Egg – Chick – Rooster – Hen To Your Table

Yes, yes, I know I’m writing about chicken ‘Again’! But, it is nearing the time that poultry, chicks, ducklings, goslings and turkey poults will be arriving at local feed, farm and ranch stores.
A word of caution is needed here. If you buy mixed poultry flock, Do Not brood, feed or water turkeys with chickens. Chickens can carry diseases that do not harm chickens that can kill your turkeys. You can mix water fowl and chicks or water fowl and turkeys without any disease problems occurring.
Chicken Sex – Feather Sexing Day Old Chicks Stop laughing and get your mind out of the gutter, this a easy way to sex your day old chicks.

If you want Only pullets for egg production your better off to buy sexed birds and buy only pullets. You will pay a premium price for sexed birds but I find the added cost is justified. When buying pullets don’t let your eyes over run your brain! Just for the record, 1 hen can lay 1 egg every 27 hours. Hence 2 hens can lay 12 or 13 eggs a week. Of course you can sell your excess farm fresh eggs or better yet trade them to your neighbors for garden fresh fruits and vegetables.

On the other hand if you want to raise a few meat birds as well then you should buy the cheaper per bird cost and get straight run. You will as a rule get about a 50/50 mix of pullets and roosters. Many duel purpose (eating and egg layering) birds will be eating size at 6 to 8 weeks of age and start laying eggs at 24 to 26 weeks of age. FYI, a rooster ‘Is Not Needed’ for egg production. If you have neighbors near by, be a good neighbor, have no roosters in your flock that may start crowing as early as 3 AM! The longer you wait the larger the bird will get. Many breeds will top out at 6 to 8 pounds.

Here are 2 recipes for southern fried chicken and roasted chicken.
Both are fast and easy basic recipes.

Young roasted rooster
Start with:
One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter
Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then tie the birds legs together. Now, salt the chicken I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it’s cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone I don’t baste it, I don’t add butter – you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don’t want. Roast it until it’s done, (internal thigh temperature is 165 degrees) about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I’m cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. That triangular tip is crispy, juicy fat, I keep that part for myself. These are the cook’s rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You’ll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it’s so good.

Southern Fried Chicken
Buttermilk Marinade:
2 cup(s) buttermilk
1 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1 teaspoon(s) dry mustard
1 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon(s) cracked black pepper

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
1 tablespoon(s) garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
5 cup(s) vegetable shortening

Directions:
Buttermilk Marinade: In a gallon sized seal-able plastic bag or a large bowl with a tight fitting lid, combine the buttermilk, mustard, salt, dry mustard, cayenne, and black pepper. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Frying the chicken: Preheat oven to 150 degrees F. In a 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch pan, whisk together flour, baking powder, dry garlic, and salt. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat thickly. Let the chicken stand 10 minutes, turning occasionally to recoat with flour. Shake off excess flour before frying.
In a 10-inch by 12-inch heavy-gauge skillet with a deep-fry thermometer attached, heat the vegetable shortening over medium-high heat, bringing it to 375 degrees F. In batches of four, fry the chicken pieces, turning once when the coating is sealed and begins to brown — 3 to 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium to lower the temperature to 325 degrees F. Maintain temperature and continue to fry, turning the pieces halfway through cooking time until chicken is golden brown and cooked through — about 20 more minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat the procedure for the remaining batches. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Home Style Cooking with a Texas twist
Just for the fun of it. Do’s And Dont’s of a Texas Chili Cook Off

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