Backyard Flock Tip

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences / Athens, Georgia 30602-4356 NOVEMBER 2001 BACKYARD FLOCK TIP . USING OLD HENS You have some old hens in your flock that are not very productive anymore and you would like to turn them into table fare. The following steps will help you convert the old hens into food for your family. DRESSING MEAT-TYPE BIRDS Once the birds have been selected remove feed from them for 8-12 hr to allow their intestinal tracts to empty. To kill the hens, tie the legs of each live bird and hang it chest high from a branch or a rafter. With a very sharp knife, slice the blood vessels in its neck to allow the blood to drain. Cut both sides of the neck deep enough to sever the carotid arteries but not so deep as to damage the spinal cord. It should take about two minutes for the bird to finish bleeding. A funnel fashioned from sheet metal also can be used to restrain the bird during bleed-out. The opening at the small end of the funnel must be large enough to let the head and neck of the bird extend through it several inches. The funnel itself must be narrow and deep enough to prevent the bird from escaping. After bleeding, submerge the dead bird in water heated to 125 to 132 F. Completely moisten the bird, leaving it in contact with the hot water for 1 ½½ minutes. Water that is too hot will cause the skin to tear easily. After scalding, quickly pluck the feathers. Remove remaining hair-like feathers by rotating the bird over an open flame and singeing them off. Next, dress the bird: that is, remove the internal organs, head, and lower portion of the legs. Start by removing the head high up on the neck and the legs at the joint where the feathered skin begins. Thoroughly rinse the carcass. Remove the neck from the body by cutting it near the shoulders. Make a midline cut between the breastbone and the tail. Continue a circular cut around the vent of the bird, being careful not to cut into the intestines. Gently insert your hand along the wall of the body cavity, separating the internal organs from the body wall. Once you have reached the top of the chest cavity, circle your fingers around the organs and pull them out the opening in the abdomen. Take care not to break the gall bladder. This is a sac filled with dark green fluid that, upon contact, will cause meat to taste bad. Small amounts of fecal contamination can be washed off with water. You can clean surrounding tissue from the liver, heart, and gizzard and use these as giblets. Wash all edible parts of the chicken thoroughly. If they are to be used right away, store the birds in ice water in the refrigerator. Otherwise you can freeze the carcasses for later use. Sander J. E. and M. P. Lacy, 1994. Management Guide for the Backyard Flock. University of Georgia Extension Leaflet 429. PUTTING KNOWLEDGE TO WORK The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State College, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension service officers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability An equal opportunity/affirmative action organization committed to a diverse work force.. Now that you have processed your old hens, what can you do with them? Of course, soup, chicken and dumplings, chicken mull, Brunswick stew, and chicken salad can be made from them. What other tasty recipes can you use? Old fowl are appropriate for a classic French dish called Coq Au Vin (Chicken in Wine). The recipe is complicated but well worth the effort. Ingredients Coq Au Vin 6 lb. old hen 1 bouquet garni (a combination of thyme, 2 strips salt pork parsley, and bay leaf tied together) 15 Tbs. butter ½ lb. mushrooms 3 carrots 25-30 small onions 3 medium onions, chopped coarsely 2 Tbs. flour 3 C. dry red wine Cut salt pork in small pieces and parboil them for two minutes. Remove them and pat them dry. Discard parboiled liquid and return pork in heavy skillet and brown them. Remove the salt pork pieces and set them aside. In the same cooking fat add chopped onions and carrots. Cook them over low heat until slightly browned. Remove vegetables and set them aside. Add salted cut up hen to the cooking pot and sautéé the pieces until browned on all sides. Add flour and continue to cook until flour has lightly browned. Return carrots and onion to the pan. Add red wine and cook until it comes to a boil. (If you don't consume alcoholic beverages, it's okay, the alcohol will be evaporated in the cooking process). Transfer the chicken along with the vegetables and wine sauce into a large cast iron pot that has a lid. If all the chicken is not covered add additional wine, water, or stock until the chicken is covered. Add bouquet garni. Cook covered in an oven on low heat (275 F). until hen is tender, about 1-1 ½½ hrs. Remove bouquet garni. While hen is cooking, sautéé the small onions in the butter until lightly brown. Remove and set aside. In same pan, sautéé the mushrooms. Remove the cooked chicken from the cooking pot and strain the liquid. Skim as much fat as possible from the strained sauce. Add chicken pieces back to the strained defatted sauce. Add sautééed small onions, mushrooms, and fried salt pork to cooking pot. Simmer 15-20 min to meld flavors. Serve over toasted garlic bread, garnish with chopped parsley. BON APPÉÉTIT! William C. Merka Extension Poultry Scientist County Extension Coordinator/Agent “Your local County Extension Agent is a source of more information on this subject.”.

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