MAYBE I CAN HELP.

I MAKE "OLD TIMEY" chicken & dumplings all the time. No recipe- YES! you can do it. Start by boiling your chicken, any parts, as much as you want. A FAT hen works best. If the broth doesn't look "greasy"(rich)enough, you can add a can of broth or 1/2 stick of butter. Start with 2 cups of self-rising flour, cut in 1/2 cup of crisco. Add enough milk to make a dough that you can roll out on a floured board. Roll out to 1/2 in. and cut into long strips. Take all of the chicken out of the pot and have the broth at a good boil. Take the strips and pinch off bite size pieces and drop into boiling broth. Don't stir, will make them tough, you can "move" them around to get to the broth.Add dumpling as long as there is enough liquid to cook them.
I pick the chicken off the bone and add back to the pot.This really is easy.Only you know how much water to start with and how much dumpling to add to it. Practice makes perfect.