This is probably a very strange question but as the thread title says should fresh chicken have a very strong smell coming off it. I normally get pre packaged fresh chicken from the supermarket which doesn't smell but have started to get fresh meat delivery's from a local guy who delivers. The chicken is meant to be pretty much straight from the farm I believe.

However it has a really overpowering hard to describe smell about it and a bit worried as to whether it is off or whether it is natural to have a smell about it. Don't want to bin it without getting some advice as this could be normal and it would be a shame to waste good food.

It wasn't obviously slimy and was normal chicken colour i.e pink not grey just the smell seems odd and even though its now frozen it still smells a bit. The rest of the meat has been perfect.

Hoping some wise souls on here might be able to help me out. I have googled it but come up conflicting views as to whether the smell is meant to be there or not.

It's a bit hopeless to understand what you regard as a strong or strange smell just from a forum post.
I assume it's being cooked with in 24/48 hours if refrigerated.
Sniff it again tomorrow.
Who or what is a "local guy who delivers"?

As you've frozen it, I suggest you reurn it to him on his next visit.

Fresh chicken shouldn't have an unpleasant smell.

I've bought fresh chicken fillets from a highly regarded butcher's farm shop here, and every time I've opened the packs the meat has smelt ! The packs have a use by date on them - always about 3 - 4 days hence, and the smell disappears when they are rinsed under a tap. Supermarket chicken never smells like these farm shop ones do, so I don't know why that is ! Whatever - they always cook and taste lovely.

Any meat can have a slight odour when unpacked, but if chicken is on the turn, it has a unpleasant smell that gets stronger the longer it's hanging around. Assuming a good sense of smell, it can usually be smelt when opening the fridge - an initial unpleasant whiff.

Washing it, and then seeing what it smells like after being in the fridge for a few hours is a good tip. But if it still smells after freezing, I personally wouldn't fancy it.

It depends whether or not it has a strong smell of chicken.

Maybe it smells of Brut aftershave?

I do find that chicken bought from my excellent local butcher and which comes from a local free-range farm has a stronger smell than supermarket chicken. Any meat actually, tends to have a stronger smell when bought fresh and hasn't been tightly packaged up. But it's not an 'off' smell. Off chicken smells disgusting - it's very distinctive. If it's an overpowering smell, as you say, then I wouldn't risk it, but I suppose it also depends on how sensitive you are to strong smells!

Does it smell 'sour'? If it does I wouldn't risk it.

Thanks for all the advice just realised my previous reply didn't post. It's not a sour or off smell so guess it is just it is because it has come straight from the farm and not being used to getting really fresh non supermarket chicken. Will use the advice given when I take it out of the freezer and see how it goes.

Really pleased to have found this guy for getting fresh meat so had hoped that I was just being paranoid about the chicken as everything else had been really lovely so far.

Why not just ask the guy?

Ask a stupid question but he may give you an indepth answer as to why his farm fresh chickens would have that smell.

Or he may look sheepish and regretfully admit that the chicken was unfit for sale.

Supermarket 'cooked' chicken whenever I've been anywhere near anyone eating, or even at the checkout buying it, smells farty. If it smells worse than that then I wouldn't eat it, personally.

I don't really like the smell of raw chicken. We normally buy the frozen fillets which barely smell at all, but whenever we buy fresh they do pong a bit more. Unless it smells rancid though, it's probably fine to eat.

Raw beef however, smells lovely!