Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[Sally Sunshine]

I understand the fat can be used for numerous things, but also haven't researched it yet...

Bones are more brittle than what you expect because even though they are big birds they are still only 8-10 week olds and the bones haven't 'hardened' yet, or calcified. Growing bones are generally porous and easily broken. The faster the growth the less time the bone has to fill in the pores. I don't know that adding calcium could even keep up with the growth rate of the average broiler. Most folks just try to balance it so the growth rate is as high as possible without causing an extreme issue with the bird's mobility which would force early culling.

ok, thanks!

they have soaked since processing Friday afternoon, I am thinking about bagging freezing today, it says 48 hours is best to wait until freezing.

I guess I could shrink bag them today refrigerate and then add them to the freezer tonight. same thing as 48 hours right?


about the shrink bags...

do I add any water in the bags at all? there are no instructions, I have stickers to put on the slits. and what temp hot water?

 

[Beekissed]

good to know! thank you!
mostly they had an extreme amount of fat at the neck and under belly butt, I was going to try to render it for the first time, but mom was tossing it away before I knew what was happening, she said I was gross for wanting it and for fear of a huge argument husband stepped in and basically told me to shut up I have help to clean them dont press my luck. So perhaps I will do my homework first for spring.

ALSO bones were VERY brittle, did I do something wrong?

SAVE THAT FAT next time! Render it down and skim it off. Freeze it flat in a zip loc bag and then just break pieces off and add to any of your favorite dishes that need a little fat in them....it is silky smooth and will turn most anything into an unctuous, luxurious silky recipe of amazing flavor and texture. It's also supposed to be the best fat to use for pie crusts and even biscuits, though I've never gotten to try that.

My Mama is 81 now and has cooked for huge amounts of family~nine kids and all their own~ and also had her own restaurant and she said potato soup made with my chicken's fat was the best soup she'd ever had in her life. I had to agree...never tasted potato soup that good before. Used the same recipe we always used except with the addition of the chicken fat.

Save that stuff. For once, your Mama's wrong.

All the top chefs swear by using rendered chicken fat for cooking to give their food that extra flavor and texture they can't get with any other kind of fats.

You didn't do anything wrong...those are young birds and young birds have brittle bones. No getting around that.

 

[sideWing]

excuse my no fuss no muss style, I dont use killing cones, a simple small strip of thin plastic to grab the clots is all on the ground under my rig of tie downs, with leg loop holds. simple easy cleanup. effective. Hubs had some issues of thinking he knew it all with the hot water, and wouldnt keep it at 140 as discussed, and kept taking it to 150 and scalding my meat, and after he figured it out it went better with the plucker, up for next time is hot water pot that can hold at least two birds at the same time so we can pluck two at the same time. Do you dunk them in cold water BEFORE the feather plucker? plucker worked really well, HOWEVER one bird at a time, wouldnt flip on its back to get a few of those last feathers off the immediate back, therefore needs to do more than one bird at a time, probably because this is a XL machine? Another thing we need doing this many is a lung remover and more sharp knives. Mom came and was complaining non stop..... guess those old folks have sharper knives or something??????? so I have to go back to the knives section on here eh? oooopsies.... I did the killin and my knife was killer.....

Lucas 8, did the catchin and foot hangin in the loops, he was strong enough to hang them this time. 6 months ago he couldnt do the rooster so he was proud and did almost all of them!

I did the killing



some chickens were HUGE and some were NOT SO MUCH is this normal?????

Different sizes is completely normal. And Sam Adams is delicious!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

SAVE THAT FAT next time! Render it down and skim it off. Freeze it flat in a zip loc bag and then just break pieces off and add to any of your favorite dishes that need a little fat in them....it is silky smooth and will turn most anything into an unctuous, luxurious silky recipe of amazing flavor and texture. It's also supposed to be the best fat to use for pie crusts and even biscuits, though I've never gotten to try that.

My Mama is 81 now and has cooked for huge amounts of family~nine kids and all their own~ and also had her own restaurant and she said potato soup made with my chicken's fat was the best soup she'd ever had in her life. I had to agree...never tasted potato soup that good before. Used the same recipe we always used except with the addition of the chicken fat.

Save that stuff. For once, your Mama's wrong.

All the top chefs swear by using rendered chicken fat for cooking to give their food that extra flavor and texture they can't get with any other kind of fats.

You didn't do anything wrong...those are young birds and young birds have brittle bones. No getting around that.

Different sizes is completely normal. And Sam Adams is delicious!

I know right!
Mom had too many

slowed her down, had to cut her back untill the end!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

chickens weighed in 3.11 to 5.13

4 lbs 11 oz average


thoughts? this is low? 9.5 weeks old

 

[sideWing]

chickens weighed in 3.11 to 5.13

4 lbs 11 oz average


thoughts? this is low? 9.5 weeks old

To me that is a bit low dressed out. That being said, I push the envelope between fast growth and heart issues with them. I follow the recommended regiment, but I do start and continue with 24% feed. Out of 79 in our last batch we only lost 1 to heart issues after 9.5 weeks and 2 in the first week due to unknown issues (piling, weak stock, etc).

 

[fisherlady]

chickens weighed in 3.11 to 5.13

4 lbs 11 oz average


thoughts? this is low? 9.5 weeks old

It is lower than mine were, but remember that different genetics from different hatcheries will result in much different growth rates and carcass weight and even weight distribution (some will carry more weight in breast and less in thigh/leg, others will be the reverse)
Feed will have an effect also, some swear by fermented, others by their own staggered protein amounts... it will be an exercise in experimentation and frustrations until you find what feed process works best for the stock you are using, and if you switch stock it will need to be re-evaluated and adjusted. During my reading on the subject I have seen where many people weigh their birds weekly, not all of them, but a couple of males and females...this helps them keep track of growth rates even in early stages to maximize growth potential throughout rather than trying to get large weight gains at the end, when overfeeding is more likely to translate to excess calories being converted to fat rather than bone/muscle growth.

And remember, even if lower than some other's birds, they are still very nice birds and definitely better than what you can find in most any store! You can be proud of the results you got and will love the meals they will provide.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

yes, and I am def getting from that other hatchery in spring

 

[Sally Sunshine]

has anyone seen his recipes for stock! looks delish!! I am going to try it!

Frugal's Chicken Stock --- A Step by Step Pictorial

 

[fisherlady]

has anyone seen his recipes for stock!  looks delish!!  I am going to try it!

Frugal's Chicken Stock --- A Step by Step Pictorial

This does look delicious, since we heat with a pot bellied stove I will have to give this a try. I just did a run of clear broth for canning, we use the pressure cooker to make it, scrap to broth in about 2 hours. Then we will can it in pint and quart jars for use in recipes.
Stock is richer because of the vegetables, so not right for some recipes but perfect for other ones.