Culling a rooster

[Martlet]

My 17-18 week old easter egger cockerel has decided he's the boss of my young boys and has scratched them up a few times. I don't need a rooster, but I was just keeping him around as a watchdog. After this weekend I think he'd be better off in the freezer.

I'd like to make sure I'm doing this right, as this is my first process.

Do you vacuum seal it THEN let it rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours before freezing, or wrap it, let it rest in the refrigerator 24 hours THEN vacuum seal it and freeze it.

Thanks!

 

[aart]

Will probably be easier to vacuum seal nice and tight if you let it rest first.....
....until rigor mortis has passed, might take longer than 24 hours.
Test by moving legs around, if joints move freely then it's passed.

 

[donrae]

I don't think it really matters. If you get it bagged quickly, it should still be flexible enough to get a good seal. Or, you can rest (longer than 24 hours, I go more like 3 days) then seal and freeze. Or, you can rest/brine, then cook, pull the meat and either use or freeze for later. That's what I did with the last two I processed. Freezer space is running short lately and with hogs being butchered, I didn't want to take up freezer space with bone.