Chicken fat: yellow vs white?

[geekulus]

I've noticed quite a few differences between supermarket broiler meat and home grown chicken meat. Among them, the type of fat that ends up floating on the chicken soup.

Supermarket broiler: the fat is white, more viscous and freezes at room temperature (say, 15C, 59F).
Home grown: the fat is yellow, less viscous and doesn't freeze at room temperature.

* Home grown meat chickens were roosters from batches of "pullets", presumably dual purpose, i.e. Australorp and Leghorn X
* Home grown chickens were 4-7 months old at the time of butchering
* Fed mainly organic grower/layer from the pet shop

Can anyone shed light on why these fats are different?

 

[J-Sanders]

Type of feed and growing environment. Yellow fat is better in my opinion.

Jim

 

[PuffyChick]

Supermarket broiler: the fat is white, more viscous and freezes at room temperature (say, 15C, 59F).

This seems sad to me if you think for a moment that that fat was on a bird and the poor thing would have "frozen" at room temp? ( I know not actually frozen alive type deal, just been darn darn cold I bet)

How much energy must it have used and how sickly might it have been just trying to keep warm? I some how feel that it would NOT be the bird I would want to eat.

 

[Oregon Blues]

What the animal eats will affect the color and texture of the fat.

I think the word you were seeking is "solidify". Or you could get away with "sets up".

Home raised chicken is just better, all the way around.

 

[bigredfeather]

An 18 week old DP will have fat that is more yellow than an 7 week old Cornish (that's what you're buying at the store), so age of the live bird also has something to do with it.

 

[3littlebirds]

Grass-fed cattle generally have much yellower fat than feedlot cattle because of the increased levels of beta carotene in their diets. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same in chickens. Do your birds have access to greens outdoors?

 

[bigredfeather]

Grass fed beef also takes longer to feed out than their "feed lot" counters. I'm not saying it isn't from the grass, just wondering if it has more to do with age.

 

[JodyDI]

I just butchered a hen that was just less than a year old, (something attacked her) she had to be put down. She was a Blk Copper Maran, she laid beautiful DARK brown eggs, her yolks were quite deep orange. I feed my hens bunches of Kale, swiss chard, or spinach fresh from the garden, they LOVE it, plus a huge backyard to forage, and eat weeds and grass. with that said, the greens is what helps the yolk color, maybe the fat too? Her fat was a Bold Gold color, almost as deep as her yolks. I was a bit surprised.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Yellow fat is sometimes a result of being corn fed. Yellow fat and deep orange egg yolks in free-ranching or green-fed animals is often due to higher beta-carotene levels. Some homesteaders used to use carrots to make their cow's milk more golden in winter time as many cows don't have access to fresh greens in winter and the milk pales during this time.

I definitely appreciate the flavor , texture, and ethics more of an animal with access to varied food raised in conditions that don't lead to chronic stress. Plants too.

 

[JodyDI]

I actually do not feed corn to my girls, Non soy, non corn, Organic feed plus tons of greens even all winter I have a garden, and also sprout Black oil Sunflower seeds, and sprouted wheat. They are spoiled, and are part of the family, if a door is left open they come in. Happy hens too! Except the other night my fault, I have been having alot of joint and back pain, and literally forgot to lock their coop. I heard them screaming in the backyard, at 4am, ran out( well hobbled out) must of scared whatever it was. THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN I feel so ashamed. but we are making broth, I simmer on an extra low flame, add scraps of celery, onion and garlic scraps, few carrot skins.