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

[jolenesdad]

Some of my smaller ones seem totally soft and pliable this morning, 24 hours from processing.

Is it likely I could eat one tonight?!

 

[RUNuts]

Some of my smaller ones seem totally soft and pliable this morning, 24 hours from processing.

Is it likely I could eat one tonight?!

Definitely! After rigor mortis has passed, off to the races.

How will you cook? Will you brine? I have 6 quail in brine since Sunday. I really like cranberry sauce, so will make some more of that.

 

[ThracianHorse]

Some of my smaller ones seem totally soft and pliable this morning, 24 hours from processing.

Is it likely I could eat one tonight?!

Absolutely! Roasted farm-fresh chicken.... or better yet, now what the weather is nice... spatchcock a smaller one and grill it up on the BBQ!

 

[RUNuts]

Been forever since I smoked a whole chicken. The old smoker rusted out and died. I keep eyeing new ones, this may be the year.

One year we fired up BIL's smoker at first light. Bacon wrapped Teal on top rack, chicken under that, big ducks under that and a goose on bottom. All the juices dripped down and seasoned everything else. Took 14 hours, but we ate very well for the next 2 weeks on smoked fowl. Still have fond memories 20 odd years later. Happy thoughts.

 

[jolenesdad]

Yay!!!

I’m gonna do a different recipe every time.

I think I’m gonna roast this first one with garlic herb butter because it’ll be a direct comparison to what I’ve done in the past.

I’m super excited and glad I can do it today. Tuesday’s were my super-involved meaties day, weighing and cleaning and handling weekly chores, so this is the perfect Tuesday finale.

 

[bil&sal]

nice I kept six for up tp twelve weeks then butcher them the other fifteen I put in freezer at nine weeks old the one kept weight from ten thirteen pounds and yes mind free roam I only fed the once a day

 

[jolenesdad]

I cooked the smallest bird last night, around 3 pounds. More than enough for two of us and a toddler, plus leftovers to incorporate tonight. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more satisfying meal. Pride and appreciation through the entire process.

The meat was flavorful and perfect. You could taste the freshness in the way we can all taste the freshness of our eggs vs store eggs. Unbelievably moist. There was no game flavor, but a definitely deeper “chicken” flavor. A taste I’ve most definitely had before, but this chicken just tasted much much more... rich and concentrated.

The texture of the meat was wonderful. After just a day of resting—or so I’ve read, it didn’t carve perfectly (but I could still use some improvement myself there anyway) but who cares. I typically purchase a breast meat from my meat market of gigantic “natural” breasts, nothing added. That meat is soft and smooth and this meat had definitive texture to the white meat. It wasn’t by any means stringy, but was stringy-er (uh...great words) than the meat market meat. If I were to eat the meat market breast today I’m pretty sure that’s what many people call “spongey”...

From what I was expecting, I believe that’s from the movement of my birds? From texture memory alone it would make sense to me to find out those birds are kept pretty confined versus mine.

The dark meat was delicious and I’m more of a white meat person typically. The entire chicken was leaner and that was super noticeable in the dark meat.

As a side note, I’m personally grateful for this experience to be more appreciative of my food, even that which I didn’t raise. I’m kind of a “no leftovers” kind of guy... really bothers my husband and family but whatever. I am who I am!

Feel that slowly sinking away. I don’t want to waste a morsel of these birds, out of respect to them and respect of my work. Why should that stop here, though?

I’m making fall plans for two back to back batches. The first for our freezer, I’ll start the first or second week of August, right as the heat here tops out, should be fine for the chicks. The next, starting first week of October probably, so I have fresh chickens for Christmas gifts to give out before freezing the week or so before Christmas.

I’ll be back right here then to update the thread with those batches as I learn and grow. To set out and do something out of the box for me, but something that has been on my mind for decades, is a new and exciting feeling. This has been one of my favorite and most personally rewarding experiences of my life and I so appreciate the helpful comments and encouragement along the way. Thanks to you all and BYC for making it possible for a former city dude trying to make his way in the country.

 

[aart]

It wasn’t by any means stringy, but was stringy-er (uh...great words) than the meat market meat. If I were to eat the meat market breast today I’m pretty sure that’s what many people call “spongey”...

Yeppers. I call it 'toothsome'.
I remember the first home grown bird I ate, the neighbor gave it to me. I parted it out and grilled it, like usual. At first I wasn't so sold but by the time it was gone I liked it. Liked it even more when a week or so later I bought a store bird...yeah, spongy and bland in comparison.

this chicken just tasted much much more... rich and concentrated

Yep....and a layer breed bird is even more so. Layer bird bone broth satisfies your bodies desire for meat even without any meat.

 

[RUNuts]

Collect the bones from your feast and make bone broth. Anything that you didn't eat from the bird and trimmings. Gristle, fat, feet, carrot tops, potato skins, onion pieces and all. Talk about an amazing broth. Use it in rice or mashed potatoes.

Take the boiled bones and toss in the chicken yard. Good calcium for the layers. The bird is only consumed if nothing is wasted. I take the large bones after they dry out and crush them and the birds consume them.

I like Aart's word toothsome. Wholesome also applies.

 

[jolenesdad]

what a day.

I thought if I should even post this embarrassing and sad story, but, I feel like many who read it will feel my pain and to be true to my intentions of chronicling the process, I feel I must.

I went today to get a chicken out of the fridge from our barn kitchen for tonight, and the door was open. It’s one of those French door things and I learned today you have to close one door before the other. I’ve had the fridge for three years and had no idea.

The door was cracked open, must have been that way for two days. it was 65, and condensation everywhere. My friend runs prepared foods for all of Whole Foods and we discussed she would have to toss anything over 40, and for my families safety we decided without knowing how long it was at the temp, if internally my birds were over 45 they had to go.

A couple in the far back were 45, most were 50, and I’m going to trash every single one of my birds. I don’t feel it’s worth the risk of handling or preparing with kids around.

I feel awful, like I disrespected my birds. I feel a bit of failure but mostly just shock and disappointment at the random awfulness at it all.

However, I’ve decided to pickup another run of Cornish on Monday and start over immediately. Sh*t happens, and we learn and grow. I feel this experience awakened a whole new me, I discovered and learned so much, so these birds certainly did not die for nothing, even if they won’t feed my family.

I feel a little better already writing this down. So that’s a plus. Onwards and upwards.