Just butchered some Got a Question

[burntmuch]

First time butchering. I only had 10. But thats what I started with 8 weeks ago. So feel pretty good about that. I left a couple birds whole for the Sunday dinners, Those got the whole treatment, Plucked & gutted,( not sure if thats the term). The rest I cut the leg quarters, Wings & breast off with out opening the bird up. Is there any problem with doing that. It was a whole lot quicker. 10 cornish rocks gave me 40 lbs or so of meat.
Im real happy with the experience so far. 2 mths before my Isa Browns start laying.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

Sounds like you've got it nailed down to me!!!

 

[Chicken411]

I was wondering about this as well. Did you lose any meat doing it this way burnt? Wish I could find a video of this method.

 

[Bossroo]

If one only harvests the breast meat and leg quarters, and wings , one wastes about a 1/5 ( almost a pound of edible meat ) of the bird's carcass which can be made into soups, or when the meat is boiled off the bones, into stews, etc. Also, Removing the intestines first will lesson your chances of nicking an intestine and getting some of it's contents onto the meat. With practice, one will find that removing the intestines first , one will be able to cut up the carcass into its parts much easier and faster .

 

[becky3086]

I agree. I did just three of my birds this weekend but canned up 4 qts of soup stock and meat. We had chicken soup tonight. There is no canned soup out there that will hold a candle to your own homemade soup. I would hate to have wasted all that good meat and stock.

 

[Chicken411]

Boss, what portions of the chicken are we talking about, the backbone, neck etc...?

becky-I am very interested in canning stock. I am going to use frugal's method and use the feet, backbone, and neck to make it. Can you please explain the canning process? Also, you mentioned you canned soup stock and meat, did you mean the meat was seperate from the stock or they were together? How do you make yours?

Thanks

 

[tboneranch]

I would definitely like to know more about canning stock!

 

[AlbionWood]

I pressure-can, 20 minutes at 11 psi, after hot-packing.

 

[dancingbear]

There's more meat on the backs than you'd think, I won't waste any of it, myself. I put too much time and money into my birds to be throwing away any perfectly good meat.

Those backs and necks can produce enough meat and stock for some great soups, chicken and dumplings, or chicken salad. My DH likes hearts and gizzards, too, and we boil up the livers for the dogs. I grew up with parents who lived through the depression. And have been through some very lean times myself. I can't stand wasting food.

 

[bigredfeather]

There is nothing wrong with doing it that way, as I know others on here do it. I would have to agree you are losing some meat, especially on 8 week old birds. A 6 or 7 pound bird has a good bit of meat around the parts you are not using. I would suggest to keep practicing gutting. We were very slow at it at first, but we have gotten faster and faster every time we do it. The first time we butchered it took us 2 hours to do six birds. Last Saturday it took my wife, 2 DD, and myself 3 hours to do 55 of them.