Got my exercise... more roosters

[CrealCritter]

How are Buff Orpengton as far a meat goes? I know my first flock of Rhode Island Reds we're only fit for the position. Meat was supper tough when I fried up one. I hope Buff Orpengtons will be more tender.

 

[Mini Horses]

The growth rate of the heritage breeds makes them older than a tender fryer would normally be, IMO. But, chicken & dumplings are good or slow cook for chicken salad, pot pies, etc.
How you butcher, handle to age meat, all factor in. Baymule does more of this than I have in years. Maybe she'll chime in.

That's why you see people raising the meat bird types if they are looking to seriously fill the freezer, 6-12 week old birds.

 

[Hinotori]

There's a reason I only use silkies for soup besides the small size. My ameraucana boys were the same way. They are well past 20 weeks before there is enough meat on them. And it has actual texture like meat. The silkies actually fry up better even though they are older than the ameraucana usually. The small size makes a difference. I treat them like the pheasant we'd have when I was growing up. Soup is easiest though. Uses the meat best.

I'm going to try pressure cooking one and make shredded chicken. If it works I know what I'm taking to the family Halloween party this year. Shredded black chicken salad.

 

[sumi]

Shredded black chicken salad.

 

[Hinotori]

That lovely black meat (and skin and bones) that silkies have. Though the breast is more grey

 

[CrealCritter]

Last summer we butchered 32 Delaware roosters. I cut the breast meat off, vacuum sealed it and froze it. I cut the meat off the legs and thighs and canned it. I boiled the leg and thigh bones, the backs, and made broth, which I canned. I canned the bony back parts in quart jars with rice, squash and green beans for dog food. They LOVED it!


for a quick meal, I can open a pint of chicken meat, it's already cooked. I used the breast meat in stir fry or I breaded and fried them. Either way, the breast meat was good. Not a lot of breast meat on a Delaware, certainly not like the double D boobies on a store bought chicken, Cornish cross. Because it takes longer for a heritage breed to grow off versus a Cornish cross, the meat is "firmer" which is a marketing double speak for "tough and chewy". The flavor is very good. Cornish cross meat is soft and mushy, there isn't much flavor, but there is a LOT more meat.

I look at it as I have raised them, fed them, I know what they ate and how they were treated. Why wouldn't I eat them? Currently I have 2 pens of EE's that most look to be roosters. As soon as they reveal themselves to me, they are going to be slaughtered. Last Sunday afternoon, we butchered the mean EE rooster that hated me, and I hated him. He had testicles the size of golf balls! No wonder he was so mean, his gonads were 10 times the size of his birdy brain! He was a year and a half old, REAL tough to skin, and I soaked the carcass in salty ice water until bedtime, then I bagged it up and put it in the refrigerator. I let it rest for several days, then simmered it all day long. That mean old %*#$ rooster made some deep yellow rich broth, the dark meat was a dark chocolate color and very tasty. I packed it in the broth and put it in the freezer for now.

I am looking for "that" breed of chicken. Delaware ain't it. Next I will try Australorp and Speckled Sussex. I figure by raising my own, the roos go for meat, frozen or canned, the old hens go for meat, makes fine chicken and dumplings.

@crealbilly the roosters you have will taste good. They won't look or taste like store bought. The meat will be "firm" so sharpen up your appetite and maybe you won't notice so much. It might help to thaw the carcass in the refrigerator, let it "rest" several days, then soak the carcass in cold, slightly salty water in the refrigerator 24 hours, then prepare it for frying. Some people rest their chickens in the refrigerator 3-5 days before putting them in the freezer.

You will have to let us know how the Orps turn out.

Will do... I may just do a few roos tomorrow and stick them in the fridge and bake one later in the week. I've also heard the same about putting them in the fridge 3 to 5 days before freezing so I'm going to try it.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I have never noticed a dofference between the roo and hen cornish x. That's interesting. I have some white orpington hens and I'm curious how their offspring will be as table birds crossed with one of my 3 roos. Next year will be full of interesting experiments, lol.

 

[NH Homesteader]

You're making me hungry! That looks delicious.

I have found a large taste difference in pork from barrows vs. gilts but haven't noticed a difference with the hens vs. Roos. Of course we get mostly roos when we order. (we will only raise female pigs now as a side note)

 

[CrealCritter]

Barrow is a neutered male. Gilt is a female that has not had a litter. Sow is a female who has had piglets, and boar is a non-neutered male.

The males have a much stronger taste in my opinion. My friend told me she noticed it and I thought she was nuts. Until we had both in the freezer and I tried them back to back.

Pigs are so easy to raise!

Is there like a raising pigs how-to or FAQ here on SS? I would be so interested in something like that... Book learning is ok but if you have a question about something you read in the book your out of luck. But in a forum like SS you get replies to questions form the experts.

 

[CrealCritter]

YW! This is a great site! I've learned tons from here too.

I'm quoting for truth you nailed it!!!