What is the maximum?

[Salt and Light]

20 Days

I have left my birds in the fridge for up to 20 days and they smelled just as sweet and fresh as the day they were butchered. It helps to keep the setting as low as possible though.

 

[yinepu]

I have left my birds in the fridge for up to 20 days and they smelled just as sweet and fresh as the day they were butchered. It helps to keep the setting as low as possible though.

So have I.. even up to 4 weeks

MOST people have no idea how old the chicken is that they buy at the store.. having worked at poultry processing plants I can tell you I would rather eat a 3 or 4 week old chicken that I butchered myself from my fridge any day over one that was bought at the store!
Processing plants aren't as clean as they would like for you to think they are.. plus they have been known to store birds for several weeks before they are ever sent out depending on how large of an order it was... I have seen birds that were considered "contaminated" thrown back into the chiller tank along with other "clean" birds (which contaminated the whole lot). Also birds which were dropped on the floor and handled by workers who were sick and sneezing/coughing all over birds that were being cut up or packaged for market... so yeah.. I'll stick with my birds thankyouverymuch

edited to add:
MOST of my birds only spend a day or two in the fridge before being cooked or frozen.. just figured I would add that before anyone gets their panties in a bunch.. lol

 

[SmokinChick]

This is not true, and is troubling advice. One common food poisoning results from a toxin produced by staph aureus bacteria in the meat. This toxin is heat-stable and easily survives cooking. Furthermore, staphylococcal enterotoxin can be present in dangerous quantities in poultry that doesn't smell off or look different.

This is the only post worth reading in this thread. IMO