First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[JRNash]

It will bother me up to the point that I begin processing. Once I start,it's work mode. I get the OCD going,gotta get er done!!

 

[duluthralphie]

I find once I have a finished carcass I no longer remember it as my chicken, it is just food.

 

[Double Kindness]

I have a very hard time doing the killing. Someone else has to do the kill stroke, I can do the rest myself

We smoked 2 of the cornish x broilers this past weekend over some bourbon barrel chips, they were delicious! Smoking is definitely the best way to enjoy a backyard chicken or duck.

My Narragansett turkey pullet is still with us. She's so mean and I have to chase her every other day out of the next door neighbors yard (the house has been abandonded for 6-7 years and we're planning on buying it next year. )

I'm going to set dome eggs this weekend, white bresse and bresse x ayam cemani and then I'm thinking of putting my gff ayam cemani out for a bit and hatch more cemani crosses. might as well start using the 2 incubators I got last year for the holidays.

I have been getting into adult coloring books lately with my friends. We're having a coloring book party at a social mj smoking lounge tonight. I never thought in my lifetime I would have seen such change around the devil's lettuce, but I'm glad for it.

 

[duluthralphie]

We smoked 2 for a family gathering the day after Christmas.. You are so right, the best way to eat them! I did mine over apple chips, after a brine of salt and Mrs Butterworths syrup.

 

[dpenning]

We smoked 2 for a family gathering the day after Christmas.. You are so right, the best way to eat them! I did mine over apple chips, after a brine of salt and Mrs Butterworths syrup.

splain to me how to do this brine please! Sounds yummy but i've never brined anything.

 

[duluthralphie]

What I do is make a brine of salt and water. When an egg floats I think I have enough salt in it.

Then I add the sweetener. Brown sugar is a normal one. I happen to have bought a gallon jug of Mrs Butterworths (cheap) so I decided to use it at Thanksgiving on the turkey. It turned out so well I used the rest on the chicken.


I do no measure I just dump. When I think I have enough I dump more. If you wanted to flavor it with something else you add it now, Jalapenos, apples, organs or what ever.

Then I soak the bird for 24 hours. Some people soak the salt back out for an hour before they smoke them ( a fresh clear water soak) I do not, I like the salt!!

That is brining.

I have a cheap smoker, I got at Wally's world. I think it was around 100 bucks. I use two chip boxes in it. I smoke at 200 degrees.

I have a cheap Thermometer with a probe on it. I put the probe in the thickest part and leave the wire outside the smoker so I can just plug in the monitor unit when I check temps.

I aim for around 163. I will pull the chicken out at that temp it will raise to over 165 on it's own.


I also have a large bowl of water over the smoke to keep the moisture high.



Some people do not use water and others use dry smoke, I do not care for the meat with either, it seems too dry to me.


It is really easy to do.

 

[daskhan]

Never again shall I get chicks right before winter... Specially cx... This wet cold swamp called Indiana has killed all but six out of 26 of my cx , a buff orp who wasn't fully grown , a jersey giant chick two Dominique's and two barred rocks I'm so tired of this and sad... Ugh they were so pretty **** cold..

 

[dpenning]

What I do is make a brine of salt and water. When an egg floats I think I have enough salt in it.

Then I add the sweetener. Brown sugar is a normal one. I happen to have bought a gallon jug of Mrs Butterworths (cheap) so I decided to use it at Thanksgiving on the turkey. It turned out so well I used the rest on the chicken.


I do no measure I just dump. When I think I have enough I dump more. If you wanted to flavor it with something else you add it now, Jalapenos, apples, organs or what ever.

Then I soak the bird for 24 hours. Some people soak the salt back out for an hour before they smoke them ( a fresh clear water soak) I do not, I like the salt!!

That is brining.

I have a cheap smoker, I got at Wally's world. I think it was around 100 bucks. I use two chip boxes in it. I smoke at 200 degrees.

I have a cheap Thermometer with a probe on it. I put the probe in the thickest part and leave the wire outside the smoker so I can just plug in the monitor unit when I check temps.

I aim for around 163. I will pull the chicken out at that temp it will raise to over 165 on it's own.


I also have a large bowl of water over the smoke to keep the moisture high.



Some people do not use water and others use dry smoke, I do not care for the meat with either, it seems too dry to me.


It is really easy to do.

Thanks Ralph!

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Processing day today. I have already kept the birds too long. It will be my first time, but I enlisted my mom (a farm girl) who has helped do it alot. Hope it warms up a tad bit.....

 

[duluthralphie]

Processing day today. I have already kept the birds too long. It will be my first time, but I enlisted my mom (a farm girl) who has helped do it alot. Hope it warms up a tad bit.....

You will not see this advice many places, but when you scald them have a second bucket of water (cold) there and dump them in the cold right after you scald them. makes the feathers cooler and easier to pull. It also makes the skin stronger so it does not rip as easy.