>>>if you have chickens around and they are healthy, why do you process them and can them vs. keeping them around to have fresh chicken when you want it? (I remember DW saying the texture of the canned meat could be a little different, so if we’re not in extreme survival mode and nobody’s trying to steal chickens, why can them? <<<
Tough old roosters aren’t as good as ‘prime’ ones. Also old roosters tend to have much more fat.
Takes a while to get scalding water hot, gather the other tools, get blood spatters on you, pick them, gut them, cut them up, then have to clean everything up - including yourself - just to have one for Sunday dinner. Better to do those things once and eat them at your leisure.
Texture change is like long simmered chicken - like canned from the store but much much better.
Remember, I don’t stockpile for some disastrous event - we eat from our stockpile every day and set back some for those rainy years.
I can have a pot of chicken noodle soup ready in 20 minutes. Jar of chicken, peas, carrots, broth and some of my homemade egg noodles... About the same with chicken pot pie, or chicken a la king, etc. etc.. Very convenient.
It takes no energy to store it.
I get no freezer burn.
People DO steal chickens! Not something new. One of the problems around here with the commercial growers is the theft of chickens from their houses.