Buthering

[Adam Belcher]

This will be my first time butchering chickens. Do I need to let the birds rest whole before I cut them up or can cut them up and place them in the refrigerator?

 

[aart]

I've never "rested" my chickens in a refrigerator (never had enough room for all the birds). It hasn't been a problem as far as I can tell.

I'm guessing your are talking about ~8 week old cornish cross?
Not sure what kind of bird the OP is talking about either.
I only do layer breeds and believe me they are about inedible if not rested, especially if over about 16 weeks old.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I did not know about resting the first time we had roos butchered. I thought I just cooked them wrong. Tough and stringy, yuck. The second batch, I knew better! World of difference!

 

[Mosey2003]

You can cut them up right after you process them and then rest them.

 

[Adam Belcher]

They are layers

 

[aart]

They are layers

How old?
I assume males?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I cut mine into serving pieces as I butcher them. We all have our own reasons for how we do it. It slows me down but it suits how I cook them, saves space when I store them, and I don't splatter raw meat juices and parts in the kitchen when I cut them up. I still have to sterilize after packaging them for the freezer but it's less of a mess.

I don't age mine before I freeze but I do after they thawed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Does keeping them in a fridge for a while make them more tender?

Aging is to counter rigor mortis. You let them rest until rigor passes or they can possibly be tough. That's the why of aging, to counter rigor mortis. You need to age them until the joints are no longer stiff.

Of course nothing to do with chickens is that simple. If you cook them before rigor sets up rigor mortis does not set up. Obvious when you think about it. How you cook them can affect how tough or stringy they are. As cockerels go through puberty their hormones can cause toughness, affects flavor as well. Some cockerels hit puberty much earlier than others, it;s not just an age thing. If you marinade them, the marinade can break down tissue and make them less stringy or tough. If you marinade them too long in a strong marinade they can get mushy.

Not everyone ages. If you are OK with your results, life is good. But if you ever get one that is really tough, there is a good chance that's because rigor mortis set up.

 

[Koyote]

I'm guessing your are talking about ~8 week old cornish cross?
Not sure what kind of bird the OP is talking about either.
I only do layer breeds and believe me they are about inedible if not rested, especially if over about 16 weeks old.

I've only done 1 batch of 9 1/2 week old Cornish Crosses. The other batches have been red rangers, barred rocks, Bresse (x2) and other random breeds anywhere from 12 to 18 weeks old. I haven't noticed any stringy or toughness. Does keeping them in a fridge for a while make them more tender? How long do you keep them cooled like that?

 

[aart]

Does keeping them in a fridge for a while make them more tender?
How long do you keep them cooled like that?

Yes, it does, IMO.
The older the bird, the longer I rest the carcass.
I go 2-3 days for the 14-16wo cockerels and 4-5 days for the 30mo hens.