Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Well...killed the last of the cheap meat roosters today.

Glad to be done with all that for now. Fat Cochin, now named Sweetums because he's not a bit fat and is actually very, very thin under all those pretty feathers, was preserved and will be kept in the flock to see what becomes of him. He just wasn't meaty enough to even kill, much like the previous hold over, BUD. I have no idea how old he is, but he's not crowing yet, doesn't have spur development and hasn't got full wattles and comb yet, so I'm thinking he is much younger than his height and size indicate. He might be approx. the same age as BUD was, maybe 3 mo. or more. Strangely enough, though, he has his rooster feathering when BUD did not quite yet. Guess it's just different strokes for different breeds and I'm not familiar with Cochins at all.

This FF sure did put some golden fat on these skinny little leghorn/RIR mix birds..they even had fat on the back of their necks! Roosters don't commonly hold a lot of fat stores like a hen does but all these birds had big fat stores in the abdomen, on their backs and on the necks. Go figure.

I'm so, so glad to be done with processing at this time of year! Got the pen all broken down and stored away, limed the deep litter in that pen space just because and left it in place. Will most likely be canning these birds on Monday.

I'm done with meat projects for this year!

Whew!!! No more feeding an extra group, no more toting water every day and defrosting their water, no more extra crowing....

 

[Triple Willow]

Personally I like the crowing. lol I'm glad Sweetums gets to stick around for a bit. Glad you got done with all that. Any pics? All that meat will be good. Hey, can you tell us exactly how you can them, the process you use? Like do you debone them...?

 

[TexasLisa]

Well...killed the last of the cheap meat roosters today.

Glad to be done with all that for now. Fat Cochin, now named Sweetums because he's not a bit fat and is actually very, very thin under all those pretty feathers, was preserved and will be kept in the flock to see what becomes of him. He just wasn't meaty enough to even kill, much like the previous hold over, BUD. I have no idea how old he is, but he's not crowing yet, doesn't have spur development and hasn't got full wattles and comb yet, so I'm thinking he is much younger than his height and size indicate. He might be approx. the same age as BUD was, maybe 3 mo. or more. Strangely enough, though, he has his rooster feathering when BUD did not quite yet. Guess it's just different strokes for different breeds and I'm not familiar with Cochins at all.

This FF sure did put some golden fat on these skinny little leghorn/RIR mix birds..they even had fat on the back of their necks! Roosters don't commonly hold a lot of fat stores like a hen does but all these birds had big fat stores in the abdomen, on their backs and on the necks. Go figure.

I'm so, so glad to be done with processing at this time of year! Got the pen all broken down and stored away, limed the deep litter in that pen space just because and left it in place. Will most likely be canning these birds on Monday.

I'm done with meat projects for this year!

Whew!!! No more feeding an extra group, no more toting water every day and defrosting their water, no more extra crowing....

Good job Bee! Now please get some rest.

Lisa

 

[Beekissed]

Personally I like the crowing. lol I'm glad Sweetums gets to stick around for a bit. Glad you got done with all that. Any pics? All that meat will be good. Hey, can you tell us exactly how you can them, the process you use? Like do you debone them...?

I can't say I'm a fan of excessive noise of any kind...just me getting old, I think, though I never did like loud, repetitive noise. The longer you live where it's quiet, the more that noise is an assault on your senses. Toby has been my favorite rooster simply because he's not mouthy..he crows in the morning like a normal rooster and then shuts his gourd. I like that in a man...er...roo.

I deboned the first batch and it made for more room in the jar for broth and meat without all that bone, but the second batch was so horribly old and tough that I couldn't see my way through to deboning that mess. I take off thighs, legs, breasts for the actual canning. The rest of the carcass and organs are used for stock, which I cook the day before I can. Then I just cold pack my meats, pour some stock over them and pressure can them for 90 min. Any left over stock gets canned as well.

I didn't take any pics but what a difference between a leghorn carcass and a DP bird...night and day. These DP boys must have been ancient and they were HUGE. Some of the biggest DP roosters I've ever processed.

Good job Bee! Now please get some rest.

Lisa

You can bet I am!! Tomorrow is a day of rest and worship, so will refuel then. I hope I can get a deer on Monday before season closes so we can have more meat to can. I've found the most excellent deer blind is my chicken coop, with deer crossing 10-20 yds away from it nearly every day...saw 5 fat does there yesterday. I hunted it this morning but was too cold and hurting too bad to sit for more than a couple of hours and wouldn't ya know it? An hour after I left the coop a deer started crossing and feeding not 5 yds from it!

Then I decided to kill me some roosters and clean up the pen site, so the day has been a long one and they are finally in the fridge, resting. I will sleep well tonight!

 

[BCMaraniac]

Personally I like the crowing. lol I'm glad Sweetums gets to stick around for a bit. Glad you got done with all that. Any pics? All that meat will be good. Hey, can you tell us exactly how you can them, the process you use? Like do you debone them...?

