Old Layers

[Leah and peeps]

Hi,

Anyone here ever butcher their old layers? I know that they would be tough, but if you do how do you prepare them? What age have you done them at? How'd they turn out?
Pictures would be great too!

Thanks

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

Stewing hen. ...you stew them...chicken soup. Really the best thing to do. You might want to save them for cold weather though.

 

[HLAC]

Chicken and dumplings! Cut the meat into little cubes other wise the meat falls apart into strings.

Old birds really make the best soup and stew. The flavor is excellent.

 

[donrae]

I'm counting on the soup/broth thing to be true..........I'm culling most of my laying flock this fall, at four years old I just can't justify feeding them through another winter! I'm planning on pressure cooking most of them and canning tons of brothy goodness!

 

[Leah and peeps]

Thanks

Sounds good! Mine are just skimpy SL's and small Chanteclers (who don't ever lay). Not expecting much from them. Are you still O.K to eat even though they have had and been treated for *possibly* cocci, mites/lice, and roundworms? (so far

) I am going to have to restock eventually! I have more people wanting to buy dozens of eggs then I do eggs! Somebody needs more chickens

 

[yinepu]

chicken and dumplings.. soups.. chicken pie.. anything where the bird will be slow cooked

for medications .. just make sure you are past any time it takes them to clear it from their system.. different drugs have different amounts of time you need to wait before slaughter.. so it's best to check before you slaughter them so you don't waste the meat