need help - delay between culling and plucking?

[nickyblase]

Hi All,

My first ever group of meat birds are due to go to butcher on Monday (they are almost 7 weeks). I went to close their coop and found one face up, dead. It had to have been less than 45 minutes, as I was just out there refilling waters and they were all very much alive. I just bled it out, and it wasn't coagulated, so I'm hoping it's still viable for processing.

Here's my question - it's late and I need to put kids to bed. I haven't dipped it in hot water or plucked it yet. What should I do with it until tomorrow? Is it possible to keep it somehow as-is (whole bird, feathers and all), or will it not be any good if I don't fully process it right after culling? I've looked up a bunch of threads on how to do it all, but I haven't found any really any prescriptive guidance re: timeline, should there be any instances where life gets in the way and you have to step away for a little bit.

 

[RiverOtter]

It's probably too late. You have to gut while they're still pretty fresh. Dead animals start to break down and rot from the inside first, and the smaller the animal, the quicker that happens. Tomorrow will absolutely be too late.

I know it feels awful and wasteful ... but think of those kids with Salmonella, then just bury it.

 

[nickyblase]

ok, thank you for the insight. I had a feeling that might be the case.

 

[Molpet]

They Used to hang pheasants for a week before processing them.. just refrigerate it

 

[Molpet]

https://www.cabelas.com/category/CWC-Article-Dry-Aging-Game-Birds/608001480.uts

 

[RiverOtter]

My ex-husband thought it would be ok once. The bird looked fine when skinned, but when gutted, the cavity was a nasty shade of green

 

[iwltfum]

I've heard of people dry aging turkeys after plucking (not eviscerating and hanging in a cold room for a week or more), but a respectable poultry butcher will not slaughter a dead bird period.