Cooked my very first meat bird!!!!!

[miss_thenorth]

And it was delicious!!! Served it with homemade stuffing, roasted potatoes, fresh green beans and gravy. My daughter thought it was like thanksgiving!! Now I'm boiling the bones to make soup!!!!

(It was 8lbs.)

 

[SterlingAcres]

Yummy

Congrats!

 

[Serendipity]

Is there that much of a noticeable difference in the meat from store bought? I know this is probably a stupid question - but I am considering meat birds and would really like to know from someone who is new to eating meat birds. Thanks!

 

[dancingbear]

IMO, home grown birds taste a lot better. Especially if you're able to free-range or pasture them, so they get a lot of greens to eat. I like the texture better, too, not so mushy.

 

[mtnhomechick]

Quote:
Congrats..........Were they cornish x? How old were they when you culled them?

Just wondering since I have some that are only two weeks but it's my first time.

Thanks

 

[Peruvian]

Quote:
I think this is due to the lack of brining of the meat. Store bought is up to 15% water/salt. I find that home raised birds are more filling and as a result a 5-6 lb. bird feeds more people than store bought.

 

[miss_thenorth]

OK, more details.

This was my first time raising meat birds. I ordered 12 (what I believe are) cornish cross. and 12 (what we call here) heavy reds. I wanted to try both varieties to compare for growth, health etc. I lost one heavy red chick three days in, and one cornish two days before butcher date. The bird we ate tonight was the white cornish. It went into the oven at 8 lbs. That was their average weight.

The taste was a little drier than a grocery store bird, but not excessively. It had a bit more flavour, as in--it tasted like chicken as opposed to the mushy texture of the bird you'd buy at the store. All in all, I believe if I hadn't have known that it was a 'homegrown' bird, I would just have thought it was a little drier. But that's it.

Next week I will cook one of the heavy reds. Their average weight was around 6 lbs.

 

[swampducks]

Quote:
Not stupid. I roasted one today. It was not as "wet" as a store bought one (I think). But it wasn't dried out, just not oozing fluid is about the only way I can describe it.

DH thought it was delicious, and roast chicken is his favorite meal. He ought to know.

 

[menageriemama]

Yay for you!!!!!!!!!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
Not stupid. I roasted one today. It was not as "wet" as a store bought one (I think). But it wasn't dried out, just not oozing fluid is about the only way I can describe it.

DH thought it was delicious, and roast chicken is his favorite meal. He ought to know.

VERY good way to describe it!!!!!!