baymule
Sustainability Master
All that hay and chicken poop is going to make some awesome compost!
CCX
- Thread starter CrealCritter
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #122
CrealCritter
Sustainability Master
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2017
- Messages
- 11,213
- Reaction score
- 22,027
- Points
- 387
- Location
- Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
At least 2 of the remaining 5 roosters are now crowing. They sound pretty funny... Fixing to put my 3rd 50 lb bag of barn lime in that 8x16 coop. Barn lime is cheap, helps keep the ammonia in check. Ideally they should have been outside, but they would have froze to death.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #123
CrealCritter
Sustainability Master
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2017
- Messages
- 11,213
- Reaction score
- 22,027
- Points
- 387
- Location
- Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
Well this weekend is processing time. Might just do the roos and wait another week for the hens. The roos are really good whole, stuffed with cornbread stuffing, rubbed down with olive oil, salt and peppered then baked. I might piece try and practice parts cutting on some of the hens for legs, thighs, wings, breasts.
Lazy Gardener
Super Self-Sufficient
I always part mine out, b/c they take up less freezer space that way. Sometimes, I remove the legs, and just stuff them in the body cavity. It may not be pretty, but it takes less room.
baymule
Sustainability Master
Since I let mine get so big, I package the breast as skinless, boneless, 1 half of the breast to a package. I use a Food Saver to vacuum seal everything.
Wings, I cut off the tip (it goes in the dog food pot) cut into drumette and mid joint wing, package in 18 count for buffalo wings.
Drumsticks-4 to a package.
Thighs-boneless, skinless-4 to a package.
Neck, heart, some of the livers, skin-goes in the dog food pot.
Feet-in the freezer for broth later-it gets canned.
Gizzards and some of the livers-packaged because we like them fried.
The bony back pieces get canned along with the other dog food parts, with a half cup cooked rice per quart for dog food. One quart gets split between 5 big dogs over their kibble, and they lick the pan.
Feet-toenails are cut off when processing and washed. Bagged and frozen until I want to fool with them LOL. Thaw out, get pot of boiling water ready. ONE at a time, just ONE! Don't dump them all in to scald or you will have a huge mess. ONE - dip in boiling water for 15 seconds, more or less. Using tongs, run under cold tap water until just cool enough to handle. Immediately peel the skin off. Do them all this way, then simmer for hours. A crockpot over night would be good. Or a big pot that you can simmer all day, place in refrigerator overnight, then heat up the next day. Can the broth. Take the feet, remove the long leg bone, do not give to dogs. Practically all the rest is cartilage and tiny bones the dogs can eat. They love this stuff. Give them small amounts in their kibble until gone. Or you can freeze some. Since I usually can the back pieces and other unwanted parts while processing the chickens, I don't add the feet to the canned dog food. But you get the picture.
Wings, I cut off the tip (it goes in the dog food pot) cut into drumette and mid joint wing, package in 18 count for buffalo wings.
Drumsticks-4 to a package.
Thighs-boneless, skinless-4 to a package.
Neck, heart, some of the livers, skin-goes in the dog food pot.
Feet-in the freezer for broth later-it gets canned.
Gizzards and some of the livers-packaged because we like them fried.
The bony back pieces get canned along with the other dog food parts, with a half cup cooked rice per quart for dog food. One quart gets split between 5 big dogs over their kibble, and they lick the pan.
Feet-toenails are cut off when processing and washed. Bagged and frozen until I want to fool with them LOL. Thaw out, get pot of boiling water ready. ONE at a time, just ONE! Don't dump them all in to scald or you will have a huge mess. ONE - dip in boiling water for 15 seconds, more or less. Using tongs, run under cold tap water until just cool enough to handle. Immediately peel the skin off. Do them all this way, then simmer for hours. A crockpot over night would be good. Or a big pot that you can simmer all day, place in refrigerator overnight, then heat up the next day. Can the broth. Take the feet, remove the long leg bone, do not give to dogs. Practically all the rest is cartilage and tiny bones the dogs can eat. They love this stuff. Give them small amounts in their kibble until gone. Or you can freeze some. Since I usually can the back pieces and other unwanted parts while processing the chickens, I don't add the feet to the canned dog food. But you get the picture.
Last edited:
baymule
Sustainability Master
Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade:
1 pound chicken breast, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons cornflour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water (add more if the batter is very thick)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice (add more if you want more sauce)
2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons water
Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade:
1 pound chicken breast, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons cornflour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water (add more if the batter is very thick)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice (add more if you want more sauce)
2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons water
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cornflour, egg, and water. Stir to combine.
