Slow cooking questions

[Beer can]

How are naked necks for a self-replacing meat bird? Will the hens brood and raise chicks?

I really can't remember if I ever had any go broody or hatch eggs? I had a bunch hatch a couple yrs ago that got ate by a skunk, but do not remember if it was a NN or a silkie/giant that hatched them?
I know some on the naked neck thread do.

 

[Beer can]

Today I moved the coop the 22 week old buff orpington/barred rock cross cockerel was in.
I decided it would be easier to him free range with the old laying hens that stay in that coop with him while moved it. They don't ever free range normally.
While he was out a fox went after him.
It pulled out a few of his tail feathers.
I couldn't see any blood.
It he still ok to eat?
Can you get rabies from a chicken that was bitten by a predator with rabies?

Hmmm, not sure. I don't think birds get rabies? Googled it, only mammals get rabies. If it only pulled out tail feathers it no blood , should be fine. But... the saliva carries rabies. Then again a healthy fox doing what they do probably doesn't have rabies. IDK?
Maybe you should just wait a bit before processing ?

 

[bigz1983]

I think I will wait a couple more weeks. I'm probably just over thinking it though...lol

 

[ThracianHorse]

Today I moved the coop the 22 week old buff orpington/barred rock cross cockerel was in.
I decided it would be easier to him free range with the old laying hens that stay in that coop with him while moved it. They don't ever free range normally.
While he was out a fox went after him.
It pulled out a few of his tail feathers.
I couldn't see any blood.
It he still ok to eat?
Can you get rabies from a chicken that was bitten by a predator with rabies?

Pretty sure rabies is a mammals-only disease.... but I don't remember why. We went over this in advanced wildlife diseases... but it's been over... 10 years at this point for me. I'd probably wait on butchering... predator stress does not make meat tasty.

 

[bbond]

Ate some of the chicken meat i butchefered yesterday. So tender and flavorful. Fell off the bone in the crockpot. Honestly tasted like turkey a bit. I’m not sure if him being a speckled Sussex has anything to do with it or it was just his age.

 

[Beer can]

Ate some of the chicken meat i butchefered yesterday. So tender and flavorful. Fell off the bone in the crockpot. Honestly tasted like turkey a bit. I’m not sure if him being a speckled Sussex has anything to do with it or it was just his age.

Sussex are a good dual purpose, good for meat. I had red Sussex, nice birds.
I think my jersey giants taste much like turkey, there is more dark meat. Better than store bought turkey. Why a lot of us say homegrown heritage breeds taste better.

 

[LilyD]

If you're crock pot cooking you don't need to rest your bird but if you are going to roast or slow cook in the oven I would rest a day or two in the oven and then I usually brine them before cooking. They taste amazing.

 

[cassie]

I have never tried to skin a chicken mainly because I don't like the way a skinned chicken looks. If you get a proper scald, the feathers come right off. I don't remember what the proper temperature for the scald water is, but you can look it up. Scald until you can flick off the skin on the leg with your fingernail. A squirt or two of dish detergent in the scald water helps too.

 

[LilyD]

Today I moved the coop the 22 week old buff orpington/barred rock cross cockerel was in.
I decided it would be easier to him free range with the old laying hens that stay in that coop with him while moved it. They don't ever free range normally.
While he was out a fox went after him.
It pulled out a few of his tail feathers.
I couldn't see any blood.
It he still ok to eat?
Can you get rabies from a chicken that was bitten by a predator with rabies?

Fowl don't get rabies but if it just happened there could be bruising in the muscle tissue from the fox grabbing him and biting onto him. You may want to give him a week or two just to settle and to let any bruising fade before processing.

 

[Mosey2003]

I never 'get' people saying skinning is easier. May be simpler, but man it's a workout for me. GF and I did her 9 roosters a couple weekends ago and I could sure feel it the next day.