A Cornish hen, sometimes simply calle a hen or a Cornish rock , is the meat of a chicken of the Cornish breed, sold whole. Despite the name, they are not game at all, but are simply conventionally raised meat chickens slaughtered at a younger age (four to five weeks), thus producing a smaller size. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that all chickens sold as Cornish game hens be no more than 2 pounds in ready-to-cook weight. The Rock Cornish hen, the most common hen crossbreed, is a crossing with the Rock chicken. As is common in the poultry industry, store-bought hens may be either male or female specimens, despite the common usage of the word "hen" typically denoting a female.