Eastern Tennessee Thread

[stanglover2001]

Brine him, it'll help if he was on the older side... then try to cook slowly. Otherwise, you'll feel like you're eating a funny type of chicken.

 

[littlechicklet]

Contrast- I am so sorry.

It always seems to either be the best one, the one you like/need the most. I am going to give it a few more weeks but am almost positive I have 2 possibly 3 cockerels. I sent you a pm a few days ago.

 

[Contrastphoto]

Contrast- I am so sorry.

It always seems to either be the best one, the one you like/need the most. I am going to give it a few more weeks but am almost positive I have 2 possibly 3 cockerels. I sent you a pm a few days ago.

Yes that sounds good! I am not in a huge hurry and no pressure. I do have a farmer that took a few roosters over the summer. I may be able to call him and see if I can have one back. I don't think he would mind. It all works out in the end.

Brine him, it'll help if he was on the older side... then try to cook slowly. Otherwise, you'll feel like you're eating a funny type of chicken.

Well he wasn't to old, he was from my Easter hatch. What is the best age to butcher them? Also, brine water is 1 cup salt and 1 gallon of water in the frige for 8 hours and then cook?

 

[tnchickenut]

I hate that you lost a bird... but maybe you will find you like the empowerment of eating something you knew was raised well and wasn't processed in a nasty factory setting. Good on you to not waste him like that. I never ate a Orp, can't comment on their taste... but I believe I had someone tell me once it was a good tasting breed.

Now that you made me hungry... I'm going to go eat a bite.

 

[pickledchicken]

Constrastphoto sorry to hear about your loss I think you are making lemonade out of lemons though. I found out the hard and chewy way it is best to brine them even let them age 2 or 3 days in the fridge to let the rigor work out of the muscle. Skinning in my book is the only way to go I prefer that any day over plucking. White chili is always a favorite for me this time of year.

 

[FeyRaine]

Contrast - sorry about the accident, good on you not to let it go to waste!

My DH processes birds by removing skin as it is faster & we don't have a feather plucker
(ok so he or I _could_ do that by hand but well so anyway)

The main thing for cooking is you have to do more to keep it moist, if you are roasting baste frequently & you can also rub w/ a little butter or oil before you start (the skin not only holds in moisture but contains a lot of fat which the roast will taste different w/o). It can still be very good other ways, but the touch of butter or oil is more fool proof for getting it to cook as if there were skin. & I do try to keep some things simple, like did I tell you my DH just skins them so no plucking ; >

Actually, to do list Fall 2013 I see has plucker project , b/c then we'll be culling more ckls from my breeding projects and then I'll need to start using the feathers in things, so much for simple...Anyone built one of those ??

FeyRaine

 

[TNBarnQueen]

I always skin my chickens cause we don't eat the skin anyway and it is sooo much easier. I brine mine and add some ACV in the water as well. After that I wrap them in saran wrap and put in refrigerator for 5-7 days to age. The aging is what helps make them tender. Then we eat some and freeze the rest!! I didn't think I could do the killing part but after the first 2 I was pretty OK with it...i just kept telling myself.."putting food on the table..putting food on the table." by the 9th one I could do a whole chicken in about 15 minutes! Mine where orpingtons and have a good taste but the breast did not develop much size. Course I love the dark meat but everyone else wants white. I grew them out 10 mo. but must not have been long enough for larger breast.

 

[Contrastphoto]

Thanks everyone for the advice! He is soaking in the fridge. I think I will wrap him up like you suggested Terri.

We broke down and adopted two cats from local rescue. I am hoping they will help with mice in the coop. They are in house for a few days. Then I hope to let them out in the coop. I hope we can keep them around. The kids just love the cats.

 

[FeyRaine]

OT but, my sister's boyfriend(who she has lived w/ for 3 yrs)'s sister-in-law had a Baby Boy this am -- 3 wks early, but all is Well everyone is healthy.
They live over 3,000 miles away from me & its as close to being an aunt as I'm gonna get, so WooHoo...
Happy baby dust to those who want it, and happy chicken hatching to everyone else!
FeyRaine

 

[laughingdog]

line breeding is by definition breeding to and from down line, and you can breed father to daughter, then daughter's daughter ect.. down line, as quickest best results when want to show traits, and mostly save to do for certain time, and can extend it by then crossing back to son's son's bred back to and down from mother. its done a lot in chickens and perfectly acceptable. brother to sister crossing however a big no no unless only ones you have/want to work with, and can produce problems as you may not know parentage of them to begin with and might be sibling crosses, and anyway you should only do once to get your breeders to cross and line breed around if "necessary". human genetics are a lot differant than a lot of animal genetics, and variability in bird and reptile gentics are something especially great to look up and learn. im greatly but still novice in genetics experiance for example, but have studied for many years on humans, mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertibrates (i know next to nothing about many fish species though). lol