Page 19 - Barbecue Chicken Made Easy

Rock Cornish Game Hen or Cornish Game Hen. This is not a game bird or even a different breed. It is an immature Gallus gallus domesticus younger than five weeks, of either sex, with a ready-to-cook weight of two pounds or less.
Rooster or Cock. An intact male over 10 months old with a carcass weight of about seven pounds. These can be tough. For that reason most male chicks are castrated.
Stewing Hen or Baking Hen. These are usually laying chickens that are older and past their prime. The meat can be tougher and stringy.
Other Bird Words
Cage Free. Commercial chicken are not kept in cages. Usually they are kept indoors in hen houses, crowded and stuffy, but safe from predators. They may be allowed into an outdoor pen.
Certified Humane Raised And Handled. This sticker on meat, eggs, pet food, and dairy products means that they meet standards set by Humane Farm Animal Care, a non-profit organization “dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production from birth through slaughter.” Endorsed by the Center for Food Safety and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, they send veterinarians to do inspections to certify that the animals are never caged and have space to move around freely.
Enhanced, Basted, or Self Basting. The USDA allows producers to add up to 8% of the total weight with an injection of salt solution, flavorizers, and tenderizers. They improve water retention during cooking, taste, texture, and profits by about 8%. Do not brine these birds. They have enough salt.