Brahma chicken?

[TheHappyHen21]

I bought 8 Light Brahmas from a local Chicken farm who has Nice Heritage birds, and there huge! Was wondering how many of you use them for meat, these will not be ate but plan on the offspring to be processed. I know it takes about a year but wanted to know who else uses them for the table.

 

[Ameraucanas]

I'm vegetarian, sooo...

 

[MannyB]

Why in the F would you post that? Nobody cares what you choose to eat or not to eat. This is the meat birds forum, if your a vegetarian why even look here?
Posting something helpful would be too hard?

OP - I wish I could help. Good luck eating the tasty meat from those extra large birds.

 

[blucoondawg]

Agreed, couldn't have said it better myself

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've read the Brahma has a course texture. Like many breeds will have more dark meat to white. Said to excel as capon. You'd not want to raise them a year to butcher, roasting age is around the 6 month mark or when you get to the size you want which could be 18-20 weeks. Earlier as capon? Don't know. I've roasted a few year old birds before. It's not bad but definitely more tender if younger. We brine all our roasters.

 

[TheHappyHen21]

Mhm, yes i probly will butcher earlier then a year, i want to try doing a chicken in a rotisserie, would it dry it out to much? I have straight run chicks so i plan on Butchering the roos after i have picked out my main roosters.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Rotissorie, grilling or broiling butcher before 14 weeks to keep them tender. I brine all my grilling and roasting birds. Mmmm so good. Been working on salt amounts for a few years now. Letting it rest for 18 to 24 hours in brine I've gone as low as 6 ounces per gallon and it still works retaining juices but like 7 ounces per gallon better for flavor. 8 ounces to me is verging too salty. The problem when looking up recipes for brine they use a ton of salt and expect you to only brine for 4 hours. Ridiculous. We don't bother with brine if old birds as they are going into soup, gumbo, pie or whatever that is seasoned and the meat will be very slow cooked not requiring brine.

 

[amynrichie]

Rotissorie, grilling or broiling butcher before 14 weeks to keep them tender. I brine all my grilling and roasting birds. Mmmm so good. Been working on salt amounts for a few years now. Letting it rest for 18 to 24 hours in brine I've gone as low as 6 ounces per gallon and it still works retaining juices but like 7 ounces per gallon better for flavor. 8 ounces to me is verging too salty. The problem when looking up recipes for brine they use a ton of salt and expect you to only brine for 4 hours. Ridiculous. We don't bother with brine if old birds as they are going into soup, gumbo, pie or whatever that is seasoned and the meat will be very slow cooked not requiring brine.

I'm interested in brining as well. Do you mean 6-7 ounces of salt per gallon of water? What kind of container do you put them in for your 18-24 hours? Do you refrigerate?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Yes I refrigerate. I age my birds in a caning pot with lid. I don't butcher a lot at one time so that works and we've a small fridge in the garage. At some point of that 3 days I add the brine. Usually do it in the first 24 hours then empty brine and continue refrigerate for two more days. If not roasting you can cut the birds in half to fit more in a pot and use less brine. Measure out how much water it takes to cover the bird(s) then add the salt to get a solution of 6, 7 or however salty you want it per gallon. Any salt will work. Rock salt is a cheap source if you butcher a lot. Don't use volume to measure salt. If the type is ever changed the size of crystals changes weight by volume. Rock salt weighs far more than table salt in same volume container; sea salt is somewhere in between. A bucket of sand is lighter than a bucket of rocks.

Years ago was under the impression kosher salt was best. Then I realized it's over priced sea salt that's been blessed. I use table salt anymore. It's inexpensive. Butchering more and more birds every year so eventually will switch to rock salt. Large batches of birds could be staged to brine all in same brine, 1/3 or 1/4 of birds per day of aging.