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Offline JP

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Hey Chickenpeople!
« on: January 22, 2009, 08:42:42 pm »
Them free range chickens without the hormones and all, do they taste different than the polluted variety?

And, its been quite a while since I plucked chicken feathers, do ya'll have a trick for gettin' the feathers off, like dippin' 'em in hot water, anything like that?

Was just doing some chicken thinking the other day and had these questions.

Thanks for any feedback, chickenpeople.


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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2009, 08:53:35 pm »
Get a big deep pail/pot. Fill to about half full. Heat to a boil on a grill. Holding the bird by the feet and using a stick as needed, push the chicken into the pot of hot water covering all the feathers. Give it only two or three seconds. Pull it out and let it steam a bit until cool enough to handle. The feathers should just peel off. You don't really pull them a handful at a time. You sort of push them off. Like you are petting the chicken with pressure and against the growth.

You first can do the legs as you are holding it by the legs. Then pull out the big feathers from the tail and the wings. Next do the wings. Then the rest of the body starting at the butt working towards the neck. If they are really hard to pull out then dip it again.
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Offline JP

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2009, 08:56:44 pm »
Jerry you have become quite the chickenperson. How about the free range taste vs hormones?


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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2009, 09:08:14 pm »
Here's the thing. My taster ain't all that great since the motorcycle accident when the back of my head met the asphalt. And I am not much of a chicken eater. My wife really likes the bird but I like the cow  :-D
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Offline poka-bee

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2009, 10:16:37 pm »
JP, it's the same difference as your honey & Wallmart honey.... :  AND no doubt you are getting way more nutrition per bite than commercial chicken cause they aren't on an exclusive diet of soilent green~! J
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Offline JP

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2009, 10:20:37 pm »
JP, it's the same difference as your honey & Wallmart honey.... :  AND no doubt you are getting way more nutrition per bite than commercial chicken cause they aren't on an exclusive diet of soilent green~! J

Jody, the taste is different? How so? Iwas just thinking it would be cool to raise chickens one day and perhaps guineas and rabbits for food. And plant vegetables.


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Offline poka-bee

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2009, 10:42:32 pm »
Watch out JP..soon you will be like Cindi, Brian & the rest of us!!  The taste is much richer, somehow it doesn't dry out as much during cooking. The texture is different too, I can't explain how exactly but it is. Right now I buy it from other people.  I don't like the processing part but my neighbor doesn't mind & they like dark meat, we don't so I am thinking of raising em, having them do the dirty work & giving them the dark meat for doing it.  It feels good to know that no matter what happens you will have good, safe food to eat.  J
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Offline Shawn

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2009, 02:10:04 pm »
Can someone explain "free-range." I know they would be out on their own but what about the food you feed them? Most of the foods these days are tainted somehow. Even grinding your own feed the source would say what is in the feed. I am about to buy some chicks to start raising for eggs and want to keep everything as natural as I can but dont want to make the chickens suffer by them not getting the right mixtures of vitamins.

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2009, 06:10:16 pm »
Shawn, free range means they get to wander about outside doing what chix do, eating a variety of  bugs, plants & whatever.  Ideally you wouldn't use pesticides or non-organic fertilizers.  You can buy organic chix food, layer, grower & starter it is VERY expensive..hence the reason for letting them free range!  You can also chuck out all your food scraps, they will eat almost everything.  Kids don't like broccoli or crusts on bread?  NP, eventually they will eat it recycled as eggs! :evil:  J
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Offline Frantz

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2009, 06:37:10 pm »
JP, like Jodie said becareful. Before you know it you are in trouble. I started thinking the way that you are a little bit ago. I now have a ton of birds and 100 eggs in the bator!!! You will not be sorry. I promise! Anyway, all my birds are free range, and I feed them scraps, layer pellets, and flax seed. I don't feed any of the "organic" feeds, too expensive. You can also talk to the local grocery about getting their produce that they toss every day/night. Well worth getting. With a bag of layer pellets costing $15 per 50lb bag. It helps for sure. We have healthy eggs, healthy birds and a great hobby for the kids.
F
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2009, 01:07:49 pm »
With a bag of layer pellets costing $15 per 50lb bag. It helps for sure. We have healthy eggs, healthy birds and a great hobby for the kids.
F

Holy smoking smoke!!!  Frantz I cannot believe how expensive layer pellets are for you.  Eeeks!!!  That freaked me right out.

Here we pay $10.20 for a 50 pound bag, $15.00 would be a really bad thing. I wonder why such the difference in price.  Even when the Canadian dollar was at par with the American last year, the price was still the same as it is today.  Weird.

It is important that chickens get the proper amount of nutrients, they must have good nutrients or you don't have very healthy chickens.  Period.  Unhealthy chickens do not give great egg production.  They require that they do not have chicken lice either, or internal parasites.  Those deplete the souls of the bird too, and reduce egg production. 

