BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Kassaundra]

@lceturche I see you are from the Ouchita Mts, is that in OK / Arkansas area those Ouchita mts???? if so NN would not be a problem in your winters at all.

 

[lcertuche]

Actually I am in AR very near the OK border.

 

[Kassaundra]

Actually I am in AR very near the OK border.

I live in OK, my Gma and father live down in Clayton at the "foothills" of the Ouachita's. Naked necks would work very well for you they would have no issues in the winter at all.

 

[DesertChic]

I have another processing question for the chefs....... If you dry pluck a chicken, does brining undo all the advantages of dry plucking ? (apparently better taste and crispier skin). If so, can you let a dry plucked chicken just sit in the fridge for a few days, will that tenderize the meat enough? This is a fourteen week old cockerel.
Thanks!

Interesting question. I honestly didn't know that dry plucking made for better skin. I've scalded all of my birds, brined all of my birds, and when I've wanted crispy skin I just drain the bird, allow it to air dry or pat it dry, season with a dry rub (including salt) and leave it in the fridge uncovered overnight to dry further. I makes the skin super crispy once slow roasted, also uncovered...like potato chips!

I'm VERY interested to hear what others have to say.

 

[Beer can]

I dry pluck now. Perhaps water temp has a lot to do with it, maybe time in the water also?
I've found scalding quite often produces skin that is on the tougher side, changes it's consistency, makes it tough/chewy.
When I dry pluck, nice soft skin that roasts up like store bought.
Dry plucking really isn't that hard, probably wouldn't go that route if I was processing many birds. The wing feathers are the only tough one's. Then I quick singe the 'hairs' off, either with a torch or side burner on bbq grill.

 

[Kassaundra]

Another benefit to the much maligned NN, no hairs to singe.

 

[lpatelski]

I dry pluck now. Perhaps water temp has a lot to do with it, maybe time in the water also?
I've found scalding quite often produces skin that is on the tougher side, changes it's consistency, makes it tough/chewy.
When I dry pluck, nice soft skin that roasts up like store bought.
Dry plucking really isn't that hard, probably wouldn't go that route if I was processing many birds. The wing feathers are the only tough one's. Then I quick singe the 'hairs' off, either with a torch or side burner on bbq grill.

I use the method described below. It's early and I don't have my glasses on so I cheated.

The following is taken from: http://thedeliberateagrarian.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-properly-scald-chicken-my-never.html

First, you will need a thermometer of some sort to measure the temperature of your scald water.

Second, you will need a pot full of water that you can heat up and dunk your chicken into. I have used a turkey fryer pot over a propane burner. There are people who scald in a pot heated by a wood fire. Either approach will work.

Heat your scalding water up to between 145 and 150 degrees. I know people who say 148 degrees is best. Others say they successfully scald in water up to 155 degrees. I do not necessarily disagree with either of those claims. The important thing to understand about water temperature is that you do not need an exact temperature in order to get an exact scald. But you need to be in an optimum temperature range. Shoot for 145 to 150 degrees and you will be in the optimum range. In time, you may find that a little cooler or a little hotter is more to your personal liking.

When your water temperature is within the optimal range, hold your bird (or birds... you can dunk two at a time with one hand) by the feet and dunk it down into the hot water. Make sure you dunk the critter in far enough to wet the smallest feathers on the bottom of the legs, just above the feet.

Hold the bird under the water for maybe three seconds and give it a vigorous little up and down jiggle. The jiggle action helps to get hot water to the base of the feathers. Then pull the chicken out momentarily before dunking, jiggling, and removing it again.

After a couple of dunks like this, you need to perform a feather pull test. This test is performed by selecting onelarge wing or tail feather and pulling it. When you do the feather pull test and the feather slides out with no resistance, the bird is scalded to perfection.

Chances are you will need to dunk the bird more than two times. You may need to dunk it four times, or six times, or more. I don’t know how many times you will need to dunk your bird. There is no magic number.

The important thing is that you repeatedly dunk the bird, and each time you remove it from the water, you give a pull on one of those big feathers. Make sure it is only one feather, and when it slides out with absolutely no resistance, the bird is ready to pluck.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Another benefit to the much maligned NN, no hairs to singe.

No hairs anywhere? What about the heterozygous NN's?

 

[Kassaundra]

No hairs anywhere? What about the heterozygous NN's?

I have never seen a hair on either NN or Nn

 

[dfr1973]

It's been a bit since I've posted pics or an update. Here is Bigfoot

The side view doesn't show his nice wide tail-set and back, but I am still pleased with his growth at ten months. Here are four of his sisters from the same hatch, and one "cousin"



Finally, I lost Feyd, my original GLW rooster bought as a chick from TSC in spring 2013. Had a predator jump our 30-inch electronet fence, then dig under the back of the tractor, and subdue Feyd - easily 9/10 lbs live weight with even more attitude - and hop back over the fence without knocking it down. I had Feyd in with Bigfoot's sisters plus cousin, so am collecting every egg they lay to hatch before putting any other rooster in with them. Tomorrow evening I should have the incubator full enough, plus it will be day 10 of egg collection. Here are five of Feyd's daughters from the March hatch (with Pollux the capon-nanny)



Fence has been replaced with chicken electronetting 48 inches high, and seems to have deterred our chicken thief. A bonus: Flaca the skinny hatchery white leghorn and Ducky the project cull Welsummer from Luanne cannot hop over it to check out sprouts in the garden beds or hubby's little lawn area. Flaca in particular was bad ... she'd follow me all the way to the door of the feed shed and I'd have to shoo her out a few times.

Overall, I am satisfied with the F1 generation. Feyd x the Sisters will be my first F2 hatch (also last hatch from Feyd).