Poularde

Poularde is a culinary term for a chicken that is at least 120 days old at the time of slaughter and fattened with a rich diet that delays egg production.

[1][2] In the past it was common to spay the chickens early in life to ensure desirable meat quality,[3] similar to the castration of a capon.

[4] Sometimes it is more specific, indicating a hen that is fully grown but has not reached 'point-of-lay', i.e. has not yet started laying eggs, which often happens between 16 and 24 weeks of age, depending on breed.

[6] In French, poussin is a newly hatched chick (either sex), poulet is a young chick (either sex), poulette is a young female chicken (one form of a poulet, and corresponding to the male coquelet), poularde is a poulette deliberately fattened for eating (often spayed, and the equivalent of the castrated male chapon or capon), and a poule is an egg-laying hen (corresponding to the coq or cockerel).

[10] The high price of these chickens meant that they were traditionally reserved for holiday meals, such as Christmas feasts.