Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[hellbender]

Interesting that the "Modern Priscilla" book claims "fowl" has "long hairs" instead of pinfeathers. My young javas have lots of "long hairs." Also zillions of pinfeathers when molting. Think I'll stick with the Joy of Cooking definitions, which are generally consistent with the ones from Quebec. "Fowl" is an older hen.

I do the same as you with my chickens - make stock, then pull the meat off for use in other recipes. I'm amazed at how much flavor the meat still has after 3-4 hours in a stock pot. Meat from a grocery store chicken would be tasteless by then.

Honestly....meat from the grocery store is tasteless long before it even gets to the store...JMHO

 

[Canieldonrad]

I have a very hard time eating chicken from a restaurant/grocery store anymore. The texture of mush, the amount of water that cooks out of it, the lack of a flavor. I just can't handle it much anymore. I spoiled myself. I got back into birds in May 2013, since then I decided I'm just going to have to hatch enough to freeze a lot of culls.

Also, I've posted this elsewhere. And as we are on the topic it may be a good idea to ask.

Do any of you keep parts such as feet/shanks, combs, wattles, whole heads? A lot of places around the world reserve these parts for soups and stocks. Some include the parts in dishes. I'm all about eating, and I'll eat just about anything. So I really want other peoples input on what to make with extra parts. I plan to make a lot of stock this year by way of cooking down feet/shanks.

 

[thedragonlady]

APA show = APA standards

Dragonlady's Buffs are nothing like the hatchery models.

Thank you ! I bloody well not hope not !

 

[Beekissed]

I have a very hard time eating chicken from a restaurant/grocery store anymore. The texture of mush, the amount of water that cooks out of it, the lack of a flavor. I just can't handle it much anymore. I spoiled myself. I got back into birds in May 2013, since then I decided I'm just going to have to hatch enough to freeze a lot of culls.

Also, I've posted this elsewhere. And as we are on the topic it may be a good idea to ask.

Do any of you keep parts such as feet/shanks, combs, wattles, whole heads? A lot of places around the world reserve these parts for soups and stocks. Some include the parts in dishes. I'm all about eating, and I'll eat just about anything. So I really want other peoples input on what to make with extra parts. I plan to make a lot of stock this year by way of cooking down feet/shanks.

A couple of threads where they discuss this and more!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/550886/canning-chicken-meat

This one's a little more abstract but details what parts people use, so you can ask your question there and folks will gladly chime in and tell you how they use the various parts.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ort-group-help-us-through-the-emotions-please

 

[bnjrob]

Do any of you keep parts such as feet/shanks, combs, wattles, whole heads? A lot of places around the world reserve these parts for soups and stocks. Some include the parts in dishes. I'm all about eating, and I'll eat just about anything. So I really want other peoples input on what to make with extra parts. I plan to make a lot of stock this year by way of cooking down feet/shanks.

While I do have old recipes that include parts we generally don't use today....I'm just not quite there yet in my mind to use those other parts of animals. I don't even like to eat the organs as gravy. But considering I never thought we'd be able to butcher our own chickens, I might eventually get there with eating the rest of the parts like they did way-back-when.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

How much should an 8 month old Heritage RIR hen weigh after being skinned and gutted?
DH and I had to cull one tonight and I'm wondering if she was on the small side. She ended up being just under 3 pounds at 2 pounds 13 ounces. This was not including the liver or the heart. I have not grown accustom to eating that much of the chicken.

 

[thedragonlady]

Thumbs up!

oh yeah here LOL

Jeff

Thank you George and Jeff ! Come anytime. Love seeing people who really love birds.

 

[bnjrob]

Precisely! 1700's and 1800's? PM me some titles. That's great. I would add, too, that one doesn't even have to go back that far, although that is outstandingly cool.

This is something I have been interested in locating. Could you PM some titles to me please?

Sending PM with info shortly.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

How much should an 8 month old Heritage RIR hen weigh after being skinned and gutted?
DH and I had to cull one tonight and I'm wondering if she was on the small side. She ended up being just under 3 pounds at 2 pounds 13 ounces. This was not including the liver or the heart. I have not grown accustom to eating that much of the chicken.

At 8 months, that's a little small, but not too small. With another few of years of selection, you should be able to tie another 1/2 pound on there.

 

[Canieldonrad]

While I do have old recipes that include parts we generally don't use today....I'm just not quite there yet in my mind to use those other parts of animals. I don't even like to eat the organs as gravy. But considering I never thought we'd be able to butcher our own chickens, I might eventually get there with eating the rest of the parts like they did way-back-when.

It would either take a very open mind or the process of being raised in an open culture. I have a little bit of both. Growing up my mother owned an appliance store. One of the customers and family friend was a Vietnamese woman. We would go out to work on her appliances and occasionally visit. She always cooked everything other than the digestive organs. So while I never ate the dishes she made, I watched her preparing them.

I am also a type of person who understands what the parts are, how they function, and what they are composed of. All a shank is, is flesh and bone. All a head is is flesh and bone. All a comb/wattle is is flesh. To me, they are no different than skin or liver or heart or meat.

Although I heard shanks are on a level of their own, and make some wonderful cooking stock. The thick gelatinous kind.