I don't mind the crowing either. Sometimes it's like Dueling Roosters......just a few chords, though. I figured they would bother me, but they really don't crow that much, especially when you consider how many roosters I have. The one cockerel I left intact from my last broody hatch is a full blooded Black Copper Marans, and is getting ready to start crowing. He is going though the motions with his stance and his neck, just no sound coming out yet. He is almost 4 months old, and he looks lonesome a fair amount of the time these days. The two older roosters he has been raised with, one of whom is his daddy, now realize he is a teenaged boy and make sure he knows they are in charge, the hens look at him and say, "Don't even think about it", and his pullet hatchmates think he has lost his mind! Poor guy. Sometimes he just finds himself a quiet place and sits down. Just a really awkward time for the young fella....LOL.

 

[Triple Willow]

I don't mind the crowing either.  Sometimes it's like Dueling Roosters......just a few chords, though.  I figured they would bother me, but they really don't crow that much, especially when you consider how many roosters I have.    The one cockerel I left intact from my last broody hatch is a full blooded Black Copper Marans, and is getting ready to start crowing.  He is going though the motions with his stance and his neck, just no sound coming out yet.  He is almost 4 months old, and he looks lonesome a fair amount of the time these days.  The two older roosters he has been raised with, one of whom is his daddy, now realize he is a teenaged boy and make sure he knows they are in charge, the hens look at him and say, "Don't even think about it", and his pullet hatchmates think he has lost his mind!  Poor guy.  Sometimes he just finds himself a quiet place and  sits down.  Just a really awkward time for the young fella....LOL.

Poor little roo. Ya know, he might could use a movie and popcorn night...? LOL My birds are probably 200' from the house so I don't even hear them unless it is real quiet in the house. Usually if I wake up in the middle of the night I can hear them. There is a security light that is too close to them I guess so they carry on off and on all night. Now when I am in the coop and the rooster crows it is a bit loud. lol The roosters in the roo pen crow at me when I go outside. lol I like roos.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Poor little roo. Ya know, he might could use a movie and popcorn night...? LOL My birds are probably 200' from the house so I don't even hear them unless it is real quiet in the house. Usually if I wake up in the middle of the night I can hear them. There is a security light that is too close to them I guess so they carry on off and on all night. Now when I am in the coop and the rooster crows it is a bit loud. lol The roosters in the roo pen crow at me when I go outside. lol I like roos.

TW, you are so funny! You crack me up quite often!

 

[Beekissed]

 

[Triple Willow]

I can't say I'm a fan of excessive noise of any kind...just me getting old, I think, though I never did like loud, repetitive noise.  The longer you live where it's quiet, the more that noise is an assault on your senses.  Toby has been my favorite rooster simply because he's not mouthy..he crows in the morning like a normal rooster and then shuts his gourd.  I like that in a man...er...roo. 

I can't stand loud repetitive noises either. Gets on my last nerve. But a rooster crowing puts a smile on my face a lot of times.

I deboned the first batch and it made for more room in the jar for broth and meat without all that bone, but the second batch was so horribly old and tough that I couldn't see my way through to deboning that mess.  I take off thighs, legs, breasts for the actual canning.  The rest of the carcass and organs are used for stock, which I cook the day before I can.  Then I just cold pack  my meats, pour some stock over them and pressure can them for 90 min.  Any left over stock gets canned as well. 

I didn't take any pics but what a difference between a leghorn carcass and a DP bird...night and day.  These DP boys must have been ancient and they were HUGE.  Some of the biggest DP roosters I've ever processed. 

Big roos = a lot of meat = good! I've never canned meat but I plan on it. I like not only the safe storage but also it being ready to eat.

You can bet I am!! Tomorrow is a day of rest and worship, so will refuel then.  I hope I can get a deer on Monday before season closes so we can have more meat to can.  I've found the most excellent deer blind is my chicken coop, with deer crossing 10-20 yds away from it nearly every day...saw 5 fat does there yesterday.  I hunted it this morning but was too cold and hurting too bad to sit for more than a couple of hours and wouldn't ya know it?  An hour after I left the coop a deer started crossing and feeding not 5 yds from it! 

That's how that goes! LOL

Then I decided to kill me some roosters and clean up the pen site, so the day has been a long one and they are finally in the fridge, resting.  I will sleep well tonight! 

 

[Triple Willow]

     TW, you are so funny!  You crack me up quite often! 

I'm glad I make you laugh Lacy. LOL Laughter "is a good thing" as Martha would say. Ya know, I was thinking this morning about putting my juvenile delinquent Aussie roo in a headlock and bringing him in for popcorn and a movie. Maybe he is acting out because he doesn't feel loved...? hahahaha "You eat this dang popcorn dang you!!! Stop biting me!!!!! (smack! smack!)"

...I wonder if they have chicken straight jackets...?