Buthchering Question

[pueawjapygrta]

the meat may not freeze properly if you soak in saltwater prior to freezing.

 

[JacobsRewardFarm]

So would you suggest refrigerating overnight before freezing, and then soaking in saltwater while thawing, or prior to cooking? What works for folks who eat their birds?
Thanks!
Cindy T.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Oh, you can butcher them early, it's just that they won't have very much meat. Nothing will compare to the cornish x's so just be fore warned. I just think it's alot of work for a small amount of meat if you butcher them young.



As for the freezing of chicken, I just clean them and freeze them. I don't soak in salt before or after.

 

[Kerr]

strange question....

my husband keeps bugging me to ask so.....

I have one meat chick and just raising him with the egg layers - he's an accidental pet
my husband wanted to know if the chicken croaks on his own can u still eat him?

He's pretty fat already

Ok I asked.....

Kerri

 

[silkiechicken]

Personally I don't eat birds that croak on their own because then you risk the bird starting to rot inside... and that icky gut flavor spoiling the meat. In addition, if it dies by it's self, you can't be sure what killed it exactly, although, for a Cornish, probably heat stroke or heart failure. In addition, if you don't butcher it, the blood wouldn't be drained from the body. I would butcher if you see it having a hard time and you want to eat it.

 

[JacobsRewardFarm]

I want to find the balance between a too-small bird and a too-tough bird. 12 weeks was suggested to me re: my Delawares. Any other opinions? I don't mind waiting 14 weeks if that will add more meat to their bones! And I don't mind cooking all these birds in the crock pot or stew pot--I don't need fryers or roasters.

Someone suggested staggering the butchering to test the meat at different ages, (one at 10 weeks, one at 12 weeks, etc.) but, to tell you the truth, I just don't want to set up and go through all that over and over. I'm psyched up for a big day of work for 25 birds, but I don't want to drag it out... any ideas?

Cindy T.
Parker, TX

 

[silkiechicken]

If you are going to stew pot them all... well, you could wait even longer to butcher! But, really, just pick a few up and ask them if they feel meaty or not I would just go with a size of bird you think is worth your time butchering and just go for it. I suggest butchering and cleaning them out in groups of 4 or so because they will start to go stiff and that makes things hard. Plus, the sooner you can cool them the better.

 

[JacobsRewardFarm]

Yes, I have an elaborate set up in mind (nobody on this thread is squeamish, right?): 1) heads off, 2) bleed out, 3) skin off and cut off feet, 4) take leg quarters and breast meat (maybe back meat, too), 5) Cool well in ice water in big cooler, 6) pat dry and vacuum seal with my new Food Saver, 7) toss in freezer. I've not ever done it, but this is my plan. Gotta have a plan, right?? I do have a friend coming to help me. (DH really doesn't like "icky" things. DD will be as far away as she can get. They will help me cook and eat these birds, though

)

 

[silkiechicken]

For the bleeding out part, if you are doing a large number. I reccomend after head off, tie feet together and have a board ready and hang them up by their feet. Otherwise you lose like 5 min holding each upside down.

Then for skinning, take it off like a jacket and go ahead and remove the last portion of the wing as pulling skin off that is a real challenge. If you aren't so much a wing person, it would be easiest to take off the last two joints and just keep the wing drum sticks.

Save the liver, gizzard, and heart to make soup out of if that is your thing too.

Edit: Having a big bucket ready for vicera is also a good idea. Step 0 should be to withold feed for 12 hours minimum too so they don't poo everywhere and there are less guts to worry about spoiling things.

 

[JacobsRewardFarm]

Great points... my plan was to tie feet together, chop heads, and hang upside down over a trash can with a black plastic bag in it to catch everything. (I'm thinking of making a sort of body wrap with velcro to wrap around them to keep the wings from flapping... like a killing cone, but nicer, just to keep them from flapping.) Then skin as you describe. And yes, I forgot the part about withholding feed... that was in the plan, too. Keep me on track here. I have good intentions but it's my first time, and I'm bound to forget something important. I've already inventoried my knives and poultry shears and made sure they're sharp and ready to go. (Sure don't want any "do overs" in the chopping department - yuck.) I got a video from McMurray that has a butchering section at the end... describes having a stump with nails in it to catch the head for chopping. I hope that works as well for me as it does in the video. I have two months yet before the big day. But I like being prepared.

My husband doesn't think I can go through with this. I told him to hide in the bushes and watch.

As an aside - I'm listening to tapes by Joel Salatin - any other fans out there? Pastured chickens rule!!

Cindy T.