Cooking Young roosters

[Molpet]

Upon slaughtering I let them rest in the fridge for 48-72 hours. If you put them directly in the freezer you will need to do the same once they are thawed before cooking. Weird, I know!

Since keeping chickens and slaughtering them, I can’t understand how “Granny used to tell little Johnny to go kill a bird for Sunday dinner.” Or that’s the way it’s portrayed on TV shows anyway.

If you get it in the pot before rigor sets you can cook it right away they say... I am slow and ended up trying to eat rubber bands

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I did a batch of 18 week olds recently and they were great. We did two on the fire pit grill. A little texture but nothing substantial despite not being low and slow. Definitely rest them for 1-2 days in the fridge before cooking. If it's not any of that then there's something else going on.

 

[Mimi13]

If you get it in the pot before rigor sets you can cook it right away they say... I am slow and ended up trying to eat rubber bands

Oh my goodness yes. Do you know how quickly you’d have to process that bird? I hand pluck and couldn’t begin to even get close!

 

[Mimi13]

I did a batch of 18 week olds recently and they were great. We did two on the fire pit grill. A little texture but nothing substantial despite not being low and slow. Definitely rest them for 1-2 days in the fridge before cooking. If it's not any of that then there's something else going on.

View attachment 2318600

Yummy! Even in the morning!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Since keeping chickens and slaughtering them, I can’t understand how “Granny used to tell little Johnny to go kill a bird for Sunday dinner.” Or that’s the way it’s portrayed on TV shows anyway.

Just call me Johnny. On the farm, Mom would tell me to bring her a chicken. I'd cut the head off, pluck it, and gut it, leaving the giblets in for her. She'd finish butchering and cook it immediately. Not a problem with rigor mortis at all.

This was one chicken, not several. There was no chilling or cooling. I buried the offal after she had the chicken, no delays. Neither of us were time challenged, we had a task to do and we did it.

 

[Molpet]

Just call me Johnny. On the farm, Mom would tell me to bring her a chicken. I'd cut the head off, pluck it, and gut it, leaving the giblets in for her. She'd finish butchering and cook it immediately. Not a problem with rigor mortis at all.

This was one chicken, not several. There was no chilling or cooling. I buried the offal after she had the chicken, no delays. Neither of us were time challenged, we had a task to do and we did it.

The first year by the time I got them skinned rigor was setting in. LOL I was skinning like I was doing a furbearer. Way too slow even for pelts.
I have a plucker now

 

[Mimi13]

Just call me Johnny. On the farm, Mom would tell me to bring her a chicken. I'd cut the head off, pluck it, and gut it, leaving the giblets in for her. She'd finish butchering and cook it immediately. Not a problem with rigor mortis at all.

This was one chicken, not several. There was no chilling or cooling. I buried the offal after she had the chicken, no delays. Neither of us were time challenged, we had a task to do and we did it.

That’s what I figured had to have happened. It’s just I’m not that fast I suppose.

 

[Mimi13]

The first year by the time I got them skinned rigor was setting in. LOL I was skinning like I was doing a furbearer. Way too slow even for pelts.
I have a plucker now

I don’t do enough to invest in a plucker, unfortunately. But at the rate my new hatches are going I definitely need one. With my four broods this year my numbers are...wait for it...
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.
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14 to 4 — yeah, 14 cockerels to 4 pullets. I’ve got 3 that I have to butcher this weekend. And then 2 more in a couple of weeks. Then my last hatch of 7 chicks are just 3 weeks old (yep, the males are already evident) so I’ve got a bit of a break.

 

[Molpet]

I don’t do enough to invest in a plucker, unfortunately. But at the rate my new hatches are going I definitely need one. With my four broods this year my numbers are...wait for it...
.
.
.
14 to 4 — yeah, 14 cockerels to 4 pullets. I’ve got 3 that I have to butcher this weekend. And then 2 more in a couple of weeks. Then my last hatch of 7 chicks are just 3 weeks old (yep, the males are already evident) so I’ve got a bit of a break.

I have 38 hatched this year oldest is 13wks, youngest 2 weeks... I think 32 are cockerels.. but that's good for me because I want freezer boys.

 

[Mimi13]

I have 38 hatched this year oldest is 13wks, youngest 2 weeks... I think 32 are cockerels.. but that's good for me because I want freezer boys.

Yes, I agree it’s good to have them in the freezer, but my poor arthritic hands just about give out when plucking, but I love that crispy grilled skin!