Just started processing chickens and have a question

[Jaydude]

Hi there, my wife and I got laying hens last year and incubated a bunch of the eggs for meat birds this spring. We began processing them yesterday and were able to get through 4 of them before my wife cut her hand seriously enough to have to get stitches. We live in Northwestern Ontario Canada and the temps are fridge cold right now. The chickens were strung up on a rack by their feet and left in the garage overnight (long waits at the hospitals up here and we didn't get back till after midnight). Was wondering how long until they are no good to eat considering the remaining chickens haven't been gutted yet. If they were kept cold, would they still be good to eat or am I out of luck?

 

[AidKD]

They'll be fine. Hope your wife is feeling better!

 

[Molpet]

People used to hang pheasant for a week or so at 50f
I have had to dispatch unexpectedly when I didn't have time....and put her in the refrigerator until rigor mortis passed . Went through the plucker and was great.

 

[Molpet]

https://honest-food.net/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Even though they weren't gutted?

 

[Molpet]

Even though they weren't gutted?

Yes.
Used to be common for birds to be sold just plucked. The old cookbooks talk about getting an undrawn bird for stuffing. They say the butcher would make the opening too large and show how to do it.
The old Currier and Ives pictures of hanging bird's that were plucked but not gutted.

 

[AidKD]

Yes.
Used to be common for birds to be sold just plucked. The old cookbooks talk about getting an undrawn bird for stuffing. They say the butcher would make the opening too large and show how to do it.
The old Currier and Ives pictures of hanging bird's that were plucked but not gutted.

I have cookbooks from the 50's that talk about how to do that for chickens and ducks. They also show how to choose what cut of pork and beef you want. I think it's really neat!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yes.
Used to be common for birds to be sold just plucked. The old cookbooks talk about getting an undrawn bird for stuffing. They say the butcher would make the opening too large and show how to do it.
The old Currier and Ives pictures of hanging bird's that were plucked but not gutted.

Cool. I would mess it up, lol.