Selecting Prime Poultry: A Guide for Mothers

Picking the perfect poultry for your family meals is now made easier with some useful tips.

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Tips for Choosing the Best Poultry

1. Selecting a Delicious Chicken

When buying chicken, there are a few things to keep in mind: Go for those that look healthy, with bright red combs, straight and smooth legs without scales, and a thick breast. Avoid older or younger chickens as they may not taste as good. It’s best to opt for those that are close to laying eggs.

Younger chickens typically have yellow skin, soft feathers, small pores, and larger thighs and necks with slender legs.

Older hens tend to have harder, scaly legs, dull and rough feathers, larger pores, and a small, grayish-white neck. These chickens often develop more spurs. Older roosters will have longer spurs.

2. Selecting a Delicious Duck

When buying duck, go for those that are plump with a round breast, thick skin on the neck and belly, and full feathers. Avoid younger ducks as their meat tends to have a strong odor, and plucking their feathers can be a tedious task.

Younger ducks have larger, softer beaks, while older ducks have smaller, harder ones. Unlike chickens, male ducks tend to have tastier meat than females.

3. Selecting Delicious Pigeons

Pigeons are more nutritious and have a higher nutritional value than chickens or ducks, which is why they are also more expensive. There are many delicious dishes you can make with pigeons, but the most popular ones are pigeon porridge, pigeon stew with noodles or sticky rice, and pigeon soup.

For all four dishes, it’s best to use pigeons that have just left the nest. These are pigeons that are about 15 days old, with tender, thick, and fatty meat that is packed with nutrients. To choose these young pigeons, look for ones that are only as big as your fist, with sparse downy feathers and slightly denser feather growth on their wings and backs.

If you prefer to make roasted pigeon, opt for slightly older pigeons with fully grown wing feathers, as their meat will be firmer and better suited for roasting.

Good luck with these tips for choosing the best poultry!

(Source: Cooking Tips Book)
Frequently asked questions

Look for healthy-looking chickens with bright red combs, straight and smooth legs without scales, and a thick breast. Avoid older or younger chickens, as the best-tasting ones are those close to laying eggs. Older hens tend to have scaly legs and dull feathers, while younger chickens have yellow skin and soft feathers.

Plump ducks with round breasts, thick skin on the neck and belly, and full feathers are ideal. Stay away from younger ducks as their meat can be odoriferous, and plucking feathers is tedious. Older ducks have smaller and harder beaks, while younger ones have larger, softer beaks.

Pigeons are more nutritious and expensive than chickens or ducks. Popular pigeon dishes include pigeon porridge, stew, and soup. For these dishes, choose pigeons that have just left the nest, about 15 days old, with tender, thick, and fatty meat. They should be roughly the size of your fist with sparse downy feathers. For roasted pigeon, opt for older pigeons with fully grown wing feathers for firmer meat.
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