1 hour ago, KennethT said:They add to the cost, but if I want a really gelatinous chicken soup, in addition to the old hens, I'll also throw in a silky... those are some tough birds and make fantastic soup.
The only way I've ever seen silkies used here is for soup. There may be other uses, but I've never encountered or heard of any. You certainly woudn't want to roast one.
Apart from making good soup, the broth is considered to have medicinal benefits.
Old layers (老母鸡 / 老母雞, lǎo mǔ jī, literally "old mother chicken") are highly prized so not particularly cheap in relative terms. Chicken's feet and heads are in all my chicken broths.
