Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[hellbender]

Hi,
Where is everyone? It's finally gotten warm and dry here in western PA. The lone chick turns out is a pullet! Yeah! She's a comely little thing. I have another hen sitting eggs in the coop. Will see what comes of that. Next week will be the end of the third week since I put Tux in with the hens and removed Rocky. So now he should be sire of any of the chicks born.
Tomorrow I will rearrange the rest of the hens. Pulling 3 from Tux's flock due to larger cushions and putting them with a rooster in the egg flock. . Replacing them with the Ross hen, May,(my best Boese layer) , and the hen raising the pullet. No one seems to want Knight And Day. So I will either give him away to someone's farm or put him down. I just don't need him anymore.
Best,
Karen

It's a shame about Knight and Day. Are you not about eating him?

 

[3riverschick]

It's a shame about Knight and Day. Are you not about eating him?

Hi Hellbender!

Yeah, he's a lovely SQ stud cock ( 'cept for losing his comb points to frostbite) and very prepotent for himself in his sons, sigh.
Don't want to eat him, he's 3 years old. Probably tough.
Best,
Karen

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Hi Hellbender!

Yeah, he's a lovely SQ stud cock ( 'cept for losing his comb points to frostbite) and very prepotent for himself in his sons, sigh.
Don't want to eat him, he's 3 years old. Probably tough.
Best,
Karen

I think maybe the "toughness" thing gets exaggerated. We did a cockerel & cock cull recently, and one of the meatiest was a 3 yo VERY active free-ranging cock ... I roasted him at a moderate temperature under foil with the skin on so I could use the pan drippings in other stuff ... his skin was tough, but his meat was very edible and delicious. Not the melting bland jelly consistency of a CornishX, but juicy and no more chewy than a very good steak. The flavor was excellent, not too strong. No major difference between him and the older cockerels we processed at the same time.

That said, I think it's perfectly okay to not want to be the one to eat a specific bird. It's your mouth, and mouths are SO close to brains ...

I think older birds have culinary value ... edited to add this link: http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/seasonal_chickens/

 

[DesertChic]

Hi Hellbender!

Yeah, he's a lovely SQ stud cock ( 'cept for losing his comb points to frostbite) and very prepotent for himself in his sons, sigh.
Don't want to eat him, he's 3 years old. Probably tough.
Best,
Karen

Though I haven't tried it yet myself, I've read that soaking the meat in something acidic, like buttermilk, for a few days while the freshly butchered carcass rests will soften the meat considerably.

 

[bnjrob]

Though I haven't tried it yet myself, I've read that soaking the meat in something acidic, like buttermilk, for a few days while the freshly butchered carcass rests will soften the meat considerably.

Never had a problem using a brine for 24-48 hours for tender, seasoning-infused chickens.

 

[finnfur]

IMHO the crock pot make them all tender-slow cooking is the way to go.

 

[3riverschick]

I admit, the crockpot is my friend, hee, hee. Something to think about, smile.

 

[hellbender]

I admit, the crockpot is my friend, hee, hee. Something to think about, smile.

A big plus...the broth will make the best dumplins' ever...!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sunflowergirl]

I think older birds have culinary value ... edited to add this link: http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/seasonal_chickens/

While we are on the topic of the culinary value of our culls...

I have a question. This above article was a wonderful educational read on the various ages and different ways to cook. It has a chart that lists age and weights for the various cooking techniques..
My question is this:
The weight listed, is it the live weight or the carcass weight???

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

While we are on the topic of the culinary value of our culls...

I have a question. This above article was a wonderful educational read on the various ages and different ways to cook. It has a chart that lists age and weights for the various cooking techniques..
My question is this:
The weight listed, is it the live weight or the carcass weight???

Great question! I'll ask Christine!