Acquiring Chickens

• If you are purchasing chickens to raise for the first time, you have two options. You may buy full-grown birds, of which the vaccination history and laying capacity are known. You also can purchase baby chicks, which will require care for the first eight weeks. Either way, if you want your adult hens to produce fertile eggs to repopulate the flock after you butcher, you will need at least one rooster.
  
  

Meat Breeds

• It is important when raising chickens for consumption of the meat to choose a breed that is fast growing and economical to feed, while having a high rate of livability. Most meat breeds sold by hatcheries today are hybrids including Cornish rock, Cornish roasters and Cornish game hens. Breeds such as the Sussex and Plymouth rocks, are large enough for meat production, and lay eggs reasonably well also. White leghorns, production red and golden comets are good egg-layers. They may be eaten for meat, but it is not as economical as choosing a hybrid for that purpose.
  
  

Keeping

• Chickens require some type of house, or coop. It should be large enough for them to move around and for you to easily clean. It should be free of drafts and offer protection from rain and extreme temperatures. There should also be space for nesting and roosting. Chicken coops should be kept clean to prevent disease. Chickens also require fresh, clean water. What you feed your chickens depends on their age, and whether they are laying eggs or being raised for meat. Other than commercial feeds, chickens will eat greens and grass clippings, as well as table scraps such as bread and leafy vegetables.
  
  

Butchering

• According to "The Joy of Keeping Chickens: The Ultimate Guide For Raising Poultry For Fun and Profit" by Jennifer Megyesi, securing a chicken with a killing cone before slaughtering it is efficient and less stressful for the bird. It protects the meat on the wings and thighs from bruising, and holds the neck in place while the blood is expelled. Once secured in a cone or by tying the legs together, the bird may be killed by shooting it in the head with a .22, or by slicing the jugular vein with a sharp blade. Hold the bird until it stills, than hang it until it bleeds out. Remove the cone and dip the chicken into a pot of hot water to scald it and allow you to wet-pluck the feathers, beginning on the wings, then the shoulders, the back, neck, breast and legs, ending with the thighs. Rinse the chicken and remove the trachea, crop and neck. Remove the oil sacks on the tail and open the abdominal cavity to remove the organs. Save the liver, gizzard and heart for stock, if you desire.
  
  

Storing

• After butchering, chickens should be cooled before being prepared for storage. Aging the meat also tenderizes it. Chickens can be frozen whole, in halves or quarters. Freezing the chicken whole will reduce freezer burn if you are storing the meat for more than two months. Double wrapping with freezer paper will also help. A Cryo-vac machine is even better. Remember to thaw and cook your chicken meat properly when the time comes.