Interesting Idea on Tenderizing Old Roosters and Hens [View all]

I butchered and processed many a chicken growing up on the farm, but this idea is a new one on me:

For several years after I began hunting, I recoiled at the idea of hanging game birds. The idea of hanging shot pheasants or partridges undrawn and in the feathers for days and days just did not seem terribly hygienic or sane to me. Old texts wax rhapsodic about the sublime flavor of “high” game, which usually means pheasants and usually means birds that have hung for more than a week. This, I decided, was madness.

I was wrong.

In the article's response section, here's the question and answer that got me thinking:

Question: I remember your first post on this subject and was intrigued. I’m wondering if this might be used on older laying chickens when they are ready to be harvested after they stop laying? Seems to be the same principles,older bird that needs flavor and tenderizing.

Have you tried older domestic chickens?

Answer: Yes, I’ve done it with old roosters, but not laying hens. Works just like a pheasant. I hung a 5-year-old rooster a week and it was wonderful — still had to braise it, but the flavor was SUPER chickeny.

http://honest-food.net/2012/10/20/on-hanging-pheasants-2/



Okay, who's GAME (bad pun, sorry) to try this and report back to us chicken-keeping DU-ers???