Is an 18 month old hen to tough to eat?

[rebeccakeesee]

This yr I have started a small chicken hatching, Selling, Swaping business. One of my customers wants meat birds. Another wants to sell his flock of 18 month old hens.RIR. Is an 18 month old hen to tough?
Please advise!

 

[my sunwolf]

Probably too tough to sell as a meat bird, but not too tough to cook up for yourself in chicken soup. Though RIR are traditionally a dual-purpose breed, I wouldn't sell anything over 1yr as meat specifically, unless it was to good friends and you could explain that they were only for moist slow-cooking.

 

[SJ]

Probably too tough to sell as a meat bird, but not too tough to cook up for yourself in chicken soup. Though RIR are traditionally a dual-purpose breed, I wouldn't sell anything over 1yr as meat specifically, unless it was to good friends and you could explain that they were only for moist slow-cooking.

I would agree. They will not be too tough to eat but maybe to sell to anyone but a close friend. Slow roasted or boiled for soup the hens will be fine table fare. I would not put them on the grill.
I processed four, fourteen month old RIR hens 2 springs back. They were not tough at all. I roasted 2 of them in oven bags

and boiled the other 2 for soup. Cooking method is the most critical factor in any meat's texture.

 

[rebeccakeesee]

Thanks You guys! That helps alot.

 

[triplepurpose]

I recommend this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ats-from-historic-chicken-breeds#post_3473262

 

[loanwizard]

This yr I have started a small chicken hatching, Selling, Swaping business. One of my customers wants meat birds. Another wants to sell his flock of 18 month old hens.RIR. Is an 18 month old hen to tough?
Please advise!

Meat birds are typically hatched, raised to weight and slaughtered in under 15 weeks, including incubation. That means even my freedom rangers never make it past 12 weeks. An 18 month old chicken will be tougher. That said, no chicken ever goes to waste at our place. Others have mentioned crock pot, roasting in oven bags, etc... Personally I like to pop mine in the pressure cooker. About 45 minutes in the pressure cooker and the meat literally falls off the bone. I then make chicken and noodles, chicken pot pie, or can it.