Processed our first bird yesterday. Need some advice. :(

[dandydoodle]

Awwwe, I didn't think about the rigor mortis thing maybe that was part of our problem. I couldn't him with in a few hours after we finished processing. So do you have to soak them all. I mean say you process 5 in one day, obviously we won't be eating them right away. The ones I plain to freeze should I soak them for 24 hours first also? So what do ya'll think should I soak in salt water or butter milk? Should I just through them all in a pot with water, Buttermilk and salt for 24 hours and refrigerate and then wrap and freeze the ones I am not ready to eat? Sorry for all the questions.

Oh yea, thanks everyone for their help.

 

[dandydoodle]

Just in my experience, the longer a bird has had chance to use it's "muscles" the tougher, chewier it will be. I'm limited on eating free range chicken and preparation as mine are layers. So this advice comes mainly from handling game meat. But anything you suspect that's had a good natural life running around a bit you might consider marinades with vinegars or buttermilk as they have acids that can help tenderize the meat. Letting the meat set int he fridge 24-48 hours is great advice allowing it to "age".

There is also some thought, that if this was your first, and of course I don't know how "Quick" the death was --hopefully so-- that adrenaline can spike in the bird and create "toughness in the meat".

I think with experience butchering gets easier, because it takes a bit to wrap your head around what you're doing on the first one. IMO and in my own personal experience. --I've only done one. Not looking forward to the next per se, but I think I would have an easier time of it, when it comes down to it. "Been there, done that" sort of deal, plus your technique will improve with each you do.

Good luck and wonderful information on other "meat-dual purpose" birds that I didn't know on here. Good stuff.

Yea, this was a tough first go round for us. I think we have definitely learned one way we don't want to process a bird. I told my husband it was a bad idea before he did it but, he is hard headed. LOL!!! He was the one doing the actual culling, so how much can you really complain about their choice of method if your not willing to actually do it yourself. Anyway we will see if we actually do it again after what we experienced the other day. Sure gives you more respect for the food on your table. I hope we can get past it because, I have five more meat birds ready to be culled and they either need to be in my freezer or on someone elses farm. I just don't have the money to keep feeding them. I sure hope we are able to get our big panties on and get over ourselves. This is the way of life we want for ourselves. We want to know where our meat is coming from and we want to know the food on our table had a good life before becoming food.

Awwww, I knew it was gonna be hard but dang. I think if my husband had culled in a different way it might not be as hard to do the next but, what can you do?

Sorry for rambling. Just worried about what I am gonna do about these roos if my hubby and I can't bring ourselves to do it again and in the mean time I am trying to figure out what would be the best birds to get if we want to continue doing this. Well he did make some good chicken and dumplings.

How did you process your first? I mean how did you cull?

 

[jdywntr]

Brining is a personal choice. I've brined and not brined. I always let mine rest before cooking. I think 2 days is the soonest I've cooked. My last chickens (18 wk JG) I didn't brine (my big tub was filled with goose). They are fine, some were eaten fresh, some frozen. The meat is a little more dense. I don't want to say chewy, definitely not tough, but different than typical grocery chicken.

I almost always part out my birds (and often skin instead of pluck) I have a big tuperware type tub that I fill with whatever bird was processed and brine what will fit. The rest go in garbage bags and sit for a couple days in the keg cooler (which hasn't had a keg in it in a year or so).

I honestly haven't noticed a huge difference in brining but maybe thats me. I've never brined in buttermild, only a salt/sugar solution. I often slow cook leg quarters, just because its easier and I can throw them frozen into water and spices and let them simmer away for hours. (I always forget to defrost)

 

[trameghan]

I have processed 3 chickens so far. The first was traumatic to both of us! I held her down and he worked the ax. It was a quick death, one blow and it was over, but i felt like I was going to pass out. She was a leghorn mix of unknown age so I stewed her up in some tomatoes and other stuff and served her over pasta. Yum. The other 2 were 4 month old EE roosters. I roasted one and fried the other. I thought the roasted one was very chewy, especially the breast meat. Flavor was nice though. I brined him for a few days before I cooked him too so maybe he was too old, or I cooked him too long, or it's just how an EE chicken is. I don't know. The fried one was better but the breast meat was still a little chewy, not bad, but definitely firmer than store bought. I don't know about it getting easier to butcher them. The 2 roos we did were less traumatic to both of us but we were both kinda shook up when it was done. After I got them plucked i was fine. I had one more roo to do and 3 gimpy salmon faverolles but I whimped out and gave them to a friend. I think my problem was with the way we did the killing. I saw a video of a guy who bonks his chickens on the head to knock them out first, then slits their throats. I may try that next time. I'm a lover of all critters(except fire ants! lol) so I doubt chicken culling will ever be easy. Good luck

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Yea, this was a tough first go round for us. I think we have definitely learned one way we don't want to process a bird. I told my husband it was a bad idea before he did it but, he is hard headed. LOL!!! He was the one doing the actual culling, so how much can you really complain about their choice of method if your not willing to actually do it yourself. Anyway we will see if we actually do it again after what we experienced the other day. Sure gives you more respect for the food on your table. I hope we can get past it because, I have five more meat birds ready to be culled and they either need to be in my freezer or on someone elses farm. I just don't have the money to keep feeding them. I sure hope we are able to get our big panties on and get over ourselves. This is the way of life we want for ourselves. We want to know where our meat is coming from and we want to know the food on our table had a good life before becoming food.

Awwww, I knew it was gonna be hard but dang. I think if my husband had culled in a different way it might not be as hard to do the next but, what can you do?

Sorry for rambling. Just worried about what I am gonna do about these roos if my hubby and I can't bring ourselves to do it again and in the mean time I am trying to figure out what would be the best birds to get if we want to continue doing this. Well he did make some good chicken and dumplings.

How did you process your first? I mean how did you cull?

Ahhh your story is so very similar to mine! Too many roos, and this one wasn't a very good one. Too agressive with the hens and I had another Roo that was 10x better watching out for predators. I too like the idea of where my meat comes from--we love the wild game my husband brings home. And knowing that the animal had a good natural life and didn't live it wallowing in its own pooh and gulping down antibiotics. i believe in also respected in life, and a respectful death--understanding where your meat came from-- " A heady lesson", I've been known to say on BYC.

I did find an excellent youtube video on humane culling and butchering of chicken--it was very objective and matter of fact. i did little ankle nooses hung him upside down and cut his artery in his neck and let him bleed out. He passed pretty quickly but I was still surprised by toughness of neck and I will be more efficient next time if I need to do it. I think also the old stump with 2 nails to hold the neck in place with axe would also be fast for your birds or a killing cone (sort of cradles the body while exposing the neck). I sense you'll do just fine next time. Probably being too hard on yourself for this one, too, I suspect.