctiousness without resulting in dry bird. Flavor should be similar to a turkey leg from a renn faire.

Alternatively, you can marinate in a light acid with enzymes to help relax long protein chains and impart flavor. Buttermilk and yogurt are both good choices. This is a good way to go if you choose to curry, doro wat, etc. DO NOT use long marinades of strong acids (bitter orange, "mojo", lime juice, vinegars), or texture will be "mealy".

 

[Salixx]

Sounds like they might be just tough old birds. Were they free range? 9 months is a little past the most tender stage and males tend to toughen up more quickly than females. If you dont notice the bird loosening up in 2 days, then it's probably not rigor. I would try a all day crock pot braise on low for one of them to see what your working with. Maybe condider bringing it for 24 hours before cooking to make sure.

That might be it. They are older and have been free range. I did slow cook the first one and the meat seemed fine but it also seemed to release more than the other two. I have more boys so maybe I’ll cook them then freeze.

At the worst of they’re too tough to eat for me and my partner then the dogs won’t mind.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That might be it. They are older and have been free range. I did slow cook the first one and the meat seemed fine but it also seemed to release more than the other two. I have more boys so maybe I’ll cook them then freeze.

At the worst of they’re too tough to eat for me and my partner then the dogs won’t mind.

you can also "fake" moisture a bit after shredding slow cooked old bird by adding bar b q sauce, seasoning as shredded chicken for tacos, etc.

Or grind and process as sausage. I do a lot of that too. If the recipe is designed for pork, it works well for old chickens.

 

[cassie]

The problem is not that they have not gone out of rigor. The problem is that they are not tender. You will have to stew them or put them in a crock pot rather than fry or roast them. Chicken and dumplings and coq au vin are suitable for older tougher birds. In fact, older birds are more suitable for these two recipes anyway. By the way, ask me about the time I accidentally fried a mature rooster. Let's just say it did not end well.

 

[Blue Legs]

How cold is your fridge? Is the meat tough or are the limbs just not moving when you try and manipulate the carcass? I'm wondering if maybe your fridge is super cold and that could be affecting the feel? I age my birds in a cooler filled with ice with the drain open to drain water. They are limber in 24-48 hours though I usually wait 4-5 days