Need help "Purchasing Chicken" So Cal

[life like a Buffett song]

Hi All, I lurk hear a lot and learn more than I can ever thank you guys for!!!! So Basically I have been doing Street fair Vending selling ribs, tri-tip and boneless thighs. I am trying to do something new with whole chicken, the issue is I am unsure what to buy or even what exactly to ask for. I want fresh whole birds around 3 lbs. I have been told what I am looking for are "fryers" Any help or guidance would be awesome.
Thanks again

Bill

 

[bizznessman]

I had a similar issue a few years back. I ran across a website that gave me way more information than I needed. Here are the basics of what it contained.

Broilers: Chickens 6-8 weeks old and weighing about 2 1/2 pounds

Fryers: Chickens 6-8 weeks old and weighing 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 pounds

Roasters: Chickens less than 8 months old and weighing 3 1/2 - 5 pounds

Broilers, fryers, and roasters can generally be used interchangeably based on how much meat you think you'll need. They are young chickens raised only for their meat, so they are fine to use for any preparation from poaching to roasting. You may need to adjust cooking times or amounts of other ingredients (like stuffing) based on what the recipe called for and the size of your chicken.

Stewing Chickens: Chickens (usually hens) over 10 months old and weighing 5 - 7 pounds.

Stewing chickens are usually laying hens that have passed their prime. They are older and their meat is usually tougher and more stringy. This type of chicken is best used in stews (as the name implies!) where the meat has time to break down during the long, moist cooking.

From my experience (bbq & smoking) the fryers cook evenly and with the best ratio of meat to cook time.

 

[C Rocke]

Fresh or "fresh"? Restaurant Depot, Smart and Final, Costco and Sam's Club all sell "fresh" whole Chickens - Fryers/Roasters/Broilers. If you want to go on a field trip to Restaurant Depot, let me know.