California Food and Agricultural Code § 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.

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