What kind of chickens are broilers

There are many different meat chicken breeds and they all have varying qualities. Before you purchase your broiler chicks, you need to decide what kind of chicken will be the best option for your farm or homestead.

Taste is affected by the diet of the chickens, but the breed can make a difference as well. For example, Red Rangers taste a bit sweeter than Cornish Cross broilers. And a non-typical meat breed, like an Easter Egger, is mostly dark meat, versus a dual purpose breed. Do you want birds that will lay eggs as well in addition to providing meat? If so, look for a dual-purpose breed. This is important especially if you have children who will be working with the birds OR if you are raising birds for egg production as well as meat.

Choose the temperament that works best for you from the list of breeds in the next section. How fast do you need to be able to harvest your meat birds? Do you prefer a slow growing chicken or would you rather see fast growth rate from your flock? That will help you make your decision quickly. Broiler and meat chickens are birds that are raised primarily for meat production. There are many different chicken breeds to choose from for your broiler flock. It is important to lay out your unique needs so that you can make the best choice for your homestead.

Here is a list of the best meat chicken breeds, and a few dual purpose breeds:. Cornish Cross birds are the most well-known of the broiler breeds. Chicken sold in the grocery store most often comes from Cornish Crosses.

This breed is a hybrid of the Cornish x White Plymouth Rock breeds. They are poor layers that are bred specifically for meat purposes. Cornish Cross broilers grow very quickly and can be harvested between weeks of age. Cornish chickens are not recommended for breeding because they would be too large by the time they reach sexual maturity.

This means that you will need to purchase new chicks each year, and often times their eggs are infertile. These meat chickens are a good choice if you are looking for profitability because they can be harvested at weeks of age, and they produce a large amount of meat per bird.

These commercial meat birds are often affected by multiple health issues due to their large size and abnormally rapid growth. However, if raised in a pasture ranged setting, this can help their overall health. If you choose to raise the Cornish Cross, it is best to raise them on pasture with an enclosure. They are a great alternative to Cornish Cross chickens. These birds are great on pasture and they are good foragers. This means that they will require less feed. Mature Weight: lbs with about a lb processed weight, depending on the bird gender.

Traditional Bresse birds are raised in the Bresse region of France, but there is an American Bresse breed that you can purchase from US hatcheries.

These heritage breed birds have a large red single comb and blue legs. They lay about eggs per week. Turkens are also known as Naked Neck chickens. A pullet is the technical term for a young female chicken before she starts to lay eggs. During the rearing stage, males and females are raised separately because of their different growth rates and nutritional requirements.

Later on, the females and males will be moved into the breeding barn. Hens begin laying eggs at approximately 26 weeks of age. They will lay between and eggs before the end of their expected lay period approximately 35 to 40 weeks later. It is the better choice for the home farmer because it has not been genetically weakened.

The bird is slower to mature and does not develop the weakened legs or other health issues of the commercial Rocks. This breed does require care so it does not gain excessive weight. The Cornish dresses at a mature weight of 8 lbs. This breed is an acceptable choice for organic production and pasture raising. Organic farmers may choose a heritage breed for broiler stock. These "original" stocks were bred on farms and were noted for their beauty, hardiness, egg laying and ability to reproduce naturally brooding.

These slow-growing breeds are disease resistant and do not present with the genetically created health problems of the commercial broilers. These birds are the "chicken" of the farm table and have historical and environmental significance. They are the breeds of choice for organic, progressive and "green" directed farms.