The layer pellets that I feed my chickens are non-medicated, but have a great array of vitamins and minerals that are important for the health of the bird, I believe in that.  AND...all the kitchen scraps that I muster up, it is theirs to dine on too.

Giving the birds that flaxseed is excellent, as that is transmitted to the humans in consumption of the eggs.  Which, by the way, consumption of eggs (especially with the omega three oils) (flaxseed is one great source for it) have  been found to be far more beneficial for people than the thing about high cholesterol and eggs.  Just some trivia.

Free range.  Birds that can access green growing food for their dining pleasure, bugs, insects, stuff that they can eat, rocks to help to digest their food. That is what a free range bird is. 

And yes, the taste between a commercial bird that is stuff to the gills to have it gain weight fast, without the good ol' grassy, greeny, browny stuff that the free range birds eat, well, you just cannot compare, period.  And free range birds are very low in fat content because they have great exercise, which we all know helps to keep fat low, smiling.  Have a wonderful and awesome day, great life, attract great health.  Cindi
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Offline JP

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2009, 02:13:37 pm »
So Cindi, what's the dark meat like, is it still juicy?


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Offline Cindi

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2009, 12:08:15 pm »
So Cindi, what's the dark meat like, is it still juicy?
...JP

Not sure where that comment came from, but I can elaborate as much as I can.

The Muscovy ducks are dark meat.  The bird is low in fat, very low, nothing like the other species of ducks that one can get pounds (smiling) of fat from when they cook them.  My average weight of one of my Muscovy drakes, at 4 months old (that is the age of slaughter, older then you get more feathers to deal with, younger, you don't get as big a bird, a given, by the way) is about 6.5 pounds.  That is alot of meat off one duck, the females weigh in about 4.5 pounds, a lot of weight again for a duck.  (Oh my mouth is drooling.....sorry....am I off topic, ramblin', sorry....).  When I cook a Muscovy, there is about 1/2 cup of fat, and lots of drippings that are juice only.  Yes, the dark meat is EXTREMELY juicy, the beauty of the Muscovy duck breed, huge birds.

The heritage turkeys that I grow too, yes, dark meat mostly (that be the heritage bird), VERY, very juicy.  And holy smoking carumbas!!!  THey have the longest legs you can imagine.  Probably about twice the length of the "typical" turkey.  That makes it hard to get them ready for the freezer, I have to tie their legs together and make the freezer brown paper big to fit these legs.  Oh, but man, you cannnot compare the taste and moistness to any "regular" turkey, as bought in the stores.  I am ramblin'.  I am sorry, truly.  Now what was the question?  Right juicy, dark meat.  Yes, yes, and yes. Have a wonderful and awesome day, attract wonderful health.  Cindi

I have three toms that are coming up to 6 months old on Feburary 4, they are slaughtered at 28 weeks or so,  so they are heading off to Langley the beginning of March.  I can't wait, another month to go, and then turkey, they are huge, they are as big as Richard now, and he is a big turkey bird!!!
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Offline JP

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2009, 12:36:45 pm »
Earth to Cindi, how is the dark meat on free range, hormone free CHICKEN?


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Offline Cindi

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2009, 12:47:09 pm »
JP, oh yo' makka me laugh!!!  I thought you were talking about other birds, smiling.  This is not the first time that someone has said to me "earth to Cindi", smiling.

The dark meat on the free range, no hormone chickens is really good.  So is the white.  The birds are very fat free, lean, and juicy, yes, yes.  Even without that extra grease with them, they are still juicey and yummy.  I think that they are a little bit tough though.  That is because mine are not "meat" birds, but a egg layerXmeat bird and are slaughtered a little older because they grow slower.  I need to find out how to tenderize them, that is the only issue I can see with these chickens that we are raising.  When we move, I will be raising some actual "meat" birds, ones that grow quickly and are slaughtered younger, to see if they are more tender.  But, they are very juicey, in my opinion.  Have a great day, health, attract that good stuff. Cindi
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Offline JP

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2009, 12:59:09 pm »
To me the dark meat is best but I do wonder what it would be like on a lean chicken, so I guess I can assume its the same deal as wild turkey vs domestic turkey?

So, if you're raising chickens for meat do you limit the amount of exercise they get or is it the species that you choose that makes for a juicy dark meat chicken?


...JP
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #16 on: January 25, 2009, 08:01:23 pm »
JP, I let my chickens run around like chickens with their heads cut off, hee, hee.  I do not restrict their meanderings, they can run, chase, go for as long as their little hearts desire.  The more bugs they eat, the better the meat, smiling.  I am sure that if you restrict the movement of the birds to a certain degree, that you will get a much more tender bird.  I cannot speak to this, because I don't care.  I want them to be happy, and that means running through the tall grasses, climbing up on the chickenhill, ducking into all the bush that gives them protection from the things above in the sky.  My chickens are probably tough as the dickens due to these very reasons!!!   and are tough as the dickens, smiling.  Beauty, have a great, most wonderful day, love this life, attract great health.  Cindi
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Offline Irwin

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #17 on: January 26, 2009, 09:26:41 am »
Cindi try canning the chicken makes a great sandwitch spread. And it makes a great chicken noddle soup. I did it all the time when I had chickens. It's makes the old bird real tender :-D
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Offline JP

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #18 on: January 26, 2009, 09:56:49 am »
Anymore chicken people want to chime in? So, if you're raising chickens for meat do you limit the amount of exercise they get or is it the species that you choose that makes for a juicy dark meat chicken?