Add oil to the mixture and stir to combine.
Combine the chicken with the mixture. Coat the chicken evenly.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour before frying.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
Place coated chicken pieces into the pan gently, using tongs, to avoid splashing oil.
Fry the chicken, flipping each piece every 2 minutes.
Cook until the pieces turn golden brown.
Continue frying the chicken until it's all done. Set aside.
Heat another pan over low heat.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Stir well. Set aside.
Fry the minced ginger, garlic, and chili flakes for a few minutes.
Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, orange juice, and cornstarch mixture.
Add the vinegar into the pan and stir to combine.
Add the fried chicken into the pan. Coat the chicken with the sauce.
Remove the chicken from the pan.
Place the chicken in serving bowl or plate. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds.
Serve immediately with steamed white rice.
I don't mix the chicken in the sauce, we prefer to place the chicken on the rice and dip the sauce over the chicken and rice.
Instead of breast, I use the skinless boneless thigh meat, I use 2 packages of 4 pieces each, cut into smaller pieces. I double the sauce recipe.
I garnish with chopped green onion.
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade:
1 pound chicken breast, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons cornflour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water (add more if the batter is very thick)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice (add more if you want more sauce)
2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons water
Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade:
1 pound chicken breast, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons cornflour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water (add more if the batter is very thick)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice (add more if you want more sauce)
2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons water
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cornflour, egg, and water. Stir to combine.
Add oil to the mixture and stir to combine.
Combine the chicken with the mixture. Coat the chicken evenly.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour before frying.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
Place coated chicken pieces into the pan gently, using tongs, to avoid splashing oil.
Fry the chicken, flipping each piece every 2 minutes.
Cook until the pieces turn golden brown.
Continue frying the chicken until it's all done. Set aside.
Heat another pan over low heat.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Stir well. Set aside.
Fry the minced ginger, garlic, and chili flakes for a few minutes.
Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, orange juice, and cornstarch mixture.
Add the vinegar into the pan and stir to combine.
Add the fried chicken into the pan. Coat the chicken with the sauce.
Remove the chicken from the pan.
Place the chicken in serving bowl or plate. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds.
Serve immediately with steamed white rice.
I don't mix the chicken in the sauce, we prefer to place the chicken on the rice and dip the sauce over the chicken and rice.
Instead of breast, I use the skinless boneless thigh meat, I use 2 packages of 4 pieces each, cut into smaller pieces. I double the sauce recipe.
I garnish with chopped green onion.
- Thread starter
- #127
CrealCritter
Sustainability Master
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2017
- Messages
- 11,213
- Reaction score
- 22,027
- Points
- 387
- Location
- Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
Roos are in the freezer and one whole stuffed one is in the oven. They were so big, I had to cut them in half with my sawsall to get them to fit in large size vacuum seal bags. Crazy 
- Thread starter
- #128
CrealCritter
Sustainability Master
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2017
- Messages
- 11,213
- Reaction score
- 22,027
- Points
- 387
- Location
- Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
Huge roo, with drippings gravy 
it was the catfish!
it was the catfish!- Thread starter
- #129
CrealCritter
Sustainability Master
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2017
- Messages
- 11,213
- Reaction score
- 22,027
- Points
- 387
- Location
- Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
Plate
Desert slice Cherry Pie and Pecan Ice Cream
Wing Bones Length
Desert slice Cherry Pie and Pecan Ice Cream
Wing Bones Length
baymule
Sustainability Master
We are out of chicken, just 4 drumsticks left. But we have plenty of pork, guess I'd best get to cooking that.
Your dinner looks delicious. Raising CCX sure puts a lot of meat in the freezer in a short time.
I have orders for 38 CCX, not counting what our DD and family want and ours too. At $6 per pound, it more than pays for DD's and ours. I think I'll raise 2 batches of 50 each. Maybe I'll sell a few more. Last spring, we sold a lot and I had to raise another batch for fall and I sold some of that too. Now DD and family are out and so are we. Can't have too much chicken! LOL
Your dinner looks delicious. Raising CCX sure puts a lot of meat in the freezer in a short time.
I have orders for 38 CCX, not counting what our DD and family want and ours too. At $6 per pound, it more than pays for DD's and ours. I think I'll raise 2 batches of 50 each. Maybe I'll sell a few more. Last spring, we sold a lot and I had to raise another batch for fall and I sold some of that too. Now DD and family are out and so are we. Can't have too much chicken! LOL
