Butchered first chicken. Is this normal?

[Armstrt8]

Oh! Goodness. Thank you again community. We will wait until tomorrow (or thurs) and do a crock pot. Didnt know about the first 24 hour issue.

Should I just have her on ice form a bit then in the fridge? Currently in an ice/water bath for about an hr

 

[Parront]

Well... I should have mentioned I had a buff orpington die yesterday out of nowhere. It was my first death in the year I have been doing this. I wish I would've done an autopsy.... but she was on her back and stiff. No blood. No feathers around. I have a hunch she may have been at the bottom of pecking order though and went broody and i didnt catch it in time... done think she got water for a few days.

It's been quite the whirlwind..... no issues for a year. Week ago inhad a foster 1.5 month old (or so) chicken turned into me by neighbors. Had to put it in my cage I normally put broody ones in and in turn it seems the couple that were going broody have gotten exiled. The 1 died and I decided to harvest this once since I planned to take a couple regardless.

Broodys get fat so they can sit and eat less food while they brood their nest. Orpingtons can put on the fat! That can cause an early death from egg binding when they start to lay again. Stress or maybe some disease from new bird caused sudden death of one? No water would do it, true! Is the new bird separated from the others?

 

[Parront]

Oh! Goodness. Thank you again community. We will wait until tomorrow (or thurs) and do a crock pot. Didnt know about the first 24 hour issue.

Should I just have her on ice form a bit then in the fridge? Currently in an ice/water bath for about an hr

You can just wrap and put her in the frig. Ice bath cools them nice and fast, then in the frig probably a couple of days for one over a year old. I have kept them in the frig for a week before cooking just fine. Your bird is a lot fresher than one from the store! I like my old hens pressure cooked, as you might see in my signature.

 

[Armstrt8]

Thanks again all! It's been about 10 years as a dream for me that we could have chickens and learn the value of harvesting our own meat. Our city, brooklyn center MN, changed the laws last year and allowed backyard chickens. Within days I had then and today I got to harvest my first couple birds. It was incredibly heartbreaking, but overwhelmingly empowering to see my birds now in the fridge. I know 100% where they came from, what they ate, and how they lived an excellent life. I may shed a tear again as we eat them bit it will be full of gratitude! Idk how I will feel about the grocery store next time...

1st was approx 3 pnd 10 oz.
2and was 3 pnd on the nose.
Not a TON, but a start! Second one was also a buff orpington and it had 2 egg yolks inside with like 3 more the size of a marble and like 3 the size of a pea....?!?! Was she backed up?

 

[Parront]

Thanks again all! It's been about 10 years as a dream for me that we could have chickens and learn the value of harvesting our own meat. Our city, brooklyn center MN, changed the laws last year and allowed backyard chickens. Within days I had then and today I got to harvest my first couple birds. It was incredibly heartbreaking, but overwhelmingly empowering to see my birds now in the fridge. I know 100% where they came from, what they ate, and how they lived an excellent life. I may shed a tear again as we eat them bit it will be full of gratitude! Idk how I will feel about the grocery store next time...

1st was approx 3 pnd 10 oz.
2and was 3 pnd on the nose.
Not a TON, but a start! Second one was also a buff orpington and it had 2 egg yolks inside with like 3 more the size of a marble and like 3 the size of a pea....?!?! Was she backed up?

Nice job! Those small eggs are the next in line to be laid. Totaly normal for bird that is laying. Those "unlaid" eggs are very tasty! Those are normal weights for my Orpingtons, I rarely got over 4 pounds, for a year old rooster once. I really like the Orpingtons for personality and friendliness. Not fast growing for meat birds. Enjoy your first taste of real chicken like our grandparents had!

 

[Ridgerunner]

About the fat. Before a hen starts to lay she stores a lot of excess fat. Usually they have a big fat pad in the pelvic area but they also sort of scatter fat around the organs and other spots too. I've butchered a lot of hens and pullets as well as roosters and cockerels. Compared to the girls the boys are pretty much fat free. I'll bet the videos you saw were of the boys, not the girls.

That excess fat is what a broody hen mostly lives off of so she can spend most of her time on the nest instead of out looking for food. A broody hen should come off the nest occasionally and will eat and drink some then. She holds her poop until she is off the nest so she won't foul her nest, those broody poops can be impressive. She will lose weight while broody but that's fat put there for that purpose. So yes, I see nothing wrong with her. Enjoy your meal.

 

[Parront]

Yes, about the fat, hope you did not throw it away. It is great rendered and saved for frying potatoes. Grandparents called it "schmaltz", my great-grandmother even spread it on bread for a sandwich spread, like butter. She had a "chicken ranch" in Yuba City, CA. They ate everything but the "squak"!

 

[Armstrt8]

I did toss it! First time... I need to acclimate first to this experience before I'm spreading the fat on my toast haha! I will save next time and bring to the cabin where everyone seems more adventurous (beer helps). I did save the liver and heart for the pup (also not quite ready to try).

 

[Parront]

I did toss it! First time... I need to acclimate first to this experience before I'm spreading the fat on my toast haha! I will save next time and bring to the cabin where everyone seems more adventurous (beer helps). I did save the liver and heart for the pup (also not quite ready to try).

Grandparents did, I just fry potatoes in it. It is also fantastic on baked Potatoes in place of butter! Fry a few onions in the chicken fat, add the livers and un-laid eggs, easy dinner after you process a few. Add a few baked potatoes from previous dinners, peeled and cut up fried in said chicken fat. Tell me -- you did not throw away the feet, did you? That is the secret ingredient to grandma's chicken soup -- old hen's feet! Old birds have more flavor.

 

[Parront]

I only save chicken fat from my own chickens. Factory chickens from the store often have a lot of fat stuffed inside, I do not use that. Not as much taste, and full of whatever anti-biotics they fed those birds. Fat soluable things are the reason you want to raise your own!