Crossword Genius

Cooked chooks, we hear? (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

brewed

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'cooked' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to change as well as being past participle verbs.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?

'chooks we hear?' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'we' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'bred' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for brewed that I've seen before include "ready to get drunk?" , "Fermented" , "make beer" , "Made tea or beer" , "Made by boiling and fermentation, say beer" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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