Butchering 17 week old Buff Orps and New Hampshire Reds?

[aealbin]

They free range and always have chick starter available in the feeder in the coop as their primary food sources. They also get kitchen scraps via the compost bin (they're favorite mid-day roost) and then a few cups of meat flock feed in the run in the mornings. Every few days I throw out some scratch grains in the run in the morning, not more than 4 cups worth for 21 chickens, just enough to give them something to do. The other two looked very healthy, I think he was just a bully and a pig.

 

[rjohns39]

simple guidelines... The older the bird the harder to process and the slower you need to cook them. All processed birds need to rest after processing to get past rigor. Do what's right for you.

 

[Morrigan]

Thanks all for your suggestions. They were duely noted. We thinned out the 3 biggest terrors today. The change in flock behavior was almost immediate. It was a steep learning curve but by #3 we had started figuring out a process that worked for us. The biggest offender had so much fat on him he must have been hogging all the feed.

I had searched on here about when to process dual purpose birds and the most common recommendation was 20 weeks.

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Nice work, it's always good to get a few under your belt and figure out what works. Did you weigh them after butchering? I'd be interested to hear what numbers you got, as well as what you thought of the meat when you cooked it. Echoing the view that you need to let it rest for at least two days before cooking. I've found that even at 15 weeks, the meat is more flavorful (some might call gamey) and more chewy, particularly if you don't use a slow cooking method.

I think the 20 week recommendation might come for people who separate out their cockerels into a grow out pen, as mine are getting pretty rowdy by 15 or 16 weeks old.

 

[Chickenheadmate]

simple guidelines... The older the bird the harder to process and the slower you need to cook them. All processed birds need to rest after processing to get past rigor. Do what's right for you.

What does it mean to get past, rigor?

 

[Chickenheadmate]

Thanks all for your suggestions. They were duely noted. We thinned out the 3 biggest terrors today. The change in flock behavior was almost immediate. It was a steep learning curve but by #3 we had started figuring out a process that worked for us. The biggest offender had so much fat on him he must have been hogging all the feed.

I had searched on here about when to process dual purpose birds and the most common recommendation was 20 weeks.

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How much did NH red weigh?

 

[rjohns39]

What does it mean to get past, rigor?

give the bird time for the muscles to relax after rigor mortis sets in. Most chickens it will pass in 24 hours turkeys take 3-5 days.

 

[Chickenheadmate]

give the bird time for the muscles to relax after rigor mortis sets in. Most chickens it will pass in 24 hours turkeys take 3-5 days.

Should it go straight into the freezer after bagged or should I let it sit out in the counter while vigor passes?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do not let it set on the counter for any length of time, that is a recipe for a trip to the emergency room. If you are going to age them, do it in the refrigerator or in an ice chest with ice or ice water.

 

[rjohns39]

Do not let it set on the counter for any length of time, that is a recipe for a trip to the emergency room. If you are going to age them, do it in the refrigerator or in an ice chest with ice or ice water.

X2

Your goal is to get them to 40* as quickly as possible. When I process I soak them in cold water for 10-15 minutes before doing final QA and then into an ice water bath. Once the last one in is at 40*, I move them to a cooler with ice for 24 hours. Fridge works too.

ETA: Pre-soak is right after evisceration.

ETA2: gizzard, heart and liver goes into an ice water bath immediately. Then into the fridge.

 

[Chickenheadmate]

Just out of curiosity, how and why is that asking for a trip to the ER?

Do not let it set on the counter for any length of time, that is a recipe for a trip to the emergency room. If you are going to age them, do it in the refrigerator or in an ice chest with ice or ice water.