You might try dry-plucking first. I know it varies from bird to bird, and I do not know how it varies with age, but on 6-8 wk CornishX and on a 16 wk old chantecler cockerel I found dry plucking to work quite well, except for the flight feathers on the wings and the big tail feathers.
Good...
Yup, good to let it rest and let the rigor pass fully out of the muscles (like, overnight); and if this was a regular normal chicken, and full grown, it will be more flavorful but more, um, springy-textured <g> (="tough") than anything you've ever gotten from a supermarket. Full grown 'regular...