Harvesting my 18 month old hens

[mcdez]

Hi all!

Just wanted to get some insight on butchering my 6 hens for food. They are 18 months old- if I let them sit for a couple of days would they be at all tasty? Is this going to be a ground chicken and stock thing only? Thanks for the input!

 

[Pork Pie]

The day before culling, do not allow access to food (but water, of course). Some people let the meat rest for a couple of days or so in the fridge, others make brine and leave them for roughly the same time. If you use a slow-cooker the meat should be relatively tender - the taste makes up for any toughness in my opinion. Stewing is the only way forward for chickens of that age i would suggest.

CT

 

[donrae]

It's been a long time since I've butchered a layer, but low and slow is going to be the way to go. They usually have a lot more fat than a cockerel, so you might want to render some of that out also. If I recall correctly, I just pressure cooked my hens the same as I do the cockerels and they came out great. Pull the meat and use for recipes calling for cooked chicken--enchiladas, casseroles, etc.