You might be surprised, Nicky! Chicken fat is a great shortening for cooking, IF it is from boiled chicken with little to no seasoning. I have collected it as soon as it came to the top, then seasoned to finish the cooking process.
I can get Millerdale Colony chickens. They are fryers, but are huge, so I cut them up, saving the skin and fat, then boil the backs, wings, giblets and render the fat. I've heard it is great for real home made cakes, but I mostly make 'short-cut' cakes like Crazy Cake, Graces' Pound Cake, and others that can have all ingredients put into the bowl and stirred instead of the 'proper' mixing method, but have used it in bread. biscuits, and pie crust and like it.
mrj