Butcher question

[Molpet]

We've raised nine CornishX Rock Cross to five weeks. Tomorrow the first three go to our Mennonite lady to be processed. (I can only fit three at a time in the fridge.) They look to be nearly as big as some of our adult layers. I'll come back tomorrow and post their dressed weights. They're a little frightening, actually ...

I have parted out birds because they take less room. I managed to fit 2 Jakes cut up into a full refrigerator yesterday.
I also have a dedicated cooler I swap jugs of ice out every 8 hours. I can fit 6 chickens and 2 jugs of ice.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I also part out birds to take less space, including removing the breast and wings from the rib cage. I then break the skeleton in half, and put the rear of the bird into the hollow of the front of the bird. If its a small bird, I'll tuck the wings into the front of the bird with the rear, makes a tight bundle for the soup pot.

Can almost double the number of birds in a given amount of freezer camp space.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I can't get the breast off a bird without really butchering it, by which I mean practically shredding it, so that's not for me. Whole into the fridge they go. Former city gal here with limited skills until it's cooked to the point of falling off the bones. Anyway, here's today's stats: two birds dressed out at exactly 3#, 14.2 oz. And the third came in at 4# 8 oz. They would have been 5 weeks old tomorrow and have been fed meat bird crumble from Day One. Starting about three weeks ago I also began giving them an afternoon ration of mealworms, for the purpose of getting them off their fat lazy butts, and about a week later I added a little corn. Their gluttonous hearts motivated them to start waddling after me for their daily treats, which began to strengthen their little legs. Three more will go to Mrs. W on Friday, and the final three will follow them on Tuesday of next week.

 

[FunClucks]

I can't get the breast off a bird without really butchering it, by which I mean practically shredding it, so that's not for me. Whole into the fridge they go. Former city gal here with limited skills until it's cooked to the point of falling off the bones. Anyway, here's today's stats: two birds dressed out at exactly 3#, 14.2 oz. And the third came in at 4# 8 oz. They would have been 5 weeks old tomorrow and have been fed meat bird crumble from Day One. Starting about three weeks ago I also began giving them an afternoon ration of mealworms, for the purpose of getting them off their fat lazy butts, and about a week later I added a little corn. Their gluttonous hearts motivated them to start waddling after me for their daily treats, which began to strengthen their little legs. Three more will go to Mrs. W on Friday, and the final three will follow them on Tuesday of next week.

Congrats! Good work!!! That's a decent size for that age of bird.

The secret to getting the breast off the carcass is a really sharp knife, and then if you get it at the right angle you can literally peel the meat off the breastbone/ribcage as one large piece. You cut on one side of the breastbone, then along the ribs, and then start at the wishbone area, cut around the wishbone, and grab the breast meat, and work your way under that section of meat, and then grab and pull towards the tail. I peel off my chicken breast and the chicken tender below it. There's gotta be videos out there somewhere, but it was pretty trial and error for me. They're not all the prettiest, but I've gotten better with practice.

As long as you're happy with what you're doing, go for it!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Congrats! Good work!!! That's a decent size for that age of bird.

The secret to getting the breast off the carcass is a really sharp knife, and then if you get it at the right angle you can literally peel the meat off the breastbone/ribcage as one large piece. You cut on one side of the breastbone, then along the ribs, and then start at the wishbone area, cut around the wishbone, and grab the breast meat, and work your way under that section of meat, and then grab and pull towards the tail. I peel off my chicken breast and the chicken tender below it. There's gotta be videos out there somewhere, but it was pretty trial and error for me. They're not all the prettiest, but I've gotten better with practice.

As long as you're happy with what you're doing, go for it!

Thanks!

 

[Molpet]

I can't get the breast off a bird without really butchering it, by which I mean practically shredding it, so that's not for me. Whole into the fridge they go. Former city gal here with limited skills until it's cooked to the point of falling off the bones. Anyway, here's today's stats: two birds dressed out at exactly 3#, 14.2 oz. And the third came in at 4# 8 oz. They would have been 5 weeks old tomorrow and have been fed meat bird crumble from Day One. Starting about three weeks ago I also began giving them an afternoon ration of mealworms, for the purpose of getting them off their fat lazy butts, and about a week later I added a little corn. Their gluttonous hearts motivated them to start waddling after me for their daily treats, which began to strengthen their little legs. Three more will go to Mrs. W on Friday, and the final three will follow them on Tuesday of next week.

I have found it's easier to get the breasts off the next day. .. when they have stiffened up.
I have cut the bone in breasts off the back. I like to cook them bone in, but it takes up less room than whole.
I cut along the middle of the rib joints, and push apart. I don't gut until that point.
This is a turkey but I'm trying to show the cut spot.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Ah! When you say you
cut along the middle of the rib joints,
do you mean you cut along the SIDES of the bird? Like from under the armpits down toward the hip bones (comparing to human anatomy)? Not from side to side around the, uh ... equator? Am I understanding correctly?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Okay, I'll try that, thanks!

 

[NatJ]

Ah! When you say you
cut along the middle of the rib joints,
do you mean you cut along the SIDES of the bird? Like from under the armpits down toward the hip bones (comparing to human anatomy)? Not from side to side around the, uh ... equator? Am I understanding correctly?

That is how I read it.

And I've done that plenty of times myself. At least on young chickens, each rib has a sort-of joint in the middle of it. If I push on the sides of the chicken with my fingers, the ribs will bow in at a certain point (a spot on each rib, all lined up with each other.) Cutting along that line is easier than trying to cut the other parts of the ribs. It's not really a joint that bends, more like a bit of cartilage in the middle of each rib.

Cutting the breast free along the sides means you can open the whole thing up, which makes gutting much easier (everything is nice and visible!), and the chicken can be stored more compactly (as several other people have pointed out.)

 

[Molpet]

Ah! When you say you
cut along the middle of the rib joints,
do you mean you cut along the SIDES of the bird? Like from under the armpits down toward the hip bones (comparing to human anatomy)? Not from side to side around the, uh ... equator? Am I understanding correctly?

Yes. I use oxo poultry shears.
I start the cut from the bottom up....above the hip up to the armpits .
I cut across the abdomen above the vent with a knife. Then I lay the bird on its side and carefully go up the side to the wing with shears. Flip and do the other side.
Where the wings shoulders attach, I cut the joint with the shears... and sorta rip the bone in breasts off the neck and .
You could practice on a grocery store bird