Good and bad problem...

[Bubblingbrooks]

if you decide not to can, then just don't kill the chickens yet. eat down for, say 2 months, out of the freezer and then you have alot more freezer room for those chickens.

good to be stocked!

We cannot afford to keep feeding them. Work is scarce, and barley is getting low.
I am pulling bones this week, and will reduce the broth way down, and then freeze it in ice cube trays, rather then my usual pint jars.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I also have this problem, we have 3 full size freezers and one apt.size. Last wk I had to find room for four turkeys and 13 hens.

I arranged the freezers like so--one for beef,one for pork and turkey one for goat, lamb and chicken, the little one gets veggies,butter ect...

It was a big job,but it is so nice and neat now.

My only worry is that we have a bad storm this winter and lose POWER!
Usually here we are lucky and only lose it for a few hours, and if need be we do have a generator.

We are so Blessed!

If you lose power and its cold enough out, you just box the stuff up, and set it outside in a shed.

 

[Farmfresh]

I just got finished canning nine of ours. They were egg type roosters and looked more like ostriches than chickens ... TALL and boney! No one will be able to tell how they looked from inside of the jar, and they TASTE delicious. We ate chicken and rice casserole from a jar that did not seal last night.

One reason why I usually cut up my chickens when I process them and pack them, instead of leaving them whole, is freezer space. We have two big deep freezers, plus the refrigerator freezer and I had to take about 75 pounds of hamburger to my D1's freezer to store when we got our beef processed this last year.

I wish we had more game meat in ours however, I love venison, but so far no one in this household is a true hunter.

 

[Kingsfarm]

bubblingbrooks, I am reparing to process 6 roosters, have never canned but want to cann them because I do not have room in our one and only freezer...my friend makes hamburger thing and canns it, all is ready when she wants to pour on rice.....only cooks it down with onions and seasonings....wonderful.......I plan to boil the chickens, debone then process only long enough seal jars....can you tell me how long to process any cooked meat (stews etc) since all will already be cooked is 10 lbs at 20 minutes long enough...thank you for you help again....G

 

[Farmfresh]

Chicken is processed at 10 pounds of pressure 1 hour 20 minutes. Processing for 20 minutes will not be long enough to kill all of the bacteria.

I boiled and de-boned mine then packed the meat in the jars with some of the broth. Leave 1 inch of head space in the jar.

 

[Kingsfarm]

Thank you Farmfresh: I thought since the chicken is fully cooked you don't have to process as long .... right ... what size jars did you use? meat only w/broth... that's how I will do it....l hour and 20 minutes.......thank you again my roosters are RIR's and have been feeding them for awhile... out of 6 I hope to have at least a few jars of meat... what do you think? this will be a FIRST TIME experience all around for me....I am praying...

 

[Farmfresh]

I always can my meat in PINTS. I think it works better and heats through more evenly.

I cleaned 9 boney mixed layer breed roos and canned up 8 of them the other day. They ended up as 14 pints of canned boneless meat and 7 pints of rich concentrated broth.

 

[Kingsfarm]

Farmfresh, I cannot tell you how this has encouraged me....recently was feeding 7 roos and predators killed them 2 days before I had planned to process....was so discouraged but have these about ready to go so.......thank you ....

 

[Farmfresh]

I know that disappointment well.

Many years ago we had 28 Cornish crosses nice and fat. We were ready to clean them that weekend and on Thursday the neighbors dog came over and killed everyone of them while we were gone shopping. Just bit them and dropped them. < (me sick to the point of puking). Amazingly (HA!) we received NO compensation.

Once you can meat (and open it later to eat finding it SO delicious and good) you will be hooked!! It is so nice to have a jar of chicken, turkey or other meat ready to go when you want to make a fast dinner. Just be sure to always use your eyes and nose when you open the jar (It should smell like the delicious food it is supposed to be.) and always bring it to a boil for at least 20 minutes to be on the safe side. Since that is about how long it takes for me to get a fast dinner slapped together it is no problem at all.

 

[Kingsfarm]

Farmfresh, another question.....do you process and cann the same day? If not, do you process, refrigerate.....cann the next day ? I really have to plan this for I don't know if I will have help....first time ? In Louisiana it is very hot...will start early in am .... so explain the timing please....Thanks.....G