Tough chicken
Have you tried the chicken breed light Brahma? I had gotten 25 chicks because of their size, them being slow growing didn’t matter to me. After about a year we butchered them, but they are so tough and chewy. We let them sit in the frig about 48 hours. Some in cool water, some not. I have tried roasting, slow cooking, barbecue, baked. It makes me want to cry. I am now trying to boil them to can them but I keep checking and the meat is nowhere near falling off and it’s been an hour. Any ideas of how I can prevent this in the future. Is it the breed?
Stephanie Eckert
York, North Dakota
Yes, we had Light Brahmas in Montana and loved them. You usually butcher fryers at about 12 weeks with this breed. At a year, I can understand them getting tough. Instead of frying or roasting them, I’d stew or can them. Either way, they’ll turn out tender. You could also pressure cook them to the same end. If you slow cook or stew them, you’ll cook them for hours, covered, and they will turn out fine. When you simmer the meat to can them, you’ll also be doing that for several hours. I promise the meat will come off the bone easily. Next year either pick a faster maturing breed for meat such as White Rocks or butcher your Brahmas sooner. — Jackie
Pullet or cockerel
My chickens are about 11 weeks old and one of them has a larger tail and a brighter and bigger comb. I ordered Australorps and Araucana pullets but wonder if perhaps I have gotten a cockerel in the bunch. How can I tell if it isn’t crowing yet?
Deb Motylinski
Cadiz, Ohio
Sounds like you have a cockerel. The boys will have a bigger comb and longer tail than the girls. The cockerels’ tails will also begin to curve downward where the pullets will stick up straight. If you do have a cockerel, he probably will start trying to crow (pretty funny!) at about 12-14 weeks. — Jackie
