Butchering Chickens~all aspects.

[baymule]

Last summer we butchered 33 chickens, but 11 at a time. No plucker.
We butchered 5 roosters last week, DSIL asked for 2 of them. Today, he said they didn't have much meat on them, has to be his first experience with layer roosters. I explained the difference between reject roosters and Cornish cross. He had boiled one to make broth and soup meat, which he froze for later.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh. Yes. So many guts! Lol!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Do ya'll eat gizzards and livers and hearts? Or know anybody who does, or their dogs, or their pigs? Pretty much everything gets eaten when we butcher - BUT - we've dang sure never done that many, lol. I can imagine you'd be tired of looking at guts after that many!

 

[NH Homesteader]

No we don't eat them but usually someone among the bunch wants the hearts, sometimes livers too. Gizzards, we never bother with. I save the necks for my friend's cousin, who raw feeds her dogs. I just can't do organs.

I do save the pig hearts and livers and cook them for my dogs. I suppose I could do the same with chicken livers.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I wouldn't do gizzards except for DH - he likes those and the heart and I eat the livers. It's the only liver I ever eat, lol. And, I never crave them, never buy them, but I'll fry 'em up fresh outta the chicken and scarf 'em up with some buttermilk dressing.

 

[Hinotori]

Hubby insists on the liver. I'm not a liver person. I eat the hearts. Sometimes I'll eat the gizzards. Depends on if I feel like the work is worth it. Hubby doesn't like them because he says they are too tough. Dogs will get them sometimes as well

 

[Beekissed]

I used to just can them in with all the other chicken, as I love the organs cut up in soups, but now can no longer eat organ meats. Now I save them for my brother, who loves to receive all I can give him.

Those gizzards are rendered tender as can be if you can them, so if you have a lot, it's worth it to can up some in pts for the hubby. If you make stock, they are also great to add to the stock, then give to the dogs later if no one wants to eat them. GREAT source of vitamins and minerals.

 

[Hinotori]

At thanksgiving and christmas, grandma and mom always minced up the giblets for stuffing.

I can see that canning would make them tender. It even turns fish bones waxy. (Mom's favorite thing in canned smaller fish)

 

[baymule]

We love the fried livers and gizzards. The dogs eat the guts, we skin ours, so only throw out the skin, feathers and heads. I simmer the feet for broth and can the necks for dog food.

 

[Beekissed]

We love the fried livers and gizzards. The dogs eat the guts, we skin ours, so only throw out the skin, feathers and heads. I simmer the feet for broth and can the necks for dog food.

Bay, my dogs LOVE those heads. You might want to give those to them too....crunch and gone in about 2 seconds!