How do you get the 'wild taste' out of free range chickens?

[Beekissed]

That yellow fat on the chicken… is kind of stunning. I didn't know clover was such a great forage green for them. We actually have a lot of patches of clover in the back, OUTSIDE of the area they are fenced to. I will have to extend the fence out to the back.

I think the majority of that golden yellow fat stems from feeding the FF, as I have free ranged for many a long year and using the same type of forage and it does produce a lot of lovely yellow fat, but nothing like this extreme color and nature of the fat. I made the best stock I've ever tasted from these birds and the fat was skimmed, frozen into cubes and is used in cooking. It's extraordinary the difference in how mild and silky this fat is to the fat we used to garner when feeding regular, dry feeds. It's almost like clarified butter, it's that smooth and flavorful.

 

[CastleFarmUK]

Fat can be an expensive addition to your roast. Feeding a feed with a high protein produces extra fat. Once a bird has taken care of it's bodily functions and uses up what it needs to be mobile the rest of the digestible feed goes to fat.

 

[Bethel3330]

I agree with the poster that mentioned not cooking in a crockpot so long. It can make chicken stringy. Chicken is best cooked in one at4-6 hours on high. You can cook down the carcass for many hours on low for broth, however.
I use chicken in place of beef for chili. You can saute it first or boil. Combine Chicken, corn, your choice of beans (i use black beans and kidney beans), tomatoes, tomato or vegetable juice, onions and seasonings and simmer for awhile. It's really good. Good luck!

Thank you all. From what you have said, I think it is the difference between store bought chicken, and 'home grown' chicken. Just like the eggs, the meat is stronger tasting too. The spices we added were very mild too, so next time we will add bolder ones, or smoke the meat. Taking the skin off before we cooked it might have also changed things. I always do this for store bought chicken, but it might have been better with it on.
We didn't give it much of a chance...the first bite was so surprising, that we put it down. Next time we will be prepared for 'al la difference'.  With 5 up and coming roosters, we need to LEARN to like the taste...and save some money. Guess we will be trying different spices, and cooking methods until we see what all the fuss is about.
 Any additional advice and recepies will be gladly welcomed.
Many thanks to you.

 

[Bethel3330]

That looks delish, idhound!

 

[GKing]

Why are you eating your roosters? I thought they were most useful for breeding. If u must eat it like raising it for meat, shouldn’t u castrate? Make it a capon so the gaminess doesn’t mature with the meat.