Cooking year and half old Welsummer Rooster

[Malissa]

I've been making soup of my arch enemy since we are snowed in. He's been cooking and making broth since about 9am. I took the meat out and started pulling apart to put back in the pot. I want to add some dumplings at the end. SO....he was very tough at butchering. The breast meat is definitely usable and I chopped up very small. It's a tad rubbery in consistancy...like an over cooked turkey. For soup purposes, it is fine. Tastes fabulous, by the way! SO....next I have the wings/legs to pick apart and these are definitely WAY TOUGH. Should I cut my losses and use the wings/legs/carcass to make some more broth, or should I continue to pull apart and add to the soup? Advice from those who cook their older friends, or in this case, evil arch enemies....please!

 

[Mountain Man 60]

I always toss the bones back into the pot after taking off the meat and setting aside. The bones and connective tissue will add the silky mouth feel to the soup or chicken and dumplings. After simmering for another hour I strain the broth than add diced carrot, celery and onion, and spices. I always make only the chicken and drop dumplings that I can eat at that meal and use the rest of the broth and meat for chicken noodle soup. Drop dumplings will dissolve into the broth when reheated. Garnish both with parsley when served. Yum. I just make this last week.

 

[Malissa]

Thanks! I decided to leave the dark meat tough pieces out. I am now making stock with that and the breast bones. The pot pie got awesome and tastes great!

 

[Malissa]

After cooking 14 hours, the tough legs/wing meat started to fall off the bones! I left it cook on very low overnight. Glad we can use the meat! I strained all out of the broth and hope to can it later. Very cool process and glad I didn't give up on that meat!

 

[AmericanMom]

After cooking 14 hours, the tough legs/wing meat started to fall off the bones! I left it cook on very low overnight. Glad we can use the meat! I strained all out of the broth and hope to can it later. Very cool process and glad I didn't give up on that meat!

A trick I learned from an old friend... When I make broth I have a couple ice cube trays set aside, fill those with the broth and freeze, when done pop out into freezer bags.. rinse and repeat... Quick easy access to my broth especially if I only need a bit and doesn't take up much space in the freezer

 

[Malissa]

FAB IDEA! I've done the ice cube tray with pesto and that is great! Thinking ahead....I make alot of kale and broccoli raab and only need a bit of broth so the ice cube tray is perfect for that!!! I will do a tray or 2 and can the rest! THANKS!

 

[AmericanMom]

FAB IDEA! I've done the ice cube tray with pesto and that is great! Thinking ahead....I make alot of kale and broccoli raab and only need a bit of broth so the ice cube tray is perfect for that!!! I will do a tray or 2 and can the rest! THANKS!

We got a rooster that's about a year and half old, going to replace him with a Lavender buff this evening... Was deciding whether we were going to use the meat or not.. I think after reading your post I'm gonna go ahead and use him, if for nothing else but the broth!!

 

[Malissa]

The meat is not bad at all! I just strained the broth to keep with my original plan but the meat I put in the fridge and we can add to the other soup when reheated or just eat as is for dinner tonight. I think there is some magic at about the 10 hr mark. If your meat isn't falling off the bone, just keep it cooking! I had it on very low (like #2 on the dial) the whole time. It wasn't even bubbling. I slept with it on all night! I had convinced an old order mennonite woman to help teach me to butcher and we did this guy and two 5 month old Ameraucana's we raised (ended up with 4 roosters last year!). I started dressing this guy and he was so freakin tough! She took him and gave me a young one since it was easier to cut. hahaha I want to get about 10-15 meat birds this summer...don't want to raise all summer like the heritage breeds but thinking Cornish X is no different than supporting the chicken industry...so might look at Red Rangers or one of the slower growing crosses. Would like to add 2 hens to our egg layers too. Making your own food is awesome!!!!

 

[AmericanMom]

The meat is not bad at all! I just strained the broth to keep with my original plan but the meat I put in the fridge and we can add to the other soup when reheated or just eat as is for dinner tonight. I think there is some magic at about the 10 hr mark. If your meat isn't falling off the bone, just keep it cooking! I had it on very low (like #2 on the dial) the whole time. It wasn't even bubbling. I slept with it on all night! I had convinced an old order mennonite woman to help teach me to butcher and we did this guy and two 5 month old Ameraucana's we raised (ended up with 4 roosters last year!). I started dressing this guy and he was so freakin tough! She took him and gave me a young one since it was easier to cut. hahaha I want to get about 10-15 meat birds this summer...don't want to raise all summer like the heritage breeds but thinking Cornish X is no different than supporting the chicken industry...so might look at Red Rangers or one of the slower growing crosses. Would like to add 2 hens to our egg layers too. Making your own food is awesome!!!!

We culled 7 four month old rooster and two 3 year old hens last month... One of the hens I made into chicken and noodles...Agree that it was possibly the best flavored broth and meat we have yet to eat... Our older roo is part silkie and those young roos were his offspring.. Two of them have the greyish black meat and I have yet to cook them...Figured they would be great in enchiladas with loads of red sauce to cover the color of meat lol... We also raise rabbits for meat and I agree , raising your own food is awesome... we are going to get some meaties next month, our local feed store is giving away 5 Cornish x with every 50 pd bag of either chick starter or all flock feed... We go through it pretty well so between us I can get 15 of the birds.
I have 30 viable eggs in the incubator right now on day 9... Got 8 layers, 10 pullet girls that should start laying next month and 8 chicks I got a good deal on in the brooder.... Chicken math is a funny thing

 

[Malissa]

Oh they certainly multiply and are addicting! My kids enjoyed watching our broody hatch chicks last summer (even though we killed 2 of them!!!) We kept one and so far, he's been nice which we were hoping for! He came out of a blue egg but is colored like a salmon faverolles. He has frizzle gene but is not showing frizzle, but his feathers don't lay flat and have some curve to them. Not sure if we'll let them hatch any this year....they are 4 roosters for 4 hatches so I will cut my losses and pay for pullet chicks!!! haha I didn't know about the gray meat so will read up on that. This welsummer's legs were deep red and cooked up real dark. It lightened a bit now. He was a big boy and very muscular. I let them out to roam alot, which I'm sure toughens them up. Oh and one thing I did with the broth last night....http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2012/12/how-to-can-homemade-stock-or-broth.html I added 2 tbsps of apple cider vinegar like the broth recipe says to do to get the nutrients out of the bones. Not sure if that helped soften the meat or if after cooking that long it would have anyway, but figure it may have done something.