Question About Butchering OEGB Rooster

[Blue]

I have an OEGB (Old English Game Bantam) rooster that I really need to get rid of; he's a nice looking bird, but I plan on keeping his son as he's gorgeous and a much more pleasant animal at this point. The father has started chasing the younger rooster up into the coop, so I know that they won't get along indefinitely, so I've been trying to decide what to do with him. It can be hard to find takers for roosters, so I was thinking I might just try to eat him, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. My dad said he'd butcher him for me and show me how to dress the bird. I'm just wondering if he's actually worth eating. He's a little over a year old, so would the meat be too tough? Would it need to be aged or need any other kind of special preparation? Any good suggestions on how to cook him?

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

Use the carcass for a big ol' pot of soup!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Well, he won't be the biggest bird you could eat, but certainly worth the effort. Especially since you've got someone ELSE offering to process him for you! People eat quail, so why not a bantam? As long as you let him rest in the refrigerator for a few days before cooking, and choose a method where he's cooked slowly with low heat and added moisture, he should be delectable, not tough at all.

You could roast him with some flavorful stuffing inside, or simmer him in flavored broth until he falls apart, and make soup, dumplings, rice or noodles with him.

I recently processed 3 mixed-breed roos that I couldn't get rid of any other way, they dressed out to between 1 - 1.5 lbs and were nice & easy to finish.