we will have our first meat birds to dispatch in about 9 weeks - have got a mixture of hubbards and poulet rangers (a type of Sasso). Having never done this before, just want to check a few things....i had already been told that if we kill them on say a Tuesday, to let them hang until the Saturday which would tenderise the meat and improve it. Slightly confused, as some people seem to literally mean hang them, like Simon in his shed in the previous post, and some people talk about putting them in a fridge - do you really hang them in a fridge, or just lay them in there on a plate etc? Also, presuming you all pluck them before hanging or putting in a fridge as read feathers meant to be easier to pluck when the bird is still warm? Finally, when do you dress them/remove innards etc? when you kill them, or after they have hung? We have 14 chicks, plus a LS chick (that we are fairly sure is a cockeral) which will be 24 weeks at the point the others are 10 weeks, so planning to do most of them at the same time, as i am due a baby in 13 weeks, so would like most of them out of the way by then! Might keep a few back to grow even bigger as i gather the Sasso boy's can reach circa 14lb, and even 9lbish if left until about 12 weeks? But if they have to be literally hung in a fridge, we won't have space to do many at one time!! And probably one final daft question, but if the birds are left hanging in a shed or garage or wherever, what means that the meat is still safe to eat? what about flies or anything else? I'm one of those people who until now has obeyed all best before dates and keep my ketchups in the fridge, and the idea of hanging chickens in a warmer environment for 4 days just seems asking for food poisoning! Can someone please educate me!! thanks L
Topic: How soon after killing do you eat your chicken? (Read 24070 times)
