I've so far butchered three roos, 15 and 17 weeks, because they were obnoxious, mean, and hen-terrors.
They were delicious. No 8 week old bird will ever have the meat texture and flavor of an older bird, some things are better with age
I've realized my family eats - and prefers to eat - "older" animal meats because of the increased flavor and texture. We hunt a lot, so we can get older critters for the freezer.
My favorite thing in the world for meat to preserve and enhance flavor, and increase tenderness is brine. Brine brine brine. I only do a simple brine - about a cup of brown sugar, a cup of salt (non-iodized is best, I use canning salt because it's cheap), and a gallon of water. Put the meat in a bowl, add the brine, cover and let sit for 24 hours. Have more? I use the bottom of our fridge for whole wild turkey - I line it with a clean garbage bag, put the bird in, and brine in there (cleaning it with bleach when done). Even more? Line a cooler with a BIG trash bag (or just clean it with a bleach solution and rinse), add the meat and brine.
I brine before cooking.
For curing, I have a separate fridge, and just put the meat in there for 1-2 days. Some folks prefer longer, I wouldn't go less. It allows rigor to set in and then go away. Don't cut meat into pieces until it's sat for a day or two, otherwise it seems the muscle bunches up and is tougher, and good for the crockpot. After a couple days, either freeze or cut into pieces and freeze, or brine and cook
You can also brine/cure at the same time.
If you're going to do chicken and dumplings (which I'm doing today lol!!), I like to put the whole bird in a BIG pot with some celery, carrots and onion, and simmer away for the day. Pull the bird out, let cool, and pick off all his meat. Strain the broth, let sit, and skim the fat off the top (schmaltz!). Put the fat in a sealable tub and keep in the fridge for using instead of butter for things like making mashed potatoes or anything a rich, rich butter would be tasty in making the dish. Use whatever broth you have for your meal, and freeze the rest in one cup amounts in baggies, flat, for future use
It will beat the TAR out of any broth you could ever dream of!
