Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[Jandsloch]

So first ever chickens this year and first ever er Cornish cross. We did 2. My son happily named them Tuesday and Thursday. We were on vacation when they reached processing age of 9 weeks as 8 weeks didn’t seem long enough. Well hubby was going to process himself but got overwhelmed at thr process so at 10 weeks we took them to a processor this morning here’s the before and after. Satisfied with the processor as I know they were not suffering or had pain in the end. That was a worry about hubs doing it. Just 1 of the worries lol . Eating the smaller tonight.

 

[jolenesdad]

View attachment 1785522 View attachment 1785521 So first ever chickens this year and first ever er Cornish cross. We did 2. My son happily named them Tuesday and Thursday. We were on vacation when they reached processing age of 9 weeks as 8 weeks didn’t seem long enough. Well hubby was going to process himself but got overwhelmed at thr process so at 10 weeks we took them to a processor this morning here’s the before and after. Satisfied with the processor as I know they were not suffering or had pain in the end. That was a worry about hubs doing it. Just 1 of the worries lol . Eating the smaller tonight.

Enjoy and congrats!

 

[perchie.girl]

View attachment 1785522 View attachment 1785521 So first ever chickens this year and first ever er Cornish cross. We did 2. My son happily named them Tuesday and Thursday. We were on vacation when they reached processing age of 9 weeks as 8 weeks didn’t seem long enough. Well hubby was going to process himself but got overwhelmed at thr process so at 10 weeks we took them to a processor this morning here’s the before and after. Satisfied with the processor as I know they were not suffering or had pain in the end. That was a worry about hubs doing it. Just 1 of the worries lol . Eating the smaller tonight.

Thats the part that is going to worry me... Dispatching quickly and as painless as I can.... Once thats over I can totally do the rest....

deb

 

[Molpet]

View attachment 1785522 View attachment 1785521 So first ever chickens this year and first ever er Cornish cross. We did 2. My son happily named them Tuesday and Thursday. We were on vacation when they reached processing age of 9 weeks as 8 weeks didn’t seem long enough. Well hubby was going to process himself but got overwhelmed at thr process so at 10 weeks we took them to a processor this morning here’s the before and after. Satisfied with the processor as I know they were not suffering or had pain in the end. That was a worry about hubs doing it. Just 1 of the worries lol . Eating the smaller tonight.

might want to let them rest a day so rigamortis has passed... as a kid mine were like rubber bands when I didn't let them rest... they were older though

 

[Jandsloch]

might want to let them rest a day so rigamortis has passed... as a kid mine were like rubber bands when I didn't let them rest... they were older though

He threw the smaller in the crockpot and it was delish! The other is resting in the fridge. Trying to figure out the best process I’ve heard let rest in fridge and others say no u don’t have to lol

 

[Jandsloch]

Thats the part that is going to worry me... Dispatching quickly and as painless as I can.... Once thats over I can totally do the rest....

deb

When hubs “dropped them off” they actually immediately hung them upside down and he said they looked like they were going to sleep then she cut the throats so it didn’t appear they suffered one bit. I was thankful. I thanked them each as I put them in the cage to go as even tho I raised them for this purpose I am thankful and appreciate them to nourish my family. Sounds weird I know but it’s something we’ve always done with any hunted animal and now raised animal we eat.

 

[LilyD]

View attachment 1785522 View attachment 1785521 So first ever chickens this year and first ever er Cornish cross. We did 2. My son happily named them Tuesday and Thursday. We were on vacation when they reached processing age of 9 weeks as 8 weeks didn’t seem long enough. Well hubby was going to process himself but got overwhelmed at thr process so at 10 weeks we took them to a processor this morning here’s the before and after. Satisfied with the processor as I know they were not suffering or had pain in the end. That was a worry about hubs doing it. Just 1 of the worries lol . Eating the smaller tonight.

Good sized birds did you free range them with your regular flock? My Cornish X birds are only 4 weeks but look like little butter balls already. We call them Frankenchickens lol. Hoping now that they have started free ranging that they will start slimming down a little bit. They already seem about the same size as the little cornish hens you buy in the store. You guys did a great job that's what we're aiming for with ours.

 

[LilyD]

Thats the part that is going to worry me... Dispatching quickly and as painless as I can.... Once thats over I can totally do the rest....

deb

We use the bleed out method for dispatching with a kill cone and then slice both jugular arteries on each side of the neck with a sharp razor knife. For a chicken if you feel the jaw bone on the side of their head and slice just below that you will hit it.

I can tell you from emt experience that if a major artery is severed even in a human pain is minimal and the person animal who is losing the blood passes out within a few seconds. It's more painful for us than it is for them because we are watching from the outside but I have tried the other methods like surgical dislocation or removing the heads completely and I find it's easier not to mess up this way than the others at least for me.

 

[LilyD]

He threw the smaller in the crockpot and it was delish! The other is resting in the fridge. Trying to figure out the best process I’ve heard let rest in fridge and others say no u don’t have to lol

You mainly have to rest older birds Cornish X being only 10 weeks old are still very very young so don't tend to be stringy even if they are not rested before eating. If you let a roo go past 6 months I would definitely rest a day or two in the fridge before cooking and then cook on a low temp setting for a long time and with lots of fluids (ie crock pot, roasting pan or dutch oven with the cover on at 200 degrees for all day take the cover off for the very end so it can brown, or pressure can) Usually I process my Cornish X at 8-10 weeks no resting no issues with toughness.

Heritage Cockerels at 12-16 weeks for smaller birds that we split in 1/2 for the grill or fried chicken, 16- 20 weeks for small roasters, and then 20-30 weeks (30 being the longest I would let them go) for slow cooked chicken for meals where I would cut the chicken up and cook it slow like Chicken Divan, Chicken Cacciatore etc. Any of these I would rest for between a day to up to 4 days in the fridge after defrosting them before cooking. You can rest them before you freeze if you have the fridge space we usually don't so rest before cooking.

Anything older than 30 weeks we call a stewing chicken and they cook usually in a crock pot or on the stove for chicken stew or soup or things like chicken and dumplings where they cook all day. You don't have to rest these birds because cooking in fluids will break down the connective tissues anyway so they won't be stringy when you eat them.

 

[LilyD]

Okay so chickens are by far not the smartest things in the planet. We have two acres that is fully fenced for horses and other animals were they can roam. So what would they do do you think? Came home tonight to 8 birds missing and figured out why. They flew over the fence which is 4 foot with electric line to keep animals out of their area, and right into the yard of two very untrained and hungry for attention and chicken apparently Labs that live behind my house.

The smarter chickens are doing very well with free ranging in the horse pasture making it all the way to the other side of the property and at 4 weeks finally I am seeing some light bulbs turning on for my Cornish X chicks as they are starting to forage some as well. Especially now that the little flies are out. It's funny to watch them chase the flies especially the cornish X chicks. So we are down to 18 on the Cornish X which is where I was when I put them into pasture to start with and 17 of the Heritage birds. Heritage chicks are 6 weeks this week and still looking on track. I will try and bring out my scale next time I go out to do the birds to see if I can snag a few for weights.