Processed our first chicken

[mrstiffanymayer]

We had a very unruly/mean rooster. He was so handsome, but could not be rehabilitated from attacking my daughters. We processed him on Monday night using directions I found on this board - THANK YOU!

The only thing I noticed was how hard it seemed to skin him and how long the body twitched after the carotid artery was cut (I timed it - almost 4 minutes).

Anyone know why it was hard to pull the skin off? We followed directions from a diagram that shows where to cut (by the feet, down the center, etc) and the direction to pull the skin, but it was still really hard. Anyone have a diagram or pictures that show how to skin a chicken?

We put him in the crockpot and had him for lunch and dinner yesterday. SO YUMMY!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well I don't know why it was so hard. How old was the bird? A 4 minute bleed is pretty good. I find bleeding it makes a less messy processing and cleaner meat.

 

[mrstiffanymayer]

He was 23 weeks old, EE

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Oh yes. Decended from an araucana. I have read that they taste gamier than most chickens. Sometimes I think I do taste a little something extra in them. I killed 2 EE, 1 RIR, 4 Cornish Xs and 2 araucanas in the last few weeks. Still your chicken wasn't old. But perhaps not fryer age anymore. My plan is to BBQ and fry the very young broilers and stew the older ones. I would say anything under 16 weeks of age is a fryer.

 

[comp6512]

Quote:
When people say "fryer" - does it literally mean a bird has to be fried on the pan with oil? Or can it be roasted?

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
When people say "fryer" - does it literally mean a bird has to be fried on the pan with oil? Or can it be roasted?

No. You can cook it anyway you want to. But as it gets older, your options are fewer for optimum taste and tenderness.

 

[bison]

I also processed my first bird yesterday. It was cathartic, and I felt justice was served. My rooster (jersey black giant) was extremely mean as well, and I couldn't ever let my 2 year old daughter go in the coop with me. I never went in without a broom in hand (which he would attack consistently anyway). If I didn't take the broom with me, as soon as I would turn around, he would gore me in the back of my knee. He even drew blood through my jeans one time. It was at that time that I told him how things were going to turn out for him, and yesterday he found out that I am true to my word. He was awful... I could hardly get in to clean out the coop. But yesterday the process went extremely smooth. I had researched on here and some other places on the web, and because of that, it was so easy. I caught him with my fish net, put a towel over his head until I could tie his feet together, lowered him into a "noose", then I stretched him out over a board, and the rest was history. He's now in the freezer, and I can't wait.

 

[FortWorthChicks]

I thought that you were supposed to let a bird age in the fridge for a couple days before putting them into the freezer?

 

[bison]

If so, I did it wrong...

 

[bison]

Had him for dinner this past week, and he was great!