Page 18 - Barbecue Chicken Made Easy

There are hundreds of breeds of chicken around the world. The breed most common in the US is Gallus gallus domesticus. In captivity they eat mostly grain, but when allowed to graze, these omnivores will scratch for bugs and even eat lizards and mice. Here is a guide to chicken names you'll see in the marketplace:
Broiler or Fryer Chicken. Broiler and fryer are interchangeable terms used for the same type of bird although broiler is the more common name. This is the most common and the best all-purpose bird. It is younger than 10 weeks old, can be either sex, and has a carcass weight of 3 to 4 pounds. Now think about that. The chickens you buy in the grocery store go from egg to table in 10 weeks. Some organic broilers take longer to grow and will be as old as 14 weeks in the store. If you grew as fast as a commercial chicken, you'd weigh 350 pounds by age two!
Capon. A castrated male younger than four months, weighing about seven pounds, about twice the size of a normal broiler. Capons can be fatty since they don’t get much exercise chasing hens.
Hen. A female.
Layer. A female egg layer in her prime. Hens start laying at about
24 weeks old.
Poussin. Very young and small birds, usually less than a month and less than a pound, with very little fat.
Pullet. A hen designated for egg laying, but not yet old enough to lay, usually 15 to 22 weeks old.
Roaster or Roasting Chicken. Between 8 to 12 weeks old, of either sex, weighing five pounds or more.