Butchering your roosters!

[Crooked Chicken]

Might be a while. I haven't had time or energy for crafting or fishing in what seems like forever. Hopefully next year will be more favorable....

 

[Parront]

Might be a while. I haven't had time or energy for crafting or fishing in what seems like forever. Hopefully next year will be more favorable....

LOL, ain't that the truth! Every year, I don't get any younger! And we are moving again . . .

 

[Zoomie]

I've been following this thread since it started and now you guys have done it... I've gone and bought a pressure cooker... and it's all your fault.



I actually butchered those young cockerels a while ago and they've been waiting in the freezer. I knew they would not be super tender, due to the age (I was waiting to choose one of the candidates as my rooster for passing on his genes and good qualities to the next generation, and that just takes a while) so I was not real sure how to handle the cooking of the, let us say, candidates who did not make first place. Looks like I have the answer. So thank you!

 

[Parront]

I've been following this thread since it started and now you guys have done it... I've gone and bought a pressure cooker... and it's all your fault.



I actually butchered those young cockerels a while ago and they've been waiting in the freezer. I knew they would not be super tender, due to the age (I was waiting to choose one of the candidates as my rooster for passing on his genes and good qualities to the next generation, and that just takes a while) so I was not real sure how to handle the cooking of the, let us say, candidates who did not make first place. Looks like I have the answer. So thank you!

My favorite thing is to fry chicken in the pressure cooker. You can see the recipe I use in an article, https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pressure-cooker-fried-chicken.73205/
I think you should be able to print it, let me know how it works for you! Brown the chicken, then pressurize, make gravy from the juice in the cooker & mash some potatoes. OLD time eating, like we do not do much any more! By using the pressure cooker, you use a lot less oil for the chicken and the gravy, at least I justify it that way! (Better than deep frying).

 

[Zoomie]

Thank you, @Parront! I will definitely check that out.

Oh - and on feathers. They got wet on the bird all the time, and they were just fine. Of course birds are expert at putting them back together perfectly, but even so, the average human usually does OK. Don't crumple them up or roughly rub them and they should be OK once they are dry.

 

[Lookin4GoodLife]

 

[Parront]

The white leghorn feathers are not that pretty, but the brown leghorn rooster had beautiful feathers, so shiny and so many different shades. My brown leghorns were the best layers of all the birds I have had. Just too skinny!

 

[Crooked Chicken]

* * * WARNING - Graphic photos * * *

Well, the deed was done today. My friend and her husband came over to assist and lend moral support. I set up this morning before they arrived. I made a couple of funnels out of some rolls of aluminum I had in the garage and nailed them to the side of the barn. Set my sawhorses out and put a heavy board across for a little table with a cutting board, pans to catch blood, various knives, clippers, bags, ice chest and the hose nearby.

I left Pearl and Cocoa in cages inside the coop until it was time so that they wouldn't be all excited and agitated. I gave each a hug and a smooch, I nearly cried, then carried them to the barn. My friend held one while I put the other in the cone. It was too narrow to pull his head through, so his head was cut off and then he was placed in the cone.

I really was surprised at how little blood there was. The process was repeated with the 2nd bird. After I removed the feathers I wanted we proceeded to skin them. Note: The wing and tail feathers do nut pull out easily from an unscalded bird. I pulled them as had as I could and they didn't budge. I ended up cutting some off. My friend wanted them for future Indian costumes for her grand kids.

All in all it really wasn't too awful an experience and I was so glad to have them here to help. I left the cones on the barn to use in the future if they aren't too big. Otherwise I'll make an attach a larger cone.

I had not planned to let the chickens eat any of the innards, but they showed up before I got everything cleaned up. One of the girls grabbed something out of the pan and ran around with it while everyone else followed. So, I decided to give it a shot. I cut up the organ meats and tossed them to the birds. They absolutely loved them.

 

[BYCforlife]

* * * WARNING - Graphic photos * * *

Well, the deed was done today. My friend and her husband came over to assist and lend moral support. I set up this morning before they arrived. I made a couple of funnels out of some rolls of aluminum I had in the garage and nailed them to the side of the barn. Set my sawhorses out and put a heavy board across for a little table with a cutting board, pans to catch blood, various knives, clippers, bags, ice chest and the hose nearby.

I left Pearl and Cocoa in cages inside the coop until it was time so that they wouldn't be all excited and agitated. I gave each a hug and a smooch, I nearly cried, then carried them to the barn. My friend held one while I put the other in the cone. It was too narrow to pull his head through, so his head was cut off and then he was placed in the cone.

I really was surprised at how little blood there was. The process was repeated with the 2nd bird. After I removed the feathers I wanted we proceeded to skin them. Note: The wing and tail feathers do nut pull out easily from an unscalded bird. I pulled them as had as I could and they didn't budge. I ended up cutting some off. My friend wanted them for future Indian costumes for her grand kids.

All in all it really wasn't too awful an experience and I was so glad to have them here to help. I left the cones on the barn to use in the future if they aren't too big. Otherwise I'll make an attach a larger cone.

I had not planned to let the chickens eat any of the innards, but they showed up before I got everything cleaned up. One of the girls grabbed something out of the pan and ran around with it while everyone else followed. So, I decided to give it a shot. I cut up the organ meats and tossed them to the birds. They absolutely loved them.

View attachment 1155845
View attachment 1155846

That's a great clean setup you have! Thanks for sharing!

 

[rodeorulz]

I have a couple questions...
1 - Someone (edited to add: @BYCforlife it looks like it was you ) mentioned using a feed bag instead of a cone...do you just "hang" the bag somehow? How do you keep the chicken from flopping around in the bag since it is not as sturdy as a cone?
2 - As far as putting the bird in the fridge goes is there any reason they can't go straight from being gutted and rinsed to the freezer?

Thank you all for the posts here...they have really helped me prepare for our upcoming butchering session(s)