[Clarebelle]

Well, we killed our first home grown bird today. It was a light Sussex cockeral about 22 weeks old. We plucked and dressed him and he weighed in at just over 4lb, is this a good weight for a free range bird?

Also while dressing we noticed a pronounced cartilagy knob on the breast bone that I have never seen in a shop bought chicken, is this common?

There was a bit of fat around the organs at the rear of the bird but there doesn't look to be a lot under the skin. Is this as they should be or is even a bit of fat around the organs too much?

Thanks everyone!

[Mammyshaz]

 It is normal as far as my few home kills have been.
I wouldn't compare to shop bought. They are bred and reared completely differently and I believe slaughtered around 8-12 weeks of age so won't have much matured fat around organs etc. the knobbly bit at the end of the sternum is normal cartilage again more matured than shop bought. ( we all have it  )

Hope you enjoy your first home produced chicken. I loved ours and our boys who wouldn't accept the thought of eating meat now want to keep rearing so we can have our own chicken. Shop bought just doesn't compare to taste or give the same satisfaction as having produced your own   

[Hevxxx99]

Doesn't sound bad at all.  A bit of fat around the organs is better than a skinny chicken so about ideal by the sounds of it.

Remember to remove the scent/preen gland on the top of the parson's nose: it can taint the meat otherwise!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I bought half a dozen salmon faverolles this year, and am gonna get them a cockerel next year, so I can rear my own chicken, can't wait!

[chrismahon]

That's not a bad weight Clartebelle. We would normally slaughter at 20 weeks and get 3lbs. The breeds vary and commercial stock is totally different- no sun, no grass, no life! It really upsets me and we avoid commercial chicken products.


Don't know about the cartilage -perhaps a breed thing? Fat around the rear of the organs is quite normal.



Faverolles and TNN's are much lighter but taste better. Faverolles were called 'petit pousin' and a big delicacy in France 60 years ago.

[HesterF]

My last cockerel was over 4kg dressed (just under 9lb) at about 26 weeks but they are a big breed - Orpington. The main thing I find is that their weight is very differently distributed to shop bought ones and actually the cooking time is less because they don't have the same depth of flesh on the breast - lots more on the legs and a generally bigger frame. I tend to use 20 mins per pound and ignore the extra 20 mins. And yes, lots more fat around the organs but that helps keep it moist too.

H

[Q]

That sounds like a fair weight for a light sussex.  I think mine were slightly less than that but hardly any of it breast meat so we now just cut the legs and the breast of the carcass and dont even bother gutting them.
I like the taste of the meat a lot.

[Stereo]

Best trad birds we have done have been fatty around the gut area. Leave it in there for roasting, will make it tender and tasty. Sounds like a decent weight for a free range bird and don't worry about the odd imperfection. As mentioned, roast for a shorter time for best effect.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I reared light sussex cockerels once for slaughter, I can't remember how much they weighed. I am hoping to breed the faverolles and fatten up any cockerels, its so much better than supermarket chicken, mind you I don't eat supermarket chicken I buy it all local, apart from the chicken thighs, which I have started to buy local.

[Clarebelle]

Thanks everyone. We had the cockerel for Sunday dinner tonight and it was excellent. I'm so pleased with it, the flavour was lovely and we pulled enough meat off the carcass for three meals. Well chuffed! 

[Stereo]

Lush innit? We usually eat the breast meat with the roast and then pull the rest off the bones for further meals. I've got a couple chunky legs/ thighs from a Welsummer and I'm going to try this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_and_leek_pie_77394

[twizzel]

We killed our surplus cockerels this year and they killed out between 3-4.5lb, not much breast meat but plenty enough to strip and slow cook in a white wine casserole, I was really impressed with the first one we ate 

[Dave C]

Did you finish them off under artificial lights, that can put a bit more meat on them this time of the year.

[Clarebelle]

No we didn't use artificial lights, it wouldn't really be worth it for our set up. I'm happy with the weight they are turning out at, Sunday dinner and a chicken pie each, Bob's your uncle! 

[Dave C]

Good for you