Butchering Age

[protodon]

I'm sure this topic has been beaten to death but I would like if someone could tell me some good ages for processing different types of poultry. I processed my first rooster yesterday. He was a 5 month old buff orp cross. Processing was surprisingly easy. The hardest part was plucking, oh and also catching him. I portioned him up and I grilled the wings,drumsticks and thighs. Now I'm sure all of you already knew this but grilling a 5 month old bird was not the best idea I ever had. It tasted great but it was so chewy. I guess the rest of him will be going to soup. I also have his brother to process still and I have some ducks at 4 months and some coturnix quail at 6 months. I am raising birds for eggs but I need to be rid of all these males. I have no interest in specifically raising for meat so I am just culling extras but I am certainly not letting them go to waste. No one else wants them but I do feel as though it is a bit of a waste to butcher these birds at these ages and then have their meat be so chewy. Is 4 months too old for ducks what about 6 months for quail? What is the best time for butcher for these guys?

 

[miss_thenorth]

When you are butchering older birds, look at recipes used for hunting. the reason is, when you shoot a duck, or quail, or (chicken)or rabbit, you never know the age of the animal, so all recipes for cooking these animals are geared for older animals. Usuall, this entails long, slow cooking in liquids, and ingredients known to tenderize meat, such as onions, tomatoes, etc. You can cook an animal at any age. the younger they are, the more tender. the older they are, the more consideration you need to make before cooking.

I don;t know the best age to butcher, (well, quail between 6 and 12 weeks for cortunix), but, just get creative with your cooking if you do do older birds. and personally, an old roo make for the BEST soup.

On a side note, make sure that the carcass has gone through the rigormortis stage too, or nothing will make you meat tender.

 

[protodon]

Rigor mortis is another thing. Some people say wait a few days some people say to cook it right away if you want. I just figured that the chemicals that cause rigor mortis wouldn't hold up to the heat of cooking.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
Maybe it was a fluke, but I cooked an old hen--for soup, but forgot about letting her rest. I cooked her "for soup" as in long and slow, and she was still tough. The other 5 that went in the freezer that were processed at the same time, were fine when I took them out and cooked them.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Oh, they will hold up! Not in the sense that there are "chemicals" in your meat, but the meat will be tough.