Home Grown chickens vs. store bought

[honeydoll]

Okay, I raised my first batch of meat birds last summer, processed them and have already made supper out of all of them. Here's the deal: when I tried the first one I'll admit it was good but I was a little squeamish after doing the butchering so I couldn't fully enjoy it. I got over the squeamish real soon after that. THe second one tasted better but I didn't really notice much of a difference from the store ones, the third tasted very good and after the sixth I was hooked (they just seemed to get better and better). Ran out of my cornish x meat about two weeks ago and bought the same store brand I always did before I processed my own. I took a bite and could not believe the taste, it was awful compared to my free ranged, home grown cornish x. I couldn't believe the difference. The chicken from the store just didn't hold a candle to ours, I actually thought it was gross.

I am ruined to store bought chicken now! I am sooo hooked on raising my own meaties now I'll never look back. I NEED A BIGGER FREEZER!! Now I see what all of you are saying, there is a big difference. I didn't notice it at first but after having our owna nd then going back to the store ones I see it now. Huge difference to me, so not all chicken meat is created equal. I am still in shock at just how YUCK the store brand is to me now. NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU RAISE YOUR OWN MEATIES!!! YUMMMMM!!!

 

[NonnasBabies]

I'm still debating if I'm gonna raise some this spring!! Gotta get my courage up!! Thank goodness my MIL said she'd help with it!!

Missi

 

[Sam208]

you should raise some they taste a lot better than store chickens

 

[honeydoll]

When I bought mine it was on a whim, they all were little, yellow and cute. Then they grew and I thought, OH CRAP what did I get myself into. I had no idea how to raise them correctly, I did everything wrong. I thought "It's a chicken no difference." Well I learned they are very different from layers. My point is, I raised my first batch all wrong and got great (some 9lbs.!) chickens out of them. It wasn't that hard. The killing was somewhat difficult to get the nerve to do, but after two or three you get thicker skin and it isn't that bad. We butchered our first at 9wks. and the others at 12 wks. My advice to you would be, if you raise cornish x, butcher your first few at 9 wks. before they get bigger. The younger smaller ones are easier to handle and I could hold it much easier than the 12 wk. ones. That was just my experience and that is just my 2 cents. The 12 weekers were much stronger and harder to hold and handle than the smaller ones.

 

[NonnasBabies]

Thanks for the info!! I've been reading up on it so I guess we'll see. My hubby suggested buying a calf a few years back and raising it to slaughter but I told him I just couldn't kill something I raised like that. But I tell you I'm becoming more resigned at doing this after watching the videos on how different animals are treated and raised and all the hormones that there given.. Kinda turns your stomach just thinking about ingesting all that!!

Thanks
Missi

 

[Winsor Woods]

Oh Yeah! The taste and texture of home-grown meaties are second to none. The breast meat is so moist, like that of the dark meat of store birds. The dark meat of home-grown...just falls apart in my mouth.

I also find I need to eat less chicken when I eat my meaties versus the store-bought chicken. I chalk it up to more nutrition my meaties. I'm curious to hear how much you eat to feel the same satisfaction.

Dan

 

[Eggs4Sale]

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I had a soft heart about the cow thing, too. I had a really hard time with the first one. After tasting the meat vs. store bought, holy COW! I HATE buying hamburger from the store. Every time we have to use it, we all sit around scrunching up our faces and saying "How do people EAT this stuff?"

For Cornish X's, we've never gotten up the courage to try them because there's such a narrow window for butchering, and we just know we'd have three-month old meaties dragging around.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

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How many does it take to feed a family of 5, no teenagers....???

We'd be plucking by hand.

 

[honeydoll]

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I never really thought about that. I will say the meal from my meaties was soooo satisfying (after I got used to eating what I killed myself, that is), but I chalked it up to just feeling good about providing it myself. I'll have to pay attention to that. That would be a real interesting thing to find out.

 

[bigredfeather]

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If you have any canning knowlegde, you can preserve chicken that way. My wife loves opening a jar of cooked chicken and dumping into a entree or noodles. Takes a little time up front, but it's worth it when you need to use it.