tenderized the meat, and further heightened its “wild” flavor Gamy game is no longer the style Modern farmed animals are often relatively sedentary, eat a uniform diet, and are slaughtered before they reach sexual maturity, so they’re usually milder in flavor and more tender than their wild counterparts Since distinctive meat flavors reside in the fat, they can be minimized by careful trimming Some Characteristics of Meat Birds In general, older and larger birds and those with more red fibers have a more pronounced flavor Bird Age, weeks Chickens Industrial broiler, fryer 6–8 Roaster 12–20 French label rouge 11.5 French appellation contrôlée 16 Game hen 5–6 Capon 40 Turkeys Industrial 12–18 French fermière, U.S premium brands 24 French appellation contrôlée 32 Duck 6–16 Goose 24–28 Quail (wild) 6–10 Squab 4–5 Guinea hen 10–15 Pheasant 13–24 Bird Weight, lb/kg Chickens 1.5–3.5/0.7–1.6 ...French appellation contrôlée 16 Game hen 5–6 Capon 40 Turkeys Industrial 12–18 French fermière, U.S premium brands 24 French appellation contrôlée 32 Duck 6–16 Goose 24–28 Quail (wild)