This question arose many years ago during a not-so-sober trip to the grocery store with my college buddies: You can buy Cornish Game Hens all day long…but Cornish Game Cocks are nowhere to be found.
Aside from a bit of a marketing issue (Cornish Game Roosters, perhaps), I can surmise no logical reason for the absence of the male in this mix. Where are all the males? Is the species genetically predisposed to generating a disproportionate number of females? Are all Cornish fowl packaged as hens? Does this occur with other fowl? Are we simply eating all the female birds and leaving the males with the rather cushy duty of simply being fruitful and multiplying? Being that this breed has been around since the 18th century (at least its Cornish namesake goes back that long), shouldn’t we be up to our eyeballs in small male fowl??
Perhaps the males are larger and are sold as small fryers. I’ve noticed that the difference in size between a (frozen) Tom turkey and a turkey hen is quite distinct. Perhaps it is the same for Cornish chickens.
I seem to recall reading a fairly extensive explanation of Cornish game hens. I can’t find it in any of my SD books or in the archives, so it must have been the Imponderables guy (I haven’t bought any of his books. I didn’t even check them out of the library, I just read them while I was waiting for the computer to be free! I swear! Put the blowtorch away!).
Anyway, I think it was said that both hens and roosters were used for Cornish game hens. The main considerations was that each bird was under a certain age and weight. What age and weight you ask?
Well, Webster’s says: Cornish game hen,n. a market chicken that is four to five weeks old and weighs less than two pounds.
Websearch helpful result #1 - NutriBase Glossary says: Cornish Game Hen - Also called “Rock Cornish game hen.” This is a hybrid of Cornish and White Rock chickens. These miniature chickens are about 4 to 6 weeks old and weigh about 2.5 pounds… usually enough for one serving.
Websearch helpful result #2 - Rock Cornish Game Hens (which has a mini-history of Cornish Game Hens) says:
In addition to commanding a higher price, the game hens have a shorter growing span, 28 to 30 days as opposed to 42 or more for regular chicken. and
They weigh in from one to two pounds, but the standard is about 1-1/4 pounds.
Thanks Kat! That is the most extensive data I’ve heard to date.
I’m terribly disturbed about the possibility of having to check into the “Imponderables guy” book. Isn’t that sacrilege in its purest form? I suppose I can take solace in the fact that I did ask Unca Cecil first…and I won’t truly believe that other guy until U.C. confirmes. We’ll call it a band-aid (and never discuss that other guy again)
