i eat my roo's between 8 months and a year old,, and have never had a tough 1. them getting tuff under a year is mostly in people "heads" ,, there MAY be a couple breeds that get tough sooner then that,, but MOST are just as tender at 1 year,, as they are at 6 months.
pithing is when , instead of cutting the head off,, you poke your knife in the roof of the mouth, in the slit and kill the chicken that way. you aim your knife to the back of the eye, poke in, turn knife, and it kills the bird much quicker then other ways.
i have EE's , EE mutts, arucunas,leghorns, rirs, atro's, buff orps,,and all round mutts,,,,not counting the birds for JUST the table ( ringneck pheasants,and guineas)