Section 25852 Of Chapter 4. Poultry And Rabbit Meat Classes From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 12. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 4.
25852
. The classes of chicken meat, as determined by inspection of
appearance and other physical characteristics, are as follows:
(a) "Rock Cornish game hen" or "Cornish game hen" means a young
immature chicken of either sex (usually five to six weeks of age)
which weighs not more than two pounds ready-to-cook weight that was
prepared from a Cornish chicken of the progeny of a Cornish chicken
crossed with another breed of chicken.
(b) "Broiler" or "fryer" means a young chicken (usually under 16
weeks of age) of either sex, that is tender-meated, with soft,
pliable, smooth-textured skin, and flexible breastbone cartilage.
(c) "Roaster" means a young chicken (usually under eight months of
age) of either sex, that is tender-meated, with soft, pliable,
smooth-textured skin, and breastbone cartilage that is somewhat less
flexible than that of a broiler or fryer.
(d) "Caponette," "caponette fryer," or "caponette roaster" means a
young chicken with the general characteristics of either a fryer or
roaster which has been treated with a hormone approved by the Food
and Drug Administration of the United States Department of Health,
Education and Welfare.
(e) "Capon" means an unsexed male chicken (usually under 10 months
of age), that is tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured
skin.
(f) "Hen" or "stewing chicken" or "fowl" means a mature female
chicken (usually more than 10 months old) with meat less tender than
that of a roaster, and nonflexible breastbone.
(g) "Stag" means a male chicken (usually under 10 months of age)
with coarse skin, somewhat toughened and darkened flesh, and
considerable hardening of the breastbone cartilage. Stags show a
condition of fleshing and a degree of maturity intermediate between
that of a roaster and a cock or old rooster.
(h) "Cock" or "old rooster" means a mature male chicken with
coarse skin, toughened and darkened meat, and hardened breastbone.