Chicken bald back

[Griffin]

Previously when I've despatched my birds I've plucked them immediately then left them in the fridge for three days before gutting and freezing. This weekend I'm going to despatch the Dorkings because they're turning into bullies and I'd like to get them in the freezer all on the same day. What difference will this make to the meat? They're about 26 weeks old.

[Redwing]

I've done it and the meat was a bit tough when cooked

 

I have also done it and roasted the chicken then froze it and that wasnt as bad

 

If there isnt a great deal of meat on them I have also skinned them and taken the drumsticks and breast meat when they were freshly killed (no gutting) and that was better

[The Dogmother]

I've despatched etc and frozen on the same day and they were OK. Better if you can rest them in the fridge first, although I always take the guts out first. Just personal preference.

[Jools]

It's definitely a preference thing. Hanging is supposed to change the flavour of the meat, as well as tenderise it a little. I'm not a meat eater so I don't want strongly flavoured chicken and we only hang our's for 24 hours before they go in the freezer. To be honest with you, I think freezer them tenderises them more than hanging them does, but the most important factor is how you cook them. Slower and longer than normal seems to work best for surplus cockerels.

[Griffin]

I think I'll despatch them in the morning, pluck them and leave them in the fridge until Sunday then gut them & freeze them. Molly says she wants to help me tomorrow

 

Everything seems to be coming of age all at once and I don't want to be left with doing all five at the same time so I'll start off with the trouble makers

[The Dogmother]

I was talking to someone at the weekend; they were thinking of buying 24 meat chicks... until i told them that they'd probably have 24 birds all needing despatching etc at roughly the same time they are now going to stagger their purchases.

 

Griffin, I have eaten excess male birds; more tough and gamey, but I joint them rather than roasting, and bung them in a slow cooker as coq au vin. I can show you how to joint one if you don't know.

[Jools]

We had 26 lads last year, courtesy of my neighbour who responded to my query about having "some" of his surplus Light Sussex cockerels. We despatched them over a couple of months because it was easier, but we still had to buy another freezer to put them in! This year it's only five of our own. Phew.

[Griffin]

There's nothing of them, I swear there was more meat on the Leghorns I'm thinking because they weren't 100% Dorking, they were the blue egg laying types on Ebay, they've inherited more of the Legbar than I thought they would.

 

I'm so proud of Molly & Emily (aged 10 & . Molly had said she wanted to watch me despatch them and she helped pluck too. Emily gets quite upset about the idea of me despatching the boys and eating them but she watched me do one and helped pluck it. She wishes we could keep them all but now understands how much better this way is for our birds compared to supermarket ones.

[Egluntyne]

I gut mine and then rest them in the fridge for 24 hours. They are a bit too smelly and gamey for the family if left longer.

 

I don't eat meat, but am the one who does the deed.

[laurmurf]

did you ever get a taste of Anton, Egluntyne? (without the family realising ?)

[Griffin]

We decided to have them for dinner today so they spent just 24 hours in the fridge before being gutted.

 

Very gamey and dark meat on the Dorkings. I've decided I don't enjoy eating my own because throughout the meal all I could think of was their little faces And I was right, they were no bigger than the Leghorns under all those feathers, a mere 830g or so each dressed I hope Steve Speckled Sussex has more meat on his bones!

[TAJ]

I think I'll despatch them in the morning, pluck them and leave them in the fridge until Sunday then gut them & freeze them. Molly says she wants to help me tomorrow

 

Everything seems to be coming of age all at once and I don't want to be left with doing all five at the same time so I'll start off with the trouble makers

 

God idea - we normally kill and pluck early Saturday, in fridege for 24hrs and gut & freeze Sunday afternoon - enough for the meat to soften without the gamey flavour of leaving them longer.

 

Tracy

[Jools]

I've decided I don't enjoy eating my own because throughout the meal all I could think of was their little faces

 

That is probably the most important reason for freezing them tbh. I haven't eaten one fresh because I don't like the association. When they come out of the freezer, they don't remind me of who they were and I certainly don't know who is who.

 

I can only eat the breast meat because the rest is too strongly flavoured for me. Good job the husband likes those bit!!