The Lemon Fool

My independent butcher sells very tasty chickens. But, they are so large we tend to only buy a half - fortunately they are happy to accommodate. Then asking around, most of my acquaintances have also noticed the growing size of chickens. I (well actually the OH) remember buying chickens usually around 3lb (1.2k) maybe last century - this century they appear to averaging 4.5lb/5lb (1.8/2k). This is before we start getting the yankee chickens - whom I assume will be obese.

T7

terminal7 wrote:My independent butcher sells very tasty chickens. But, they are so large we tend to only buy a half - fortunately they are happy to accommodate. Then asking around, most of my acquaintances have also noticed the growing size of chickens. I (well actually the OH) remember buying chickens usually around 3lb (1.2k) maybe last century - this century they appear to averaging 4.5lb/5lb (1.8/2k). This is before we start getting the yankee chickens - whom I assume will be obese.

T7

I'd still buy a complete bird and treat it as an opportunity - take off the crown and cook it as it wants to be cooked. Use the legs and wings in other ways, and the debris for stock. I agree that the smaller weights seem to be harder to get.

terminal7 wrote:My independent butcher sells very tasty chickens. But, they are so large we tend to only buy a half .....

A 5lb bird can seem a lot for two people, in fact OH gets six meals/twelve decent servings out of a bird that size, the last meal being the product of pressure-cooking the bones and picking off the meat. Some of it of course goes in the freezer, chicken for six meals on the trot would be a bit much.

Chicken used to be a treat when I was a youngster. I suspect the birds had a much happier life.

V8

terminal7 wrote:This is before we start getting the yankee chickens - whom I assume will be obese.

Just wait, it can't be long before scientists start producing them with four legs. And dammit, I don't even want to think about buffalo wings.

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:

terminal7 wrote:This is before we start getting the yankee chickens - whom I assume will be obese.

Just wait, it can't be long before scientists start producing them with four legs. And dammit, I don't even want to think about buffalo wings.

BJ

A man was driving along the A303 dual carriageway section when he noticed a chicken running behind him, catching up with him. Then it looked over its right shoulder, stuck out its right wing, moved into the outside lane and accelerated past him, checked over its left shoulder, stuck out a left wing and moved back into the inside lane. It then cruised away from him, doing bang on the speed limit.

And the most amazing thing of all was the chicken had THREE LEGS!

So, he followed the chicken further along the A303 - each time it needed a manoeuvre, it followed a perfect check, signal, manoeuvre. Until eventually it stuck out a left wing, and left the A303. Amazed the driver followed the chicken, and it continued its perfect road craft, never exceeding the speed limit but making good progress along ever narrowing country lanes, its three legs propelling it as a fantastical speed for a chicken

Finally it signalled appropriately and disappeared into a farmyard. The driver pulled in behind it but the chicken had disappeared.

Whilst scratching his head, thinking about what he had just witnessed the farmer came out.

"Ow, do. Can I 'elp 'ee?" asked the farmer.

The driver, still somewhat incredulous, explained that he'd just followed a three leg chicken keeping to the national road speed limits, proving difficult at times to keep up in his car. And that the chicken had entered this farm but had now disappeared.

The farmer said "Oooo, arrr... Well, I breeds three legged chickens"

"Why" asked the man, amazed.

"Well" mused the farmer, "I likes a leg, wife likes a leg, son likes a leg. So I breeds three legged chickens"

"That's just amazing!" exclaimed the driver. "What do they taste like?"

"Dunno" answered the farmer. "Never been able to catch one of the buggers!"

Enjoy your chicken

https://youtu.be/aEdOmXMfXvg

My mother was one of four children. Her father raised chickens in the back yard. The kids all liked the chicken leg, so he promised them he would raise a chicken with four legs. Became a family joke retold many times.

Those large chickens probably can't sustain their own weight when they are alive.