Lewis Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Finally did my own table birds this year Hatched them under a broody in May and knew stright from the eggs that they were dinner chickens - a Welsummer x Commercial table bird (right), and a Welsummer x Maran (far left). They've been separated in the from the others in the WIR so were treated differently and weren't named ... well, Little Miss Meaty (white) and Mr Meaty (dark) Dispatched Little Miss Meaty last week, plucked him and left him in the (really) cold side passage for 5 days, which was probably wayy too long but have been really busy He was about 3kg dead weight - couldn't be bothered with gutting so just jointed. Got 2 x 220g breasts and the legs were about 390g each. So not too bad Glad I did it, the dispatching isn't very nice but was fine and at least we know exactly where its come from, and has eaten Mr Meaty will be next but he's still not v muscly so has a few more weeks to FR! Hopefully do a couple more next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 That's not a bad amount of meat Lewis Well done on doing it, I wish I could Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I'm impressed! New Year Resolution- kill, pluck and gut course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Mr meaty looks like my christmas dinner bird ( which I'd narrowed down to a welsummer x copper black marran) weighed in at 6lb dead weight dressed out at 4lb 4oz at 26 weeks not a lot of breast meat but the thighs were bigger than a shop brought chicken I slightly over cooked him ,home grown chicken cooks quicker apparently . i gutted him after 2 days then left him to rest in the fridge for 4 or 5 days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Well Done Lewis Im well impressed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Well done Lewis.........i always feel a bit sick on the build up to the deed, but then once it's over they are just meat. and what happy meat they have been , you gave them such a good life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sari Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Well done, very impressive! This is something I'm very interested in, after eating some godawful supermarket free range turkey at MiL over the weekend....just got to persuade the childrens, and go on the despatching and prep course....not squeamish at all....just want to do it right!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Ta Think I'll skin Mr Meaty rather than pluck, would make it all a lot quicker. The rest of the family won't eat him 'cos "he's smiled at us" but if he went in the freezer + they didn't realise, sure they'd be fine I think if we're going to specifically hatch dinner chickens this year I'll do a commercial cross/meat bird 'cos Mr Meaty isn't really that at all whereas 'cos Little Miss Meaty was a commercial table bird cross at least he had a bit more muscle at the same age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I am a vegerterian, have been for the last 20 years. I was never a big meat eater and hate the way animals are treated, this is why have have chickens for the eggs. I wish I could be brave and rear and dispatch my own birds perhaps I would eat chicken then. OH eats meat and loves it but I know he would not be able to dispatch a chicken. Well done in being able to do this, at least you know your birds had a good home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Me too Chicken Shack, except I'm fortunate enough to be married to someone who is capable of "doing the deed". I've added homegrown chicken to my diet at a result and it's the only meat I could ever contemplate eating. I don't eat much, probably just Christmas dinner and a couple of other roasts during the year, but I have no qualms about it because I know exactly how they lived and died. Mind you, they have to spend some time in the freezer first! Well done Lewis - Bon Apetit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Jools how did you get OH to dispatch a chicken? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I was vegetarian for 25 years but started to eat our own dinner birds. We both find it difficult but cope once they are dead. I've since progressed to eating our own duck, lamb, pork and beef - I still eat vegetarian when I'm out. We had someone who lived locally to come and show us how to do the deed and we've also been on the course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Lesley well done I wish I could do it. I am such a wimp. 12 you must have the most on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I think others are catching me up now We only paid full price for the first one - and did a lot of ebaying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Jools how did you get OH to dispatch a chicken? Sorry, I haven't logged on for a few days! I'm sort of lucky that the husband has always been into shooting/fishing etc and when we lived in Northants he did a lot of picking up on the local estates, so dispatching wounded pheasants was pretty much the norm for him. He really doesn't like killing our chickens though, even those destined for the freezer from the day they hatch. I think he enjoys watching them doing chicken things as much as I do. Hats off to Lesley and Carl for what they're doing! We've talked about it, but both of us know it would never happen - we'd just end up with a lot of very old pigs and cows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Spoke to OH about doing the deed and he said he would go to Tesco. I guess I am destinned to be a vegetairian for ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Well done Lewis Glad that you put it into practice at last. I despatched our Christmas chook, which was reared by a friend - i don't have the space - a 10lb thumper that tasted brilliant, he was a meat/LF cross and very succulent. if they don't have spare birds around, or I don't have the time, then I buy them from a brilliant farmer at Stratford market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hats off to Lesley and Carl for what they're doing! We've talked about it, but both of us know it would never happen - we'd just end up with a lot of very old pigs and cows. We have some very ancient sheep - we have 3 geberations of one family! We made doing the deed as easy as possible - we bought the cone and it kills so quickly and cleanly that it was worth every penny. We did wonder how they could charge that much for a few pieces of metal! We don't find any of it easy and we hate going to the abattoir.....it doesn't become easier with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Well done Lewis for posting this. Most people are meat eaters and too many think meat is just a small slab of red stuff wrapped in clingfilm in the supermarket. They don't seem to care where it comes from or the country's standards, just so long as it's cheap. Plucking really is prison work .... we trade eggs for pheasants .... or mallards .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 [quote="Jools"We made doing the deed as easy as possible - we bought the cone and it kills so quickly and cleanly that it was worth every penny. We did wonder how they could charge that much for a few pieces of metal! We don't find any of it easy and we hate going to the abattoir.....it doesn't become easier with time. We have a cone as well. It's a humungus and incredibly heavy piece of kit. But it definitely makes the process more...reliable. I found the broomstick method didn't work so well when you aren't on concrete, and the poor bird's head seemed so far waway I had to bend right over it to try and ensure that I had the broomstick in the right place. The cone makes it much easier (in the sense of easier to see what you're doing and easier to ensure you are doing the right thing. And an inverted traffic cone (which I have seen suggested on other websites) is NOT a suitable substitute. We've got 4 to do on Monday. We only eat our own home-hatched chickens now, so we don't have chicken that often. We still hate Doing the Deed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 I've used a cone and stunner at the farm but couldn't justify (or afford ) one for here if we're only doing 2 cockerels! Sure if I asked she'd let me borrow it (or go there and use it ) but the broomstick method is fine for the mo. I don't have a huge problem with doing the deed, only thing I didn't like last time was the flapping, even though I was expecting it, it just wasn't v nice 'cos you think they're struggling. Got to 'do' Mr Meaty tomorrow morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 only thing I didn't like last time was the flapping, even though I was expecting it, it just wasn't v nice 'cos you think they're struggling. Got to 'do' Mr Meaty tomorrow morning... Lewis, immediately after killing, if you swing the bird under your arm and hold it there for a minute or 2 (like you are holding a book under your arm), you will contain the wing flapping. The sensation isn't pleasant, but it's less distressing than having the bird flapping. It also reduces possible bruising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Thats what we were taught on the course. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Just done Mr Meaty. Its not nice but much better than last time. Was more matter of fact (I don't mean that in a horrible way) and so it was quicker + less stressy for him, hopefully. Still, nice to know exactly where your meat has come from and whats in it Hopefully want to raise more meaty birds this year. Its a start anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Well done Lewis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
