Is home-raised chicken meat REALLY that good?

[silkiechicken]

I think the hobby farm's problem is they are trying to eat spent hens. They should try some real meat birds for a more meaty and tender chicken. Home grown just feels better to eat and has a less watery flavor and has a texture.

 

[perfectly_polish]

Quote:
Is she raising meat birds(cornish crosses, etc.), or is she butchering her old extra birds? If they do a lot of free ranging the meat will be tough because they get exercise which makes a lot of muscle. Is she giving them broiler feed to gain weight? I know the cornish crosses we processed just yesterday we're delicious, much better then a store bought chicken!

 

[dancingbear]

I have to agree with all the others, so the answer is...IT DEPENDS.

On several things, such as:
What breed?
How old?
What did it eat?
How much did it run around?
How was it processed?
Skinned or plucked?
Brined, or not brined?
How was it cooked?
Was it cooked in a manner that considered the above factors, in order to make the best use of that particular bird?
What are the eater's expectations and personal preferences?

Preference for a certain type of chicken varies greatly from one individual to another. I use whatever I've got, and that's been young birds, older birds, meat breeds, and dual purpose. I just prepare them according to what I know works best considering the different factors.

It's almost like asking "What is the very best flavor of ice cream?" For one person it's chocolate or vanilla, for another it's cinnamon caramel cashew crunch. Some even choose, (horrors) rum raisin.

Most people prefer home raised, once they've had it. There are a few who don't, and there's always the chance the one they ate was just badly prepared.

 

[chicka_chicka_boom_boom]

Thanks for all your opinions! Being a beginner myself, I didn't ask her all the "right" questions to get the details I need. But I also didn't realize how much the way you raise them can affect the meat quality and consistency... I guess that just makes sense!

She did say that the meat birds that she got were better than the dual-purpose birds that they had, so I think she's figured out that they need to get a meat breed (don't know what she had, but they were white and kind of bow-legged & stocky). She also said that they started out in a chicken tractor, but then one day they let them out for a little while, saw that they loved it so much, and decided to just let them free range after that. As far as feed goes, she buys organic feed for her pigs, and I saw both layers and meat birds eating from those big bowls of pig grain. All of her chickens just do as they please. Also, I don't know how old the chickens were when they were processed; I do know that she paid someone $2/bird to do it for her.

So, let me see if I am understanding you all right...
* Get a bird that has been bred for the table
* Keep it in a pen (how much roaming should they be allowed to do?)
* Feed it food meant for this purpose
* Butcher the birds at a young age (how old? 6-8 weeks?)

I know that we can learn a lot of this by experience, but my husband will only let me experiment so much on HIS plate. I know that the meat is going to be healthier and safer for the family. If we're going to all this effort, I DO want it to taste good to him too.

Any other pointers on how to get the most tasty and juiciest bird? I like the idea of happy chickens, and that somehow that will "transfer" to what they provide for us, in both the meat and eggs. Can chickens be happy in a pen, or even kept inside?

Thanks so much... I'm really learning so much from everyone's experience and advice!

 

[blueskylen]

We processed our first red broilers at 10 weeks,- they were about 3-4 lbs dressed out. they were not very tender or fat, but i really enjoyed the taste and texture over the store bought. so does everyone else in the family. we are about to get cornish X next month, and will see how we like them . i could not bring myself to process them, and it is better that someone else did it for me - as i can enjoy eating them more.
when our eggers get older and stop laying, i don't think that i will be able to eat them, and will probably sell them or maybe just keep them around.

 

[willheveland]

So, let me see if I am understanding you all right...
* Get a bird that has been bred for the table
* Keep it in a pen (how much roaming should they be allowed to do?)
* Feed it food meant for this purpose
* Butcher the birds at a young age (how old? 6-8 weeks?)

yes,if you want meat get a meat bird-if you want eggs get layers.

I think meat birds like Cornish should be kept in a pen outside with open bottoms for fresh grass and sunlight,but kept under shade and out of wind.

For feed I like feed from the mill mainly because of price.I don't buy into the organic feed,but I don't want bagged feeds with arsenic either. Fresh water is just as important as the feed

Cornish X's can be processed at 6-8 weeks if they are the size you want,other breeds will take a bit longer.The $2. your friend is being charged is a good fair price.In my opinon if you do batches it isn't worth the mess or work,Pay the $2.The processor can do it 5 times faster and you couldn't heat up your water for the price he is giving you.

As far as keeping your chickens happy meatbirds mainly like to be fed,layers like to forage and hunt for bugs.You have to remember the main reason your raising them, If they are livestock or pets.If you could ask your chickens what would make them happy they would want their owners to be veggie eaters. Will​

 

[farm_mom]

I raise dual-purpose birds that are allowed to free range part of the day, everyday. One of the most noticable differences is that the breast meat is not as large as in the store bought meat. And if the birds are older birds, the texture will be chewy (but, the bird will be more flavorful with age.) I think the best advice I could give you if you're just starting out is to brine your first roaster if you're worried about flavor and texture and go from there. Brining will make the meat tender and similar to what you're used to eating. You may not be as turned off from it as you may otherwise be. I would also recommend just ordering a straight run, dual purpose breed for your first time, keep the hens for eggs and butcher your excess roos. This way you don't have to deal with some of the more serious issues that people who raise cornish crosses have. It may be a bit much for your first time. Good luck!

 

[candyd]

What a great conversation. I have learned alot just from these posts. Next year I plan on getting meat birds, and are going to know what to look for next year. Thanks!

 

[NC chicken man]

This our first year of raising meat birds we have processed 150 so far with 150 more to process in the next two weeks the taste is far better than store bought chickens we have 100 turkeys in the brooder for thanksgiving we sell pasture finished beef too,and everybody that has bought our eggs,chickens or beef said it was the best they have ever had but the out come starts with what you put in them ,we use fertrell all natural supplyments we have our feed ground and we have had good results.
Aaron

 

[graykristen]

We just had one of our Cornish Crosses last night and my husband and I both agreed that it was by far the BEST chicken we have ever had. It was delicious, both flavor and texture. We grilled it with BBQ sauce. We've been experimenting with other breeds but for meat, the Cornish Cross will never let you down.