acome48027

HogBalls - I was raised on a farm - we ate all of our chickens once they had retired from laying - I would weigh for my father every single one after it was fully gutted and plucked with its neck, gizzard, heart and liver - never had one that weighed less than 10lbs - a few pushed 12lb but never quite there. Since then we/I have used retired hens (9-10.5lb) from Marietta, GA (Tip Top,TopBee) - they are virtually identical (identical) to our home processed retired layers. Now if you use a fryer (6-7 week old from hatch) the broth will be very weak and a totally different flavor from a 1-3year old Hen. Soups (gumbo included) in cans in the supermarket are made with old birds. PRO-TIP: and 8lb hen is better than a 7lb hen, a 9lb is better than an 8lb, a 10lb is better than a 9lb - so shop wisely. INSIDE INFO: Only place to find Top Bee Tip Top Hens is Winn Dixie in South Louisiana - all other grocery stores have Southern Hen's of Hattiesburg, MS - they are available very large but it's a warmer weather bird and pales in comparison to the flavor of a Top Bee Tip Top (colder weather bird) - By the way, all of these birds need to simmer (230ish in oven or stovetop) for 4-5 hours on the bone with all fat and giblets