Thought meet.

[axen321]

I have been raising a few meat birds and the first two have been rather tough. The birds are still pretty small maybe 2 pounds I think they are about 4 months old. I have tried 2 birds. A buff and a RR. Bought pretty tough. The birds live in a coup and run setup they do not get much exersice... what am I doing wrong?

 

[R2elk]

I have been raising a few meat birds and the first two have been rather tough. The birds are still pretty small maybe 2 pounds I think they are about 4 months old. I have tried 2 birds. A buff and a RR. Bought pretty tough. The birds live in a coup and run setup they do not get much exercise... what am I doing wrong?

Did you age them after processing and before cooking?

I normally age my processed birds for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator before cooking them.

 

[RUNuts]

1. How long did you age the meat after slaughter? 24-48 hours in the frig recommended.

2. How did you cook them? 4 months old most people don't recommend frying. Slow and moist cooking is recommended. Year old are stewing birds. You can research cooking methods and ages.

Having said that, these aren't factory farm birds and will be more toothsome. These birds actually moved around and used the muscles. Think veal versus free range cows.

Cheers!

 

[axen321]

Thanks for the reply. I tossed the bird strait into the freeze and thawed out a week later to eat. Do they need to age in the fridge before freezing?

 

[BYC910]

Thanks for the reply. I tossed the bird strait into the freeze and thawed out a week later to eat. Do they need to age in the fridge before freezing?

Yes and yes .Next kill age them a couple of days before freezing or eating . If it went from feather to pot,when I was young. We was hungry and chicken and dumplings was the meal. Lord I just had to marry a city girl

 

[ronott1]

You have to wait for rigor to stop in the bird. You can also process and cook before rigor. Most people are not that fast though.

Raise CXs from the feed store. They will be ready in about 8 weeks and have lots of meat on them. They will be tender too

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure what breeds you have tried, there are several different breeds that can come in Buff and RR could mean a few different things. It sounds like they are dual purpose though, not broilers.

Dual purpose birds are not going to grow nearly as fast as the broilers (Cornish X, Rangers, etc). At four months two pounds dressed weight sounds a little low for cockerels but not that bad. It would probably be good for pullets. Some of that depends on how and what you are feeding them.

As chickens get older the meat gains texture and flavor. The Cornish X you buy at the store was probably butchered somewhere around 6 to 8 weeks old. You can fry, grill, or cook that any way you wish. But by 4 months the meat has changed, especially with cockerels. You need to change how you cook it. There are different ways to cook older birds and get a really nice meal, they generally involve lower temperatures, longer cooking times, and more moisture.

Aging is a tested method of tenderizing meat. I don't age mine but a lot of people do. I put mine in the freezer pretty soon after I butcher, but I don't butcher a lot at a time. I put the frozen bird in the fridge on Sunday so it can thaw and cook by Thursday, maybe that counts as aging. There are different ways to approach these things.

I normally butcher mine between 5 and 6 months of age, there is more meat and it has even more flavor and texture. I cut it into serving pieces and coat it with herbs, then cook it in a tightly covered baking dish at 250 degrees F for 3-1/2 hours. I've served this to friends and taken some to gatherings. People rave over it. There are plenty of other ways to cook these slightly older birds, this is just the way I settled on.

When i was a kid Mom would tell me she wanted a chicken so I'd deliver one to her freshly plucked and gutted. She cooked it immediately, no time for rigor to set in. Depending on the bird she might fry it or make Chicken 'n Dumplings.

So what are you doing wrong? Maybe you have the wrong expectations as to how big they should be, especially if you are raising hatchery dual purpose birds. Those are not bred to put on a lot of meat early. But if it is tough, you are not cooking it right. Don't feel bad about that at all. We all have to start somewhere and you are trying and asking. You'll do better next time.