4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Jules.]

We did all 3 cockerels on Saturday, gutted them on Tuesday , put 2 in the freezer & roasted one yesterday. All 3 weighed about 3lb, which I didn't think bad for them being 17 weeks old.

 

The one we ate served 3 of us with plenty breast meat, which was really well flavoured. The legs were quite dark & gamey, but still lovely. There was hardly any fat on him either

 

We have eaten the back & leg meat in a satay sauce for tea & I'm now boiling up his bones for stock

[laurmurf]

fantastic, Jules, I'm looking forward to munching on my first chook but they're all a bit young (and small!) just yet!

[Sue and the Spice Girls]

You really can't beat the flavour can you! Roast and dinner lived up to thier names!

[Lesley]

Very rewarding isn't it! - well done!

[Jules.]

The whole experience was good. I'd do it again, especially now I have a spare with a convertor

 

I made the stock, its very gelatinous & thick, it bolied down really well.

Its in the freezer now awaiting a suiteable recipe

[TAJ]

The whole experience was good. I'd do it again, especially now I have a spare with a convertor

 

I made the stock, its very gelatinous & thick, it bolied down really well.

Its in the freezer now awaiting a suiteable recipe

 

We did two batches last winter and were not put off by the experience - I now have 12 meat bird hatching eggs in the incy and will report how this goes in a few weeks.

 

Tracy

[Guest]

Well done, I need to go for this too, my friend has sussexs for the table. What birds were they??

 

Great you used it all. Good weights as well(funny I keep thinking how big the bluebelle is..very plump..) ! Every time I pick her up I keep having these roast dinner thoughts indie

[HENthusiastic]

I think I'm going to do it too! With the help of my fellow omletteers. Eeeeek

[laurmurf]

'Neck a bottle, neck a hen' - a grand new omlet get together thread in the offing....

[mostin]

Well done Jules ,

 

Laurie and Hen, count me in for the next meet. I need the practice again, it seems a long time since that course, and I don't want to do a mostin every time .

[Jules.]

We ate the second boy last week. He's been in the freezer for about 3 weeks.

His breast meat was lovely, but we all found his legs really gamey

& not at all to our taste

We fed the legs to the cats

[Lesley]

I find the legs gamey as well - I usually remove the roasted meat and mince it and use it for little pies or pasties or make chicken cakes - like fishcakes, add the minced meat to mashed potato, add herbs, egg, etc. and fry.

 

If I remove the legs raw then I pack them and pop them in the freezer - they make excellent slow cooked casserole with red wine and veggies/herbs and the flavour is not too strong then.

[The Dogmother]

I always slow cook any gamey bits too.

[Guest]

Well done and glad they weighed a good weight!

 

One day I hope to have a go and rear some for the freezer. Perhaps next year..what breed were they please?

 

The bluebelle I have is really a big girl, I am not going to eat her but is this a good table bird? ...But I do look at her and think what a big chicken you are!

 

Glad to hear the results of your 3

 

indie

[Jules.]

They were Light Sussex, a good dual-purpose bird.

The 2 hens I kept from the hatch lay nearly every day too, lovely poreclain coloured eggs

[Guest]

Thanks the light sussex is the breed my friend has and she hatches and dispatches the boys..I will have a go perhaps next year I just need to get brave but I have had to dispatch ducklings after injuries etc

 

I will promise to have a go and not get so attached but I expect if they are the cockerels I would have to eat them as I know my neighbours will not want them around and I dont think I could stand the noise, but well done, its nice to read about home reared meat,

 

Thanks for sharing indie

[The Dogmother]

I brought 2 meat birds (free) back yesterday; my friend was clearing her top paddock and they were of an age to go. In hindsight, if I'd had the time, I ought to have plucked and gutted at her place - far more space and no pesky lurcher with blood lust in her eyes!

 

No room to 'hang' them on the fridge, so they've gone straight in the freezer. Roughly 5lb each.

[TAJ]

I brought 2 meat birds (free) back yesterday; my friend was clearing her top paddock and they were of an age to go. In hindsight, if I'd had the time, I ought to have plucked and gutted at her place - far more space and no pesky lurcher with blood lust in her eyes!

 

No room to 'hang' them on the fridge, so they've gone straight in the freezer. Roughly 5lb each.

 

I know what you mean - we have a cat that always appears when you are about to dispatch!

 

Tracy

[The Dogmother]

One of those too Tracy.

 

Thankfully, Biscuit doesn't try to climb my legs like the last cat, but he was winding himself in and out of my legs. I had to shut the dog out of the kitchen. She got the liver, heart and kidneys though.