...JP
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Offline reinbeau

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #19 on: January 26, 2009, 11:52:15 am »
Not chicken, but I have to say, my mother bought an expensive, organically raised freerange turkey for Thanksgiving and I wasn't happy with it at all.  This guy must have been an athlete!  The connective tissues, muscle sheaths, etc. were all tough throughout all of the dark meat, and even in the white.  Tasty but tough!

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #20 on: January 26, 2009, 11:54:45 am »
JP, the breast of the chix will always be white meat no matter what type, like turkeys, chix are just made that way.  You can get Cornish broiler & other crosses that mature early = more tender meat on them.  They actually have a hard time living very long cause they get too heavy, can't walk & heart can't keep up with the rapid growth.  I think those you butcher @ 16-24 weeks, someone will correct me I'm sure. A little less than 1/2 their lives will be in a brooder setting cause you need to keep em warm till they feather out so they won't have time to run about getting tough.  If you don't want to buy new chix every year you can get a dual breed & keep the best hens for laying, 1-2 roosters & then butcher the rest.  I think that's what Cindi does?  You would still butcher the ones you want to eat once they get full size so you are not wasting food maintaining them if they are not going to grow any more anyways.  They would not be as tough say as the broodstock.   Go for it, just make sure you only get attached to your breeding hens, chix are addicting & have quite the personalities!  J
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #21 on: January 26, 2009, 12:28:17 pm »
I think that if JP wants to raise meat birds, he should go with the Cornish broilers, they are ready for the table at 4-6 weeks old.  They grow very rapidly, really fast.  I know that fellow that grows them and because they grow so fast, their hearts have issues.  He always puts the water at the other end of the pen so that they get exercise, otherwise they can have heart attacks. Sounds like they MUST have exercise, but they grow so fast.  Here is something from the net, do a little research to find out what you want.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broiler

I am only dabbling in raising meat birds.  The only ones that we have eaten so far, have been the Rhode Island RedXwith a brown egg layer, no speciific breed, other than called Sex-a-link.  They haven't even began to look like they would have been worthwhile eating until over 16 weeks old, that seems to have made them rather tough.  I am breeding for heavy weight dual purpose birds, but that is on hold until we get moved to our new place and set up. I am downsizing the birds at this time, I can't take too many with us because of unknown circumstance.

Irwin, canned chicken spread sounds delicious, gonna have to try that one day, hee, hee.  Have a wonderful and awesome day,  Cindi
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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #22 on: January 26, 2009, 04:32:35 pm »
Anymore chicken people want to chime in? So, if you're raising chickens for meat do you limit the amount of exercise they get or is it the species that you choose that makes for a juicy dark meat chicken?


...JP

Jp I am no chicken farmer, but I think I can answer your question anyways. Animals that use their muscles have more dark meat. Its the extra blood flow caused by exercise. Thats why venison is so dark, all muscles . The reverse is true for veal. Its kept in a box so it wont develop muscles, which add sinew and capillaries to a muscle group, which is why veal is much lighter in color than beef cow.  Same w/ non domesticated fowl you hunt. I love dark meat and dont really enjoy commercial breast meat. Too dry and no flavor. When people say it tastes like chicken, I get something else!

So, i I would imagine a free range chciken would have more dark meat than a purdue for example. Its also a reason I dont enjoy farm raised fish as much as wild caught fish.
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #23 on: October 16, 2022, 01:00:41 pm »

Quote

JP
Them free range chickens without the hormones and all, do they taste different than the polluted variety?

And, its been quite a while since I plucked chicken feathers, do ya'll have a trick for gettin' the feathers off, like dippin' 'em in hot water, anything like that?

Was just doing some chicken thinking the other day and had these questions.

Thanks for any feedback, chickenpeople.


...JP

Any of our newer members who keep chickens have anything to add to the discussion?

Phillip
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Online The15thMember

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Re: Hey Chickenpeople!
« Reply #24 on: October 16, 2022, 06:36:31 pm »
My family has found that we don't like raising dual-purpose chickens for meat.  They definitely taste different from store-bought chicken, but I think that's in large part due to the fact that the store bought chickens are those mutant Cornish crosses (C monsters, some people call them) who grow so unnaturally that they have to be butchered or they'll die.  We've never home-raised any of those, so that would be the true test of whether free ranging makes a difference in taste.  We don't like the taste and texture of the dual-purpose birds as much, and we also don't like how much work it is to butcher chickens.  We basically butcher and crock pot old hens and spare roosters as a by-product of egg production, and we now raise rabbits for meat. 
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