The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[MysteryChicken]

Hey there MysteryChicken! Hope things are going well with your projects! I haven't gotten a chance to stop in to see how your projects were going. I will graduate in December so I will have more time then. lol

They're going good actually. A couple are on pause for the now, probably until next year.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I could start liking you again actually,

that was so fun to read.
I'm not so bad, girl. You just can't take things I say so serious. I'm just rough around the edges and seem to have lost my filter.

 

[The Moonshiner]

To add to my previous post regarding skinning/processing roosters, even if you accidentally puncture the abdominal cavity (peritoneal cavity), that doesn't mess up the process as long as you don't puncture the guts with the knife (cross contamination). I quite often accidentally puncture the peritoneal cavity but since the bird is on its back, the abdomen is hollow and there is space between the peritoneal wall and the actual intestines/organs. So puncturing in itself doesn't mean you messed up as long as you don't puncture the guts with the knife you are using to harvest the meat. I hope all that makes sense.

Thank you for those posts. I know you've mentioned that all before. I just need to give it a go.
Worse case scenario would be that the dog gets more to eat. And I gotta image like most meat homegrown would taste so much better then store bought.
What age would you butcher cockerels for fryers? Just before 16 weeks?

 

[Chookwagn]

Mottled or Exchequer?

 

[MysteryChicken]

that was so fun to read.
I'm not so bad, girl. You just can't take things I say so serious. I'm just rough around the edges and seem to have lost my filter.

You were pretty ruthless actually back then.

 

[KF0002]

They're going good actually. A couple are on pause for the now, probably until next year.

Glad to hear everything is going well! I had to pause a couple projects too because of lack of pen space, which is weird because we have a ton of pens. But that's just chicken hoarding. Mostly full of grouchy old game hens that can't be free ranged or penned with other hens because they are mean as gamecocks. You work with gamefowl, you know the ones I'm talking about. Hateful old biddies. lol

 

[KF0002]

Mottled or Exchequer? View attachment 4225105View attachment 4225106View attachment 4225107

Gorgeous!!

 

[KF0002]

Thank you for those posts. I know you've mentioned that all before. I just need to give it a go.
Worse case scenario would be that the dog gets more to eat. And I gotta image like most meat homegrown would taste so much better then store bought.
What age would you butcher cockerels for fryers? Just before 16 weeks?

Yw! I will have my son take pictures the next bunch of roosters and/or turkey we do. Pictures would help a ton.

Yeah no older than 4 months. If they have started crowing, they are no longer a fryer. I think it is best to eat them around 12-13 weeks if you want to fry them because they start getting tough when their gonads start producing testosterone. Gonads. *giggle*

I tend to let mine go until 5-6+ months because they are more filled out by then. Layer breed like Leghorns will not have much meat at 3-4 months old. But if you have a bunch of them it adds up. I usually use the breast meat from roosters for stews, soups, dumplings, chicken salad, chicken tacos, etc. Basically any recipe that requires shredded chicken.

And yes, homegrown poultry is much more flavorful than storebought. Especially rooster meat when they have had time to mature and free range. They get more flavorful when they free range and mature out, which makes a nice pot of dumplings, soup, etc.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

And yes, homegrown poultry is much more flavorful than storebought. Especially rooster meat when they have had time to mature and free range. They get more flavorful when they free range and mature out, which makes a nice pot of dumplings, soup, etc.

I so wanted to eat the cockerel I got rid of a couple months ago but I’m just not set up to butcher anything right now. Hubs couldn’t understand why some guy paid $10 for him instead of just going to Bojangles but I said “cause he knows what’s up—that chicken is going to be mountain-grown delicious.”

 

[MysteryChicken]

Glad to hear everything is going well! I had to pause a couple projects too because of lack of pen space, which is weird because we have a ton of pens. But that's just chicken hoarding. Mostly full of grouchy old game hens that can't be free ranged or penned with other hens because they are mean as gamecocks. You work with gamefowl, you know the ones I'm talking about. Hateful old biddies. lol

My Game Hens seem to do well with the other birds. The Blue Face becomes quite the savage when broody though. People are currently gearing towards hens with extra gameness which kinda defeats the purpose of having them around for free range, which is common practice with hens.