How Old is Too Old for a Butcher Rooster

[Rebecky54]

I have 3 roosters that I need to butcher, but I have never canned an old rooster -- only young roosters and hens. I don't freeze chickens any more.

Two roosters are about 16-18 months old. The other rooster I think I will butcher but just dispose of because he is 2 years old and had antibiotics due to bumble foot.

Will the 18-month-old roosters be any good canned? Guess I could mark the jars and feed them to my cats.

Thanks!

Becky in NoDak

 

[sourland]

Old birds are great for soup, stew, or crockpot cooking.

 

[Rickba]

IMHO,,,, There's no such thing as too old to eat. Some are just better for the soup or spaghetti pot then the roaster. Anti-B's leave the body after a while, just look it up and see the recommended time to wait to eat after the last dose of the drug. Then give it an extra week or two before butchering. Even if you decide to feed it to the other pets, at least it's not going to waste. Nice looking Collie by the way.

 

[Rebecky54]

Thanks. It's been a long time since he had antibiotics. Guess I will can them all when I do the young birds and mark the jars. If I don't like it, after a taste test, off to the pets.

Thanks,

Becky in NoDak

 

[MillersFarm]

I talked to a local butcher about this and he said to me that he butchers them before or at the age of eight weeks but I really don't think there's a limit if he's turned into stew

 

[cottontail farm]

I butchered a 4 year old hen last fall and it was the best flavor we'd ever had in a chicken. Cooked in the crockpot and made into enchilada. The meat was terrific.

 

[Rickba]

I butchered a 4 year old hen last fall and it was the best flavor we'd ever had in a chicken. Cooked in the crockpot and made into enchilada. The meat was terrific.

Chicken enchilada's, Sounds good to me. NW Pa. Me too. Cooks Forest.

 

[Maeschak]

Never too old to butcher and eat a rooster! Just raw pack pressure can him (no need to rest after butchering) and don't forget to make stock from the carcass... The older the bird the better the flavor of stock!

 

[Omega Blue Farms]

Completely agree, never too old to eat. Just be extra careful when processing to be sure the bird isn't carrying a disease you don't want to eat. Look for tumors, unhealthy livers, off smells, etc.

As for resting, I'm a firm believer in resting the meat. If water chilling, don't go longer than 24 hours as proteins leach out of the chicken and the deteriation in meat quality outweighs the benefits of aging. I prefer to let my birds age 48 hours and therefor transfer them to the cooler to age after bringing down to 4'c in the icewater. Can age in a large plastic bag or on racks covered in a clean damp lint free cloth. If storing in plastic bags, it's very important to make sure the carcass is properly chilled prior to bagging or you risk the meat spoiling in the bag.

How the meat is handled will determine the courseness of the finished product. Most crockpots cook at too high a temperature and therefore by going low and slow in the oven, I can get a juicier bird than in the crockpots. Aging also helps reduce courseness.