Goodbye Boys.

[Seahorse]

yukkkk at which bit? eating them or skinning them?

Sounds like you handled things really well Di. Enjoy your sunday dinner tomorrow!

[di]

I'm sure the eating will be enjoyed...just the cooking going to be a bit of a challenge.The legs have kind of set rigid,straight out.(and we watch CSI so should know about rigor mortis)...is there something we've done a little wrong?(I may have to chop them off to fit in the oven)
We hung them upside down to pluck(by their feet)and by the time we'd done their legs were stuck fast.(must admit we weren't particularly fast)
The others seemed fine this arvo,they got a few hours free ranging to take their minds off their missing chappies...the one I'm a little worried about is Roo.Boo and the white Brahma were her only friends.All the others were wandering around in their pairs and she was just moping about on her own staying away from trouble(the bitching's already started)
I think she was relieved to be able to step down from the tyre....I worked out why she always stood on it....the boys couldn't have their wicked way with her while she was up thereClever Girl.

[BUFFS]

when we got our latest two we were offered a cockerel,basically it was a case of name your own price,but even though they looked beautiful,we have close neighbours,so it was a nono,and im too settled where i am to move and have a large flock..OH says im too long in the tooth,smooth talking lady i dont think...

[RichmondHens]

.......We hung them upside down to pluck(by their feet)and by the time we'd done their legs were stuck fast.(must admit we weren't particularly fast)......

Did you wet or dry pluck? I have taken to wet plucking as I find it's much faster. As long as you get the water temperature right - it has to be scalding (when you put your finger in it's ouch but not burn) - then plunge the freshly killed bird straight in for a minute. Then the feathers just fall off with minimum effort.

That said, I did two yesterday morning, didn't quite get the water temp as hot as should be, took longer to pluck and as I did them outside (madness, in the rain and howling wind) the wings had set in rigor by the time I'd done. My husband said "do them in the barn" but I like my "spot" just under the apple tree - can hang at the right height for me off a convenient branch - but should have really taken his advice!!

[RedThorn]

Well done and good weights too.

...We won't even pluck our cockerels - just skin them and take the meat off the carcass.

Now that is a brilliant idea! wonder why I didn't think of that

[BarleySugar]

When Dad used to do his poultry he'd always hang them somewhere cool. e.g shed for long enough for the rigor mortis to go out of the birds. He used to do Christmas poultry, and had plenty of return customers. He always said the meat would cook tough otherwise (and it's not easy to get in the pot!).

[mr darcy]

didn't mean to offend with my 'yukk' I really do think you are right that the poor 'commercials' have a horrible time and are the ones to feel sorry for, and I do also think that it's perfectly wholesome, normal etc to raise birds for the pot. It's just me that isn't normal I've never been able to get my head round the idea of killing things, even in the best of circumstances,just the thought of it freaks me out. It's not squeemishness, because although I am veggie my OH and boys are not and I can gut and filet fish,prepare and handle dead freerange chooks from the butcher etc....(and we are in France so chooks have heads)
Hope I havn't offended anyone, take no notice of my silly old comments!

[Snadger]

I'm sure the eating will be enjoyed...just the cooking going to be a bit of a challenge.The legs have kind of set rigid,straight out.(and we watch CSI so should know about rigor mortis)...is there something we've done a little wrong?(I may have to chop them off to fit in the oven)
We hung them upside down to pluck(by their feet)and by the time we'd done their legs were stuck fast.(must admit we weren't particularly fast)
The others seemed fine this arvo,they got a few hours free ranging to take their minds off their missing chappies...the one I'm a little worried about is Roo.Boo and the white Brahma were her only friends.All the others were wandering around in their pairs and she was just moping about on her own staying away from trouble(the bitching's already started)
I think she was relieved to be able to step down from the tyre....I worked out why she always stood on it....the boys couldn't have their wicked way with her while she was up thereClever Girl.

I 'butterflied' my cockerels and BBQ'd them.Similar to a spatchcock, they were gorgeous. Still have two half butterflies in the freezer!

[di]

Sounds like a plan for our next lot Snadge.
As it was,the chappie fitted perfectly in my roaster.
Although he was almost 5 lbs most of that seemed to be on his legs...they were huge!
I think I should get another two meals from him and hoping our neighbours haven't thrown Boo's carcass away as I'll boil them up together for some stock.
When I was in Turkey,my Sis's MIL used to make a delicious chicken rice,using the chicken stock to cook the rice and adding off cuts of the meat...think that maybe what we're having on Tuesday.

[BUFFS]

dont worry mr darcy, we all have our soft spots for different things,i cant watch it when vets remove the local livestocks credentials,makes my eyes water,if we were all the same,it would be a very boring world..

[mr darcy]

thankyou buffs, don't feel like such a nelly now
ps cooked roast chook this eve for my lads, found myself looking at the weight and trying to assess how big andiandi's big boy was in comparison blimey i'll be sizing up old scarlet soon

[BUFFS]

well mr darcy,when picking up new girls,saw my first jersey giant....what weight would they come out at oven-ready...one biggggggg bird..stop me asking for the leg anyway..

[MaureenHall]

Jersey Giants come out at around 13lbs for cockerels and 11 for hens. I don't really want my Jerry to end up on the table though, he's gorgeous Big, beautiful and gentle natured .................. so far

[di]

As a 'general',don't the bigger birds tend to be more docile?
13lbs would keep us going for weeks!

[mr darcy]

As a 'general',don't the bigger birds tend to be more docile?
13lbs would keep us going for weeks!

docile???if only you knew