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Table Birds, What I have Learned So Far *caution*

By Redwing, in The Nesting Box

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WitchHazel Effusive Egg Layer

WitchHazel

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We've tried hanging for three days then gutting, and found the taste (and pre-cooking smell) a bit too gamey for us.

 

The second time, we hung for 24 hours then gutted, that was fine.

 

The third time, 48 hours - and the taste was OK but the smell was a bit strong.

 

We're going to stick to 24-36 hours for the next ones.

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Peter S Chicken Eggspert

Peter S

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It would seem that the consensus is 24 hour hanging, guts in. Moochoo very kindly came and demonstrated the broomstick method this afternoon, so I will be going with the consensus with today's bird and compare the results with yesterday's bird (hung 24 hours, no guts).

 

Huge thanks to Moochoo and hubby for all your help! :P

 

 

Peter

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The Dogmother Eggsistentialist

The Dogmother

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Having set up the "humane" dispatcher, we went out this morning with the intention of killing another bird - the crowing is getting rather excessive now.

 

However...

 

Having read all the comments on this site, we couldn't bring ourselves to use it. We then found ourselves totally unable to use even the (newly bought) axe, for fear of cocking it up, so the lucky cockerel was returned to the others (twice!).

 

This leads us to a big problem...

 

We have two birds ready to go, with another two following close behind. We need to dispatch them, as some time ago we arranged to collect some ex-bats to replace our hens - they are due next Saturday! So between now and then, we need to dispatch 3-4 birds, and haven't a clue how we are going to do this.

 

Any chance there is anyone in the Brum area who is familiar with the "broomstick" (or any other) method who could show us what to do?!

 

In desperation...

 

Peter & Bryan

 

Sorry to hear bout your problems Peter, I hope that Sarah helped you out and you now feel more confident. :)

 

There is one of Alison's Despatch and Dress courses in September in Oxon if you're interested; quite a few Omleteers will be there too.

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Peter S Chicken Eggspert

Peter S

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I am hoping to be at the Despatch and Dress course in September - I've emailed Alison and am just waiting to hear if there are any places still available. Will be good to put faces to names!

 

Of course, the problem with holding the course at Jude's is that I will no doubt come away with more birds! :D

 

Peter

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WitchHazel Effusive Egg Layer

WitchHazel

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Hello again everyone.

 

When I last wrote we were down to 11 chickens, 10 very large and happy Ross/Cobb girls and one large unidentified breed, who we had prevoously thought to be a hen but were having suspicions he was an underdeveloped cockerel.

 

In the intervening couple of weeks, more girls have started to lay. We've had to make them a nesting area in their shed, and there is usually a couple of eggs in there. I find this very sad.

 

Yesterday DH and OC (other chap) culled four girls. The unidentified brown chicken is definitely a cockerel, he's developed all his tackle since we culled the other cockerel last time. We've decided to leave him to the end, as he's doing a good job of keeping the Girls in order.

 

Anyway, DH dressed three birds yesterday at OC's house. He brought the fourth bird home and we kept it in the salad box to be dressed today. He commented that it was much easier to dress the cockerels, as with the Hens there is now oviducts to deal with, plus partially formed eggs. I saw what he meant today. I thought there were cherry tomatoes in the entrails (I gave the girls lots of tomatoes and cucumber on Sunday night before they went to bed) but they were the eggs.

 

It's very sad.

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Peter S Chicken Eggspert

Peter S

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In the intervening couple of weeks, more girls have started to lay. We've had to make them a nesting area in their shed, and there is usually a couple of eggs in there. I find this very sad.

 

He commented that it was much easier to dress the cockerels, as with the Hens there is now oviducts to deal with, plus partially formed eggs. I saw what he meant today. I thought there were cherry tomatoes in the entrails (I gave the girls lots of tomatoes and cucumber on Sunday night before they went to bed) but they were the eggs.

 

It's very sad.

 

Hi WitchHazel,

 

I hadn't even considered that there might be partially-formed eggs when dressing a hen - so far all of mine have been cockerels, so we haven't had that issue. What age were your hens when they started to lay? My one Sasso hen is about 18 weeks now, so cannot be far off POL.

 

On another note, having been taught the broomstick method by moochoo recently :D , we dispatched a bird on Monday and hung him for 2 days (plucked but guts in). When we came to gut him, we noticed a slight green tinge to the skin around the hip area. Is this normal? A quick search on t'interweb only came up with green in the breast meat, and suggested this was gangrene caused by lack of blood supply to over-developed breast meat. I couldn't find anything about a slight green tinge to the skin.

 

Has anyone else encountered this? :?::!: Is this a result of hanging for too long? I'm hoping this is still okay, as I would hate to have to throw the bird away.

 

Peter

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Lewis Chronic Clucker

Lewis

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A few of the turkeys at the farm had a bit of a green tinge on their legs, they said it was just bruising but they should be fine to eat.

 

We kept them off sale to the general public (along with and torn/ripped ones) as they are paying the same as others so should get the same standard, and they went to the farmers family who get freebies :lol:

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Lesley Eggsistentialist

Lesley

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When we went on our course a few of the birds there that had been hung of a day or so had a green tinge to them in places so I am guessing it is fine

 

I must admit that the chickens we gutted at Alison's smelled much stronger than ones of our own - and we have given chicken to the cats that we now know would have been perfectly OK :oops:

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