Just ATE my first raised chicken....and

[6chickens in St. Charles]

How old was the bird you ate?

I see good recipes for braised birds, calling for the 3 year old "older, spent" hens. But trouble-roosters are usually only 1 year olds.

 

[mamawolf544]

I am so glad for you. It was a very long process I will admit. First I had to eat my own eggs, which now sounds so silly to me but I used to hatch all my eggs so "my eggs" were babies. I haven't bought a store bought egg in years.

Then I moved to the meat birds, boy that first bite was hard to swallow

but it was good. Now my freezer is always stocked with our own chickens.
I teach my GK's that we love and care for the chickens and give them a good life and in return they feed us. That we dont help the big chicken companies that are mean to the birds. And they accept that.

My next thing is a pig, I have been dreading it because I have a pot belly and she is so smart. But I am getting one and raising it with love and humanely and he/she will feed us at a later date. Not my pot belly.

Most of the beef and pork I buy is from a local butcher shop that grass raise all the meat. They are a small shop and the meat is delicious and the prices are very good. You sure can tell the difference.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Quote:
And, there is so much good history to be learned from raising animals for food. Phrases like "chewing the fat", "having your panties in a wad", "pecking order", "stupid (derived from #@!*birds headed for the stew-pot) etc makes very good learning for families.

Then there's the stories, like why we hunt for eggs on easter, the 3 legged pig, etc that NOW make sense because we understand where it came from!

 

[pookiegoldman]

6chickens in St. Charles :

How old was the bird you ate?

I see good recipes for braised birds, calling for the 3 year old "older, spent" hens. But trouble-roosters are usually only 1 year olds.

He was 7 months old. I surely wouldn't have tried frying him at that age, but he did turn out nice!​

 

[pookiegoldman]

Quote:
I tell my 5year old the same thing about our birds being raised with love and care, but she still doesn't want to hear it... She views our birds as her pets, since she also feeds them and collects their eggs. We have raised our own pigs from time to time to slaughter for a pig roast. You can't beat home raised meat!

 

[Mak]

We've been buying local grass fed beef, local pork and chickens for a few years now. Grocery store meat? Not for my table! (Ok, we still use grocery store for competition chili, but that's a cost thing.) I never thought I'd be able to say this (I was always the "I'd get too attached!" type) but when the hens are past laying age, they will make great stew or stock, I'm sure. Not that I don't love 'em, but I know how they've been raised and I know how the commercial meat is raised. I'm going with local, thank you. Heck, I've been to the farm where we get our beef and have probably petted the cow that is in the freezer right now! LOL

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

6chickens in St. Charles :

How old was the bird you ate?

I see good recipes for braised birds, calling for the 3 year old "older, spent" hens. But trouble-roosters are usually only 1 year olds.

On mine, we went over due to lack of time to butcher. It was 14 weeks old then. The meat birds are butchered young.... usually 8-12 weeks​

 

[cassie]

I have an ee rooster that is heading the same way the minute I have a minute. I went out of town for a few weeks and he attacked the girl I hired to care for the animals. He used to attack us but stopped. Since I will be leaving again over Christmas and the chickens will have the same caretaker he will have to be gone by then. Plus the weather is getting colder, soup and stew will be welcome.

 

[Cat Water]

I am glad you like him, but I would never eat my own babies. Partly because the only roosters were silkies!

I won't have any problems eating the eggs, though. Now I am wondering what my annoying Orpington tastes like...

 

[geepy]

We have been butchering our excess roos for a couple of years. When they start crowing we break out the supplies. My roos are not meat birds, they are mix breeds, but they still make real good chicken and dumpling's. I usually skin the breast and bake them, they are the best, juicy and very tender. I do age the birds for 4 or 5 days before I freeze them. Oh, all the extra parts are baked, with onions, celery, and carrots, and boiled for the best chicken stock you will ever taste. I just got done putting up 5 gallons.