How to cook a Barred Rock

[rjr323]

This is my first time with backyard chickens and we ended up with at least one rooster in our group of Barred Rocks. Unfortunately he got too loud so we decided to butcher him at 17 and a half weeks. I had been feeding them a mixture of 22% gamebird and 18% medicated and he was a good size. He sat in the fridge overnight then we spiced him up and baked him in the oven. I would have rather gone outside and eaten dirt off of the ground he was so bad. He was chewy and had hardly any taste but it was bad. We fed him to the dogs so not to waste him but we just couldn't stand the taste and I'm wondering if anyone knows how to properly cook them or if you can tell me what else I did wrong.

 

[mtngirl35]

I usually let them sit in the fridge for 2-3 days to make sure rigor mortis has completely passed. Don't know if its necessary or not but that's what my granny did and her chicken was rarely tough. I will then either marinate overnight or use injectable marinades before baking or smoking. If I don't have any marinades on hand I simmer them slowly for a few hours and make homemade soup or dumplins. I also usually only feed the roos cracked corn for 3 or 4 days before butchering. Don't know if it helps but, again, its what my granny did.

 

[HawktreeFarm]

I'd brine them, also would drop the medicated feed before butcher.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Agreed that you need to let them "rest" in the refridgerator for about 3 days before you cook them (that is the case with any chicken you butcher, not just a Barred Rock Rooster). That should take care of most of the the rubbery, tough meat issue. As for the taste, I'm guessing that medicated feed may have played a part in that. I wouldn't want to eat a bird that was being fed a medicated feed.

I've butchered several older roosters as well as experimenting with a bunch of Dual Purpose roosters this past summer. The older the chicken or rooster is at butchering date, the more I'd recommend cooking them slow and moist, like in a crock pot. Try a chicken fricaseee or chicken cacciatori recipie or even a traditional Coc au Vin. We tossed a few of our DP roosters in the smoker and were thrilled with the results there too.

I hope your next efforts are more rewarding.

 

[123RedBeard]

I too would have held back the medicated feed for over a week ...

Any chance you got some bile on it? (tiny green sack on the liver) that's some horrible stuff!!

 

[rjr323]

Not sure about getting the bile on it but I don't think I did. Thanks for advice, I have another rooster that is due to get butchered soon so I will drop the medicated feed, take more care processing and let him sit in the fridge for a couple days before putting him in the crock pot. I will probably remove the skin too.

 

[123RedBeard]

Here is a wild rabbit liver that is diseased with tularemia ... but, you can see the green gall bladder in the center which holds the bile ...

I remove the whole liver gently from the critter, then I usually waste a bit of the liver to make sure that there are no mistakes ...

 

[rjr323]

Looks yummy! The new rooster hasn't been so noisy so providing he keeps his "Cocka doodle dooing" to a minimum and doesn't beat up on my hens he will be allowed to live but should he break the rules he will be dinner. I am finishing up the medicated feed then I have just 16% crumbles and some scratch grain and I throw cracked corn out also. Should he be butchered I will take more care in doing it and make sure no bile gets on it and he will be slow cooked in the crock pot after sitting in the fridge for at least 3 days. Thanks for the help.