Butchered first chicken. Is this normal?

[Armstrt8]

Hopefully posting in the right spot....

I have had chickens for approx a year and I just butchered my first one today due to some issues in the coop. An intimidating process.... but I believe things all went well for a first go at it. When I was butchering there was an INCREDIBLE amount of fat compared to what I have seen from the plethora of videos watched prior. She is approx 13 months old and a buff orpington... and she wouldn't stop going broody, her comb was dull grayish, and she didnt seem to he laying.

Is this OK to eat? Normal? Any advice much appreciated!

I believe I got the insides cleaned. There is a film on the back I cant seem to separate.

 

[neo71665]

Looks like a well fed bird.

 

[iwltfum]

Looks like she has eaten alot of corn in her day. That amount of fat in the abdomen could mean she wasn't the healthiest chicken in the world, but the meat should be perfectly fine to eat - even better for it really. I can't say for sure since I don't know what you're feeding your flock, but you might consider looking into a more balanced feed. This could be a fatty liver issue as well, which is usually not a huge deal or indicative of what's going on with the rest of your flock.

 

[Molpet]

Looks like she has eaten alot of corn in her day. That amount of fat in the abdomen could mean she wasn't the healthiest chicken in the world, but the meat should be perfectly fine to eat - even better for it really. I can't say for sure since I don't know what you're feeding your flock, but you might consider looking into a more balanced feed. This could be a fatty liver issue as well, which is usually not a huge deal or indicative of what's going on with the rest of your flock.

X2

 

[Armstrt8]

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.

 

[Armstrt8]

Also- yes, you are indeed right she has had a fair amount of corn lol. And table scraps....!

 

[Armstrt8]

Thanks for replies guys. Dinner for tonight is now determined

 

[Molpet]

Thanks for replies guys. Dinner for tonight is now determined

Not tonight
She needs to rest until rigor has passed or you will think your eating rubber bands.

 

[Birdie mom]

Thanks for replies guys. Dinner for tonight is now determined

Word of advice, if you have an instant pot cook her in there. It makes the meat much more tender. We like to eat ours in a chicken pot pie that way if it is a really chewy chicken you can't tell if it is chewy or not.

 

[Flockincrazy]

You can't eat it for at least 24hrs it will dry out really fast and meat will have a weird stringy texture