Classification of Poultry

Ready-to-eat poultry is classified according to age and gender. Classifications vary from species to species, with chickens classified as broilers, fryers, etc, and turkeys as toms and hens. In the past there was a “stewing hen” classification in the chicken category, but such a designation is now rare. Younger poultry are usually preferred because they are more tender and have less fat than older birds.

Chickens

Chickens sold on the market may be male or female, and differ in the age at which they are slaughtered and their weight. The younger chickens coming to market are classed as broilers/fryers, roasters, capons, and Cornish game hens.

Broilers/Fryers. Broilers and/or fryers are chickens of either sex, slaughtered under ten weeks of age, and weighing 3 to 5 pounds. They can be used not just for broiling and frying, as the names imply, but in any other way desired. At the market, these chickens will have soft skin, tender meat, and flexible breastbone.

Roasters. Roasters are older and larger than broilers/fryers. These chickens are of either sex, usually processed at nine to eleven weeks of age, and weighing 6 to 8 pounds. The breastbone is less flexible than in broilers, having become calcified with age.

Capons. Capons are neutered male chickens that usually reach the market under four months of age weighing 12 to 14 pounds. The tenderness and juiciness of the meat is comparable to that of broiler/fryers.

Cornish Game Hens. Cornish game hens are bred by crossing a Cornish hen, a breed of chicken, with one of the other common breeds, such as White Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire, or Barred Plymouth Rock. The hens are slaughtered at five to six weeks, at which point they will weigh not more than 2 pounds. The meat is always very tender.

Hen, Fowl, Baking Chicken, or Stewing Chicken/Cork or Rooster. Older adult chickens over ten months of age, both female (hens, fowls, baking chickens, or stewing chickens) and male (cocks or roosters), have outlasted their breeding capabilities. Their meat is tougher, the skin coarser, and the breastbone less flexible. They are best used in stews, soups, and other slow-cooking dishes.

Turkeys

The turkeys bred for their meat today look very different from the Meleagris gallapova silvestris depicted in the familiar old paintings of pilgrims and Native Americans at the first Thanksgiving, and indeed, they are actually descended from the Meleagris gallopavo domesticated by the Aztecs of Mexico. Presently, seven standard breeds of turkey exist, but only the broad-breasted white is of commercial significance.

Turkeys are classified as fryer-roasters, hens, and toms. Fryer-roasters are very young turkeys, under 12 weeks old, with a ready-to-cook weight of around 7 pounds. They are seldom found in the markets, however; young hens and toms are more often sold. A young hen will weigh less than a young tom of the same age. Young toms are usually processed at about 17.5 weeks of age, while the hens are processed earlier, at 14.5 weeks, when they weigh 26 and 14 pounds respectively. The ready-to-cook weight varies from 8 to 15 pounds for a young hen and from 25 to 30 pounds for a young tom.

Other Domestic Poultry

The flesh of ducks and geese is not as widely consumed as that of chickens or turkeys, and is considered a luxury food item by many people. Ducks are usually marketed when they are seven to eight weeks old and weigh 3 to 7 pounds in their ready-to-cook state. Geese are marketed at about eleven weeks of age and have a ready-to-cook weight of 6 to 12 pounds. Other birds such as guinea fowl, squab (young pigeon), quail, and pheasant are also sometimes consumed. Occasionally these birds may be served in restaurants as delicacies or special entrees. The immature version of these birds is preferred for consumption. For example, younger guinea fowl weighing 1.75 to 2.5 pounds (live weight) are preferred over mature guinea fowl that are normally 1 pound heavier. Squab are processed just before they leave the nest, or at about 30 days of age.