Butchering them tomorrow!

[Mimi13]

CornishX are not gmo, that is a very common misconception. It's all the work of intense selective breeding.

Anyway. Yes, they will still have food in their crops if you don't withhold feed for several hours before butchering. 12 hours is recommended. Honestly though, I find it easier to locate and remove full crops, so I don't bother taking the feed away before butchering.

Yeah, I don’t withhold food either. If you are careful with the evisceration there is no need.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Unfortunately the feet were too dirty and we weren't able to clean them off so we tossed them. We're hoping the other hen's feet will be better.
The carcass will be used for stock after we've used the meat.
Cleaned and in the freezer!

When you scald the chicken, the skin will peel right off the feet and nails. Like a glove, taking the dirt with it.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I do withhold feed for 12 hours. I've had a crop split once so I prefer it that way. Not to mention that it seems like it's a waste of the feed in the crop....

Also x3 there are currently no FDA approved Gmo chickens and cornishXs are just a hybrid. All modern meat birds are 4-way hybrids. Including the rangers and the slow cornishx and the full cornishx. The difference is that rangers have Rhode Islands mixed in, and the slow cornish are just a slower regular cornish. I've had great luck with CX in tractors, but everyone setup is different.

Sounds like it's an exciting day for you! Good luck and I hope it goes great!

 

[aart]

Cleaned and in the freezer!

Read up on rigor mortis, good to let cleaned carcass rest in fridge before cooking/freezing, with no resting you'll have tougher meat. Might not matter with younger meat birds, but it makes a huge difference with older layer breeds

When you scald the chicken, the skin will peel right off the feet and nails. Like a glove, taking the dirt with it.

I usually scald and peel the feet last. The skin does come off like...a toed sock-haha....I love the pop! when the nail sheaths come off.
My crates have wire bottoms, suspended over a poop hammock, so overnight most the gunk gets scraped off their feet. Some folks hose off feet and butts after killing and before scalding to keep that water a bit cleaner, especially if doing many birds at once.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I usually scald and peel the feet last. The skin does come off like...a toed sock-haha....I love the pop! when the nail sheaths come off.
My crates have wire bottoms, suspended over a poop hammock, so overnight most the gunk gets scraped off their feet. Some folks hose off feet and butts after killing and before scalding to keep that water a bit cleaner, especially if doing many birds at once.

I like peeling off the little chicken socks too, along with the nail sheath. I used to nip the nails off before I discovered the nail sheath trick, but now I only do that in the case of an injured nail.

I wet my birds down anyway because it helps the scald water get to the skin. I really had a lot of trouble with scalding my Cochins evenly because their feathers are so thick. Hosing them off before dipping them helps a lot, but it does cool down the scald water a good bit.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Read up on rigor mortis, good to let cleaned carcass rest in fridge before cooking/freezing, with no resting you'll have tougher meat. Might not matter with younger meat birds, but it makes a huge difference with older layer breeds

We know that but we always use whole chickens for soup. I think that unless someone mentions that they want a whole roasted chicken, we just use the chickens for soup.
Does that help or should we still do that with the next hen when we butcher it?

I plan on getting more this year but this time, we're keeping them separate from the main flock. Currently trying to draw out some plans for their closed off yard that they can use.

 

[aart]

Does that help or should we still do that with the next hen when we butcher it?

Doesn't matter how you cook it, I've found the resting makes a big difference in meat toughness.
Maybe just cook this one as is and rest the next one so you can compare for yourself.

 

[RoosterML]

I would love your recipe! I do save the feet from butchering, but besides feeding it to the dogs haven't ever used them before, lol

I usually just throw them in the pot. I always wonder why the soup is so gritty.Do you guys wash them first?

 

[Ridgerunner]

The way I prepare the feet is to bring a pot of water to boil and drop the feet in for about 15 seconds. Then I dump them in the sink and cool them off. The spurs and claws twist off pretty easily. The skin doesn't "pop" off but it is pretty easily removed with a thumb nail. That get them clean enough for me. If you overcook them the skin tears and they become a pain to skin.

I'm sure there are different combinations of heat and time that would make this easier, I'd love to hear about what combinations others use.

 

[aart]

I'm sure there are different combinations of heat and time that would make this easier, I'd love to hear about what combinations others use.

It's a bit of a crap shoot...get temp and time just right and skin will peel off in 'one' piece.
...over-do either and it's more like scraping skin off. Toenail sheaths almost always 'pop' tho. Sorry, no hard numbers on temp and time

ETA...Oh but I don't use boiling water just the ~155°F scalding water