How to portion when processing?

[NatJ]

One more question: what is a good way to save the innards, if they’re worth saving? Or even their feet, for the dogs, if it’s worth doing.

It depends on the dogs and on your own preferences.

Some dogs are picky about which parts of the chicken they eat. You have to learn this by experience with your dog.

Many dogs are happy to eat every bit of the chicken, in which case they can get everything you don't want to keep for the people. Yes that includes feet, innards, heads, wings, bones, and usually a few feathers if they are attached to something else.

You can freeze parts for the dogs by putting them in bags and sticking them in the freezer. Think about what amount you want to have in each package so it's convenient. For example, one meal for one dog in one package, or one week's worth that you then thaw in the fridge and hand out over however many days.

There is no need to age the parts for the dog.

 

[HomeInsteader]

The meat needs to go through rigor mortis before you cook it, otherwise it can be so tough it is pretty inedible. You can freeze it before it has passed rigor mortis and age it when you thaw it but most people do that before freezing. With what you are planning should work. You want the meat to be loose and "jiggly". A typical test is to move a joint. If it moves freely and is not stiff you are OK.

Not all chickens go through rigor mortis at the same pace. Too many variables, such as temperature. But if you toss the meat into an iced bath as you process it (cools it and preserves it) then refrigerate for a couple of days you should be OK.

Does it need to go through rigor mortis in the fridge before I portion it, or can I portion it and maybe vacuum seal it before putting it in the fridge to go through rigor mortis?

 

[NatJ]

Does it need to go through rigor mortis in the fridge before I portion it, or can I portion it and maybe vacuum seal it before putting it in the fridge to go through rigor mortis?

You can portion it at any point.

You could also do some each way, to help you decide which way you prefer for the future.

Some people freeze the meat, then thaw each package a few days before they intend to cook it, and let it sit in the fridge until the rigor mortis passes.

You want the meat to be loose and "jiggly". A typical test is to move a joint. If it moves freely and is not stiff you are OK.

If you cut the meat apart at ALL the joints when you portion it, you will not be able to move a joint to see if the rigor is past.

If your way of portioning chicken leaves some joints in some of the pieces, this will not be an issue at all. If you normally would cut it apart at every joint, you can either leave a few together for the sake of testing, or you can learn to check the meat even when it doesn't have joints.