What age to cull?

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Donrae, I have been listening to your answers and have appreciated them...Wisdom...I have culled 10 roosters and 3 yr. old layers recently...after cooking them the meat is fall off the bone delicious..but..still has the "slighty chewy" texture we all are not used to...what can we do? I suppose you will say slaughter sooner (too young-no meat-what age) what do you recommend to do to get the tender meat>>> help, and thank you...No..I do not want to buy that (ugh) meat from the grocery..Ha. we raise our own and this is really the first attempt at culling and only out of necessity, we have around 48 free range adults and around 40 chicks coming up for next laying season...time to prepare for all this before winter...I know I am not the only one with these questions...get us on the right tract.

Butting in on the cooking question. I've processed and cooked several adult layers and and both a juvenile and adult rooster and cooked them with great results. Be sure that you are using a moist heat and keep the temperature low through the entire process. If you cook above a certain temperature (I don't remember the number but you can find it on line I'm sure) the meat will become stringy, even after it falls away from the bone. Look for a traditional Coc au Vin recipie for your roosters. If you have Joy of Cooking, try their Chicken Cacciatore recipe for your older hens, but instead of "simmering gently for 25 minutes", simmer the pieces for at least 2 hours at a low simmer before completing the last steps. I have four 3 year old hens destined to join the meat birds in the freezer before fall and look forward to some awesome meals.