[Mary Clark]

Hi there this is my first enquiry (probably the first of many) yesterday we had a practice run of culling a chicken (approx 17 weeks old) we plucked immediately after culling and gutted immediately after that.  We weighed it (10lb 8 oz) and cooked using Delias instruction.  On slicing the breast we find that the meat is white and succulent, however there seems to be the odd marking (only as thick as a piece of cotton and range from about a quarter to an inch in length) any ideas as to what this is (could it be blood vessels) and any suggestions as to what we are doing wrong.  I have several customers for the chicks for Christmas so need to get something sorted very soon.  OR could it be that we are worrying un-necessarily.

Please advise asap

ta  Mary Clark

[Vember]

Hi Mary

Welcome to the Hen House

Sorry I can't help you Just wanted to say Hi
Someone will be along shortly who'll know whats what


Sarah

[Bodger]

Hi
One type of chicken is very much the same as another. Here you go, have a shufty at this.

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=24637

I would never cook a bird without hanging it for some hours and then allowing it cool for at least 24 hours.

[poppies]

Hi and welcome
I have noticed this on our birds and also on  some supermarket ones dont know what it is - as long as the taste is ok I would'nt worry about it, good sized bird though

[agapanthus]

Suggest you hang it for a while longer....about 1/2 - 1 day...just to give more time for the blood to seep away  

[hookfarmchickens]

A meat chicken is best left plucked and left with the guts in for a day or two before gutting and cooking. The meat becomes tender in that time and firmer, making it easier to work with if you are going to bone it or fillet it. It can be a bit tough if you cook it the same day.

The bird must be dry if you are going to keep it as above, so not wet plucked or washed.

If you kill the chicken by neck dislocation the blood will run into the cavity just behind the head and give you white meat. There is no need to slit their throat or bleed the chicken.

[Bodger]

I can't argue with the hanging or cooling of meat but can you explain why leaving the guts in a chicken should have this effect on the meat quality, when all other animals that we eat are eviscerated virtually straight away ?
The insides of animals and birds all contain waste products, why leave them in there any longer than you have to ?

[hookfarmchickens]

To be honest, I am not 100% why, but a traditional butcher told me to do it and he is right in our experience. I went to him because our chickens didn't taste right and were chewy and that was his advice. All I can say is that it works.

Pheasants are hung whole as well, but they are hung by their heads beacuse thay have usually been shot or run over and so don't have the neck dislocation gap to drain the blood into.

I teach kill, pluck, gut and bone and people I speak to a few days later say it is the best chicken they have ever had. So I can only vouch for the effect, not the reason!

[Foxy]

hi HFC! I think my hubby and neighbour are on your course in february, he's really looking forward to it -well sort off  

[Bodger]

You're spot on about not needing to cut throats after neck  dislocation, I find that by the time that I've suspended it from the rafters with bailer twine,and then plucked it and possibly done another half dozen of its mates, the bird is well drained of blood.

[hookfarmchickens]

Hi Foxy

Tell hubby and neighbour it is nowhere near as horrid as you think. It is all very civilised and definitely something to look forward to! Remember to plan the stuffing for the boned chicken he will bring home.