Farm Raised Chicken

[DavidNorcross]

Hi Everyone,

My son-in-law just raised and we slaughtered 25 meat chickens. I am picking them up today from the processor. We have not done this before, but are really looking forward to the fresh meat. I cook whole chickens all the time. However, I have never prepared a freshly slaughtered chicken that was farm raised. I want to spatchcock and roast on the cooker which is my preferred method. Has anyone had an experience with this type of bird? Any other prep that I need to know about?

Thanks in advance for your help. If you have never raised chickens from birth to platter it is quite a process.

[Donw]

Treat it the same basically. Only difference you might find is that many store bought chickens have been injected with a saline solution already and these hopefully won’t. So, you might need more salt than you did before if you dry brine them.

[tpobst]

I buy fresh farm raised chickens all the time from a local free range chicken farmer. I do not do anything different to them than I do to store bought chicken. I do have to say the taste of fresh free range chicken is a lot better than store bought chicken.

[DiverDriver]

I assume you mean pastured. If so there is much less fat and as Donw said not injected with saline. They cook much quicker example I cook my 3.5 to 4 lb at 325 for 45min convection roast (I slip a pad of butter under breast skin). Where as a store bought would be 350 for 55 to 60 min. You will also notice one heck of a lot more flavor than store bought. I buy all pastured chicken, beef, pork.

[FireMan]

The taste of real chicken as I call it is amazing. Watch your temps as Donw said, although I’ve not found as quite extreme. I assume you will freeze most. You will not notice any difference in frozen later. Other than that , cook em Danno! 🕶

[holehogg]

They taste so good cause they eat so good.

[texastweeter]

Taste like chicken

[Troutman]

Brilliant !!

[RonB]

We spent a lot of time on my uncle's farm when I was a kid. On Sunday mornings, one of my cousins and I had to catch a chicken or two and cut the head off so my aunt could fix Sunday dinner. She cooked them the same way my Mom cooked them.

BTW - be careful so as to not let the headless chicken get away - they can run a looong time, but they do bump into things. Don't ask me how I know...

[ComfortablyNumb]

I used to hog tie them and hang from a tree branch, then nick the carotid artery. I'd then hold the head until the wings stopped flapping. Now I have killing cones, stuff the bird in and pull the head out of the cone, nick the carotid and let the cone keep them from thrashing.

[TheQuietOne]

Like this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_ybEbrQeOA

[DavidNorcross]

Perfect. Thank you all. Just what I needed. Picked up today and they are in the freezer. They all ranged between 4 and 5 lbs. I appreciate the advice.

[FireMan]

We would like pics of the headless runnin around.

[Backroadmeats]

We raise and butcher 100 a year. Don't treat any different than store bought if anything back off the seasoning and enjoy what chicken is supposed to taste like..