First one in the fridge( GRAPHIC)

[Appylover]

I went out today and found one of my cornish crosses laying on his side not wanting to move. I picked him up and his right leg was broken. Not sure how he did it probably jumping from something. So I made a makeshift funnel out of a feed sack and cut his throat as seen on here. Sadly it took two cuts but he didn't struggle much. I then dipped him in hot water until the large feathers came out easy. Then finished him off as seen on several videos and blogs. It was rather easy considering I had never butchered anything before. He is now in a bowl of water waiting for tomorrows dinner. I will probably hide him in some store bought chicken because my daughter is having issues with the whole thing.

The things I learned today were scalded chicken feathers STINK! The lungs are not as hard to remove as I thought, and 7 year old boys are morbid little creatures poking inards with a stick and making chicken feet walk. Plan your set up a bit better. And I know why people do not feed them the night before.

Worst part was killing and then reaching in to remove the insides. I recomend for the first timers to run water into the cavity to cool it off first. Helps with the ICK factor.

 

[tankerman]

The first time we killed one of our chickens (for the purpose of eating), I hung it upside down for a bit till I thought it was asleep, then laid it on a tree stump and whacked it's head off with a large butcher's knife.

Next thing I knew the headless chicken escaped my grip, took of running straight towards my 8 year old son. It chased him down a hill, with him screaming bloody murder the whole way.......and all three or our dogs started howling like crazed wolves......and of course our neighbors just happen to come outside, they were just standing there staring at us.

 

[Appylover]

My poor daughter while eager to kill one and eat it is not so eager now. Im not sure she understood that we had to actually KILL the bird. The hardest part for her was watching it bleed out. Hard for me also but better than him laying around with a broken leg I guess. And he will be tasty tomorrow or the next day. Its sibling is slated next but as long as its doing fine and not hurt will fatten up a bit more. I am impressed with the makeshift killing cone. It made it a WHOLE lot easier than I had seen my grandmother do. She wrung necks then gleefully let them chase us all over the yard screaming. That woman was evil.

 

[downsm75]

First time I've laughed today... Evil Gma

 

[Darin115]

When I was younger I would stay at grandma and grandpaw's house. One time grandma told me to go catch a chicken that was running loose in the yard. After a brief chase I caught it. Thinking back I would guees it was a white rock rooster. I was proud of my accomplishment. I hauled it to her not knowing what was about to happen. She was waiting at the wood shed with a hatched in hand. She had been cutting kindling. She used a wood cook stove even though her kids bought her a brand new fancy electric stove in which she refused to use until much later, closer to her final days.

She grabbed the rooster from me and before I could blink his neck was across the chopping block and his head was laying on the ground. I could not believe what I was seeing. She dropped it and it took off running across the yard. Grandpaw came out the screen door about the time the chicken made it to the house. It ran up the steps and into the porch. I was horrified. Grandma said well that just tell you it was ready to be ate. And proceeded to get the chicken out of the house and pluck it. About an hour later parts of that chicken was rolled in flour and was fried in lard on the wood cook stove. It was the best chicken I ever ate. And she did not even let it rest in the fridge.

Also, I spent many many morning eating what I thought was sausage and eggs. What I was really eating was pork brains and eggs. If anyone ever asked her what she was cooking she would just say something good. If you don't like it don't eat it. I ate it and loved it.

Anyway, I had some cornish x processed last week and picked them up later in the week frozen. I thawed one quickly in water and cooked it immediately. It was kinda chewey. No one complained but I noticed. I think you should rest them at least a couple of days in the fridge.
It does make the meat more tender and less chewey or tough. There is a difference in what you raise and store bought chicken. What you raise is soooo much better.

Darin

 

[Appylover]

I raised these guys just to be eaten. Sadly I fed them wrong for the last few weeks and they did not grow well. But he weighs in around 3 or so pounds. I will hide him in with a store bought chicken tomorrow night. I don't mind chewie I could probably eat him tonight.

 

[bj taylor]

tankerman, that was a good laugh. i could see the whole drama play out. appylover, i'm impressed. you did a good thing & did it well. i've discovered i have two roosters. one too many. it will be my turn in a few weeks. i think i would like to do meaties, but not ready yet.

 

[RedStarLady1207]

Oh my gosh - funny post. Now - I don't think a headless chicken running around is so funny - but the way the stories were told are priceless. Too bloody and rough a method though - and I worry about people that think something dead running around is amusing, but then again variety makes the world go round. Those neighbors probably thought they lived next to the Texas Chain Saw Massacre clan Funny brain story! I made Swedish meatballs out of venison one time and a friend at a party couldn't wolf them down fast enough - and asked for the recipe. When I stated venison she started to gag and spit it out. All in the mind.

I saw a video where a guy used a traffic cone (this was on a turkey) so a bigger cone than a chicken, and he had a small hook with a string and at the end of the string was a weight (not too big) that led to a can. The cone was suspended on a simple wood frame. The turkey was brought to the cone and placed in it so only the head and some of the neck stuck out and the feet were bound with a short bungee but the cone held most of the bird firmly and it was calm. The throat was cut in two places, the jugular, very quickly with a very sharp knife. The reason for the hook/weight/can - was the hook was put on the turkey's beak to still the head, and when it was cut, all the blood went into the can. The turkey hardly moved and there was no visual trauma. Next was the hot water bath at the proper temperature, and of course the steel table, etc. etc. Keeping the bird still prevents the flesh from bruising and I'm thinking a calm process prevents huge courses of adrenaline from pumping into the muscles which makes meat tough (or so I've heard). Resting also will tenderize. (I used to butcher bigger animals but not birds BTW).

 

[fair weather chicken]

it's not just 7 yr old boys who make chicken feet dance so do 58 yr olds. daughter and wife thought i had been in the sun too long lol, especially when they danced to rockin robin, dd couldn't get it out of her head, didn't help when i kept singing it.

 

[wyoDreamer]

it's not just 7 yr old boys who make chicken feet dance so do 58 yr olds. daughter and wife thought i had been in the sun too long lol, especially when they danced to rockin robin, dd couldn't get it out of her head, didn't help when i kept singing it.

Now I've got that song stuck in my head, with visions of my dad making chicken feet do a chorus line !