I don't think toughness is a real problem (unless it is a very old bird), that is how chooks are meant to be, not what we get commercially. Our tastes have become so used to the white, very soft meat of the commercial eating breeds.

The Chef on the Cook and the Chef, used to get complaints that his duck was tough. Of course it was, the duck had waddled, swum and actually flown. He response to the customers was "learn to chew".