Author Topic: Green Chicken (Read 3264 times)

Pundyburn Lynn · « **on:** December 04, 2012, 04:28:36 pm »

Hi folks,

We've successfully reared our first batch of chickens for meat, with the culling and hanging not nearly as difficult as I'd feared. However, when I've gone to dress them today I noticed a strong smell of faeces and lots of green bottoms! My chicken manual had warned me that this might happen if I did not manage to squeeze all the residual muck out after culling - yuck.

So I am left with two questions: firstly, is the meat okay to eat? It smells and looks fine. And secondly, how do I do a better job next time? Is there a trick to this that I'm not aware of?

Thanks,
Lynn

Sylvia · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2012, 05:05:57 pm »

When you gut them cut a largish area around the vent with a very sharp knife before you draw the guts out, wash well in hot water then rinse with very cold. If you are still worried wipe around the area with kitchen roll soaked in cider vinegar. This is what I do with pheasants.
I gut chickens as soon as they are killed, I've never noticed a difference in taste..

chrismahon · « **Reply #2 on:** December 04, 2012, 07:45:52 pm »

You need to gut them immediately or worm them before LL. We've had the same problem and the worms start to decompose as soon as body temperature is lost. They gas the gut and the green results. Still OK to eat. We don't hang our chickens for more than a day anyway- why would we need to as they are still young and tender?

Pundyburn Lynn · « **Reply #3 on:** December 04, 2012, 11:08:47 pm »

Wow. Had no idea that this problem could be caused by worms. We thought we had a healthy flock.

Just to check - in the Haynes manual (not that this is the bible!) it says to hang for 4-5 days before gutting/dressing. I take it that this is not usually done?

Thanks again,
Lynn

jaykay · « **Reply #4 on:** December 05, 2012, 07:10:34 am »

Eww, I can imagine what my chooks would be like hung for 5 days

I only hang for a day.

chrismahon · « **Reply #5 on:** December 05, 2012, 07:55:21 pm »

Only hang for a few hours to drain now. Why hang birds less than a year old for longer? Originally pheasants were hung because they were shot and there was no way of telling how old (tough) they were. Quite why the gentry thought maggot ridden pheasants tasted better I don't know.

deepinthewoods · « **Reply #6 on:** December 05, 2012, 08:07:38 pm »

sorry to disagree but i always hang my cockerels. for about 4 days, tho i have in the past hung them for 7. it has to be in a cold place mind. this time of year i would hang for 4/5 easy.
i prefer the taste of gamey meat, and i have yet to have a problem with hanging. mind you ive only done about 20 chickens. i hang my pheasents for the same length of time too.

Pundyburn Lynn · « **Reply #7 on:** December 05, 2012, 08:56:43 pm »

'deep in the woods', do you gut before or after hanging?

I only slaughtered three hubbards to begin with, as I'm an absolute novice. They were hung in a cold, dark barn with pillowcases to prevent any contamination. The back ends were green after hanging, which someone has suggested was from fermented food in the digestive system. I prepared the meat diligently but there was a distinct smell of silage from the thigh joints and a couple of the breasts, which all had to be thrown away.

I've a year old light sussex cockerel and a Christmas turkey waiting for the chop, and I don't want to make the same mistake again!

Lynn

deepinthewoods · « **Reply #8 on:** December 05, 2012, 10:01:22 pm »

i kill them then hang them whole, guts in. ive had a couple go a bit green but i just cut that out. i find the 'smell' goes with cooking. but to be fair im not put off by a bit of green meat or the occasional maggot.

the tastiest cockerel ive had was a yr old light sussex. that was 4 days hung.

i wouldnt risk it with your xmas turkey mind!!

Sylvia · « **Reply #9 on:** December 06, 2012, 08:21:34 am »

I "hang" mine (gutted) in the 'fridge for three or four days before eating or freezing. With wild game you need that gameiness for flavour.

graham-j · « **Reply #10 on:** December 07, 2012, 07:58:20 am »

Hi,I too hang mine for at least 3 to 4 days with the guts in,with out any problems.I have hung them for over a week with out any problems.As deep in the woods has sagested it is only food in the gut fermenting any way.
I remove any food the evening before and then dispatch then mid morning the next day so the gut is virtually empty.
I then pluck them immediately and then hang them in an old fridge that I keep purely for that purpose.Rapid cooling after dispatch will also prevent this problem.I also read some where that some people plug the anus with rolled up tissue to prevent this.I think the most important thing is to hang the bird some where that is cool enough.
The strange thing is I have found that gutting a bird that has been hung for four days refrigerated there is virtually no smell at all,yet gut a fresh one and they stink.

Graham.

artscott · « **Reply #11 on:** December 10, 2012, 12:34:55 pm »

We don’t hang ours, but we do let them rest for 3-5 days in a cool/cold place.
We do the same as we used to do on my uncles farm when processing capons. Kill, pluck and draw while the bird is still warm. Once dressed they were then left in a cold barn (in my case the fridge) to rest. I don't like having to draw a cold bird, much better if it’s still warm.
I think that for the first few times it would be best process birds like this, that way you avoid any surprises like green bottoms and minimise the risk of being put off by ideas of worms or fermenting food. If you want a more gamey flavour you can always progress to longer hanging once you get more experienced.
Taught both my kids how to draw birds using their excess male quail, it was a much easier learning curve for them. When I learnt it was on a capon and I was almost up to my elbow.