Very disappointed

[rhodeislandredraiser]

I just processed my second batch of RIR roos. As some of you may recall the first patch was so rubbery that my grand daughter choked on the cooked chicken. Some suggested that I let the birds rest after processing and some suggested brining with salt. I tried both. I let them rest 48 hrs and added salt after 24 hrs. They still are rubbery. They are around 19 wks. Could it be their diet or the breed? I like the idea of being self sufficient; however, I don't like the idea of only being able to produce stew with my chickens.

 

[knittychickadee]

Well, throwing ideas out-
what were they fed, did they have enough fat on them to keep moist during cooking, or were they lean?
kept them calm before killing?
hand plucked?
the longer rest the better, try resting 3 or so days
how did you cook? be careful not to overcook older birds
-and you know dual purpose roos won't be super tender like a regular broiler, they will have a 'bite' to them, right?

 

[honeydoll]

That is kind of strange. I just processed three 7-8month old cuckoo marans, brined and then aged and they were really good. How disappointing for you. Sorry you had such a bad experience. I've heard really good things about RIRs being good for meat. I am not sure why you had rubbery chicken. I brine in ice cold salt water in a cooler for two days and then age in my fridge for two days(in a large ziplock). That has worked really well for me, even with the older roos. Hope this helps.

 

[jaku]

No clue- so as not to assume anything, have you ever had homegrown chicken before? Even the most tender Cornish X is going to be firmer than most grocery store birds, and I would assume the non-meat breeds are firmer yet, although I only raise the broilers for meat. Firmer yes, but I can't imagine them being rubbery.

 

[rhodeislandredraiser]

Since today is the second day I am going to take a chance and add a little more salt and let them set for one more day. They didn't have a lot of fat on them. I just dont know. My next batch of chicks are going to be cornish rocks. I hope they will be a better meat bird. How long can you let a bird rest before it has to be frozen?

 

[CARS]

Geez I hate to mention this thought........

Your processing/aging methods seem dead on (if not overkill to some).

You don't mention the cooking method

Are you cooking till 165-180 degrees F. internally?

Cooking is a sensitive subject so I don't want to offend anyone.

I started filling my freezer with 1 year old roos and since I went to Cornish X's I have never looked back. Soooo much better in my opinion

 

[rhodeislandredraiser]

I dont mind discussing cooking methods. I broiled them in the oven. Today I am going to cook some in the crock pot. Chicken is my absolute favorite food. I dont want to have to cook all of my chickens in a crock pot. I really hope that the cornish rocks are the answer to my problem.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Try this, do you have a grill? If you do take one bird and fillet the breasts off. Depending on how thick the breast meat is, with a sharp knife cut them long ways into about an inch thick slabs. I put ours in about a 1/2 cup of white wine, just a dash of salt & pepper and garlic powder. Marinade for a couple hours in the fridge turning every so often. Cook over a hot fire on the grill - don't over cook!!!!!! by slicing them thin about 3 or 4 minutes per side is all they need. Enjoy

Steve in NC

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

But you are using a sustainable chicken breed!

But you have the fun of shoveling all that feed to them to produce a pound of meat.

But it is taking you three times as long to enjoy getting half the meat.

But think of all the money you get to spend shooing for marinades.

But your family and friends are getting to enjoy chewing their food.

But you are working towards self sustenance.

But best of all you don't have to deal with those nasty meat chickens.


Enjoy.

(Why, when the chicken raising was truly a BackYardChickens type industry, were the poultry people so desperately trying to achieve what we have today? Guess it was that evil profit thing. Or maybe they couldn't sustain themselves with what they had and wanted to go forward rather than being stuck in the past with the world passing them by.)


Just wondering.

 

[Swamp Roo]

You could try a good old fashioned BBQ. Low and slow over or better yet beside charcoal (indirect heat). Give the tissue a chance to break down. The meat will still have more texture (some call it stringy), but it shouldn't be tough or rubbery. Don't forget BBQ does not mean bottled sauce either (yummy though!). You can spice/marinade it however you want. It's about the cooking process, low and slow. You'll know when it's done, it will start to fall apart. I often start a little hotter to get some caramelisation, then wrap in aluminum foil and then go cooler (lower). A little oil rub will help it from drying out. If you do go with BBQ sauce (again yummy) or any sauce that has sugar/honey in it add it at the end or it will just char.

Swamp