Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[3riverschick]

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[thedragonlady]

Offal can also refer to any waste/by-products in the butchering process so this may have been their way of describing excess fat deposits under the skin or in other locations...

I don't think so. Chicken fat was valued then, as it is now. Ever had fried potatoes fried in chicken, goose, or duck fat ? If not, you ain't lived.

 

[gjensen]

I think the word offal, in this sense, is a reference to waste meat. Meat that does not "make the grade". I do not think it is a reference to organs. That as you see, does not make sense. I believe that a quality carcass and quality of flesh is what is on the author's mind. Note how closely linked the statement is to the quality breast meat "the breed had become known for".
The word offal seams to have been a broader term in the past, and not necessarily organ meat. Offal can mean meat that has been allowed to go bad. In this case absence of poor flesh, or flesh not worth eating.

 

[RiddleMe]

 I think the word offal, in this sense, is a reference to waste meat. Meat that does not "make the grade". I do not think it is a reference to organs. That as you see, does not make sense. I believe that a quality carcass and quality of flesh is what is on the author's mind. Note how closely linked the statement is to the quality breast meat "the breed had become known for". 
 The word offal seams to have been a broader term in the past, and not necessarily organ meat. Offal can mean meat that has been allowed to go bad. In this case absence of poor flesh, or flesh not worth eating. 

Agree it seemed to be more of a catch-all term, and varied some depending on what was considered desirable for the individual breed. It definitely wasn't limited to organs. Some excerpts from "Poultry for the Table and Market Versus Fancy Fowls" written in 1892...
"what may be termed offal - say the feet, neck, head and intestines" (general definition)
"an absence of any offal in the shape of comb or superfluous feathers" and "useless offal such as supper abundant feathers and comb" (specifically WRT game birds)
"the coarseness and yellowness of the skin and fat is a serious drawback to the saleable value of Cochins, and unfortunately they accumulate large amounts of fat internally, where it is useless, and scarcely fatten on the breast at all." (In a general discussion of desirable characteristics)

 

[catdaddyfro]

Offal per Websters is the Rubbish

Jeff

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Offal per Websters is the Rubbish

Jeff

Usually when they discuss reduced offal the couple it with fineness of bone. I think the latter is what was actually impacting their impression. Fineness of bone couple with breeding for well distributed fleshing gives the impression of a meatier carcass. Big course bones are wasted space and can turn a big carcass into a scrawny bird. I would not think the amount of interior offal would change.

I wouldn't think there was much in the way of waste meat, and offal probably was intestines and the like as opposed to edible and nutritious giblets that would not have gone to waste.

 

[gjensen]

This example used the phrase absence of, not the reduction of.

 

[gjensen]

Also if the word offal is synonymous with waste in this sense, it could be a lot of things. Excess feather would be waste, past what was necessary, for example.

 

[ocap]

a meaning can be completely changed over the decades, gentleman in old England meant land owner

 

[3riverschick]

Thank you all for your help and sharing. I hadn't thought to check "offal",
I was focusing on the amount of offal and not the word "offal". Now it
all starts to make sense. This is a great list!
Best,
Karen