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Bodger
Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524
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 Posted: Wed Dec 14, 16 6:53 pm Post subject: Utility Dinners. |
 
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Utility Dinners !
The other morning, I humanely necked and plucked two of my early summer hatched Light Sussex cockerels.
They are what I call utility birds, in as much as the hens lay a goodly amount of eggs and the cocks also produce a reasonable amount of meat too. The females aren't the heaviest of layers you can find, nor are the cocks anything like the best meat birds you can get but they do fulfil the two rolls pretty well. I've kept and worked on this strain for fifteen years now, so they're definitely a labour of love.
These cockerels been kept on free range virtually since day one but I do however have some more cockerels of approximately the same age which have been continually penned and I'm expecting something from them a little more substantial as far as weight goes. I'll have to wait and see, as they wont be getting the chop until next week.
Here are some pictures taking you through the stages from field to plate.
Once they'd been humanely despatched I plucked and gutted them, before putting them into the fridge to cool off. I know from experience that they are going to be full of flavour with a good firm texture. Home produced birds are vastly different from the tasteless crud you get from most supermarkets.
As well as their staple diet of whole grain, they've been running free range in the orchards where they've been helping themselves to grass, various creepy crawlies and of course, windfall apples.
One has dressed out at five and a half pounds and the other five and a quarter. One of them was cooked last night, just over 24 hours after being despatched.
I hope you've all had a good dinner last tonight, because I had a belter. We had very tasty chicken with mashed carrots and swede, runner beans and saut�ed red cabbage, all swamped with proper chicken gravy.
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
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Hairyloon
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