[egglady]

had our first chicken for tea tonight after dispatching it earlier today and i was wondering who eats the same day they kill and who waits - and those who wait, how long for?

is flavour affected?

[DJ_Chook]

I give them 48-72 hours in the fridge then into the freezer. Flavour was the same, tenderness of the meat is what we found improved.

[egglady]

thank Dj - that was what i'd wondered.  the flavour was way better than we've had previously, but we all found that the meat wasnt quite so tender - a bit chewy i think i'd describe it.  i'm wondering what you mean about the into the freezer part - do you freeze and then defrost and cook?  or am i being thick?

[shetlandpaul]

why freeze. they will be a bit more chewy there muscles have been used. try diffrent cooking styles. i would not hang chucks in this weather.

[woodlandproductsfife]

I had mine in the oven as soon as i cleaned etc. They seemed to be great tasting, I will try the fridge part next time and see if its better. God you learn it all here.

 Craig

[egglady]

i made paprika chicken with some of the leftovers today and it was much softer meat; chicken and butternut squash curry tomorrow then chicken soup the next day.  4 meals from a bird originally bought as a day old for about a quid...... cant think of much else more satisfying in life!

[woodlandproductsfife]

how many weeks was it and what did it weigh? is there a use before date on 1 day olds? you have to use them at 10 weeks? how long will they actualy live for?

        Craig

[egglady]

we got them at the beginning of April - so about 15 weeks approximately. didnt weigh him but he filled the oven completely - as big as a turkey.  he was fed growers and some kibbled maize and allowed to free range as soon as he was big enough.

i dont know how long they live for, but i'd imagine the same as any other chicken/cockerel - unless anyone tells me otherwise?

[bazzais]

I've yet to eat any of my own chickens, I did envisage that idea when I bought into the idea of getting chooks, but the ones we have are a little 'close' now.

Sorry for being naive here, I know there are breeds specifically for meat and they are bigger I am not interested in them in this question, but more specifically if you were buying, say, a black rock (in general) as a meat bird would it be best to get a male or female? I know the male is bigger? Is it unheard of to eat young female birds? Are males and females equal size at that young age?

What do you look for in a chook you are raising for eating?

Ta

Baz

[DJ_Chook]

why freeze. they will be a bit more chewy there muscles have been used.

I had some hubbard 6 week growers, they were out freeranging. Dispatching 1 at a time when required. But I found them quite tough and freezing them helped improve the tenderness. Having said that, I usually get day old cob/ross and they freerange in the warmer months but they can be a little tough. But in the winter months when in a large shed with outside access, the meat was much tenderer.

[Helencus]

Do they get tougher as they get older? My cockerels are16 weeks now but don't seem very fat to me. They're liight Sussex fed growers. If i leave them much longer will it affect flavor etc?

[DJ_Chook]

I only have a just over a years experience of meat birds. So I'm no expert on any of it. In my experience, across the 3 breeds I've done. Cobb/ross, hubbard, sasso... I've found the hubbards and sasso rather tough at 16 weeks old. I start dispatching at 6 weeks, sometimes younger. I dispatch whoever looks wobbly on their legs.

We've tried to fattened up other non table birds, those boys we've hatched and don't want to keep. Dispatch them at aged 6 months. And in my opinion it's not worth it, tough as heck.

[egglady]

a friend of ours says you should always hang a meat bird for 24-48 hours before you eat as it allows the meat to become more tender.  cant say at this stage as we've only eaten the one so far.  will try this with the next one and let folks know the difference in taste.  hubbards certainly are meaty though!

[kingnigel]

hi
we hung our for 3 days, but it was cool at the time.
the first one queen eliz cooked was a bit tough, after that she cooked the others at a lower temp but for longer.
not sure what temps or how long i will ask her later (cant get her away from the thrown at the min) and let you know.
it was very tasty
kn

[shetlandpaul]

you do need to remember that your home reared free range slow grown is vastly diffrent to that of a factory bird. so it will taste and feel diffrent. same as veal tastes diffrent from beef.