November 3, 2011 – The USDA is changing its definitions of fryer and roasting chickens and turkey to better reflect the time needed to bring U.S. poultry to market.
November 3, 2011 – The USDA is
changing its definitions of fryer and roasting chickens and turkey to
better reflect the time needed to bring U.S. poultry to market.
The new definitions lower the age of poultry are to become effective at the start of the new year.
Advances in poultry breeding, feeding and management mean less time is needed than in the past to have birds ready for sale. The USDA says the new definitions "more accurately and clearly describe the characteristics of poultry in the market today."
Fryer chickens, also known as broilers will be classified as chickens less than 10 weeks old, three weeks less than the previous definition.
Roaster chickens will be eight to 12 weeks of age, rather than three to five months. Their ready-to-cook weight will be 5 lbs or more.
The new definitions also lower the ages of poultry in three other classes: Rock Cornish game hens, capons and fryer-roaster turkeys.
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