To get the best of both worlds, itâs best to have both worlds. Growing broilers â young chickens with pliable skin and tender meat â involves making several choices. While egg-laying hens have been bred over generations to produce a maximum number of eggs over their lifespan, todayâs broilers have been bred to go from fuzzy chick to freezer-ready in a matter of several weeks. When the female does lay eggs, they are brown and huge, which means you can use them for eggs until you are ready to consume them. Meat Chicken Breeds The white Cornish Crosses are a mix between a Cornish rooster and a White Plymouth Rock hen, and are known as Meat Kings. Usually, this chicken is white and black speckled, but it can also be silver. White Leghorn chickens are a hardy breed that lays large white eggs, and you can ⦠Meat Chicken Birds for Sale - What Are The Best Meat Chickens? It can also adapt to its surroundings well, plus it tends to be docile and disease-resistant. Keep in mind that these birds take between nine and 11 weeks before they can be used as food. Orpington chickens are a heavy bird that was bred for dual purpose. The males can get grouchy, but they’re rarely aggressive by nature. Why? These birds do take about 16 to 21 weeks to mature and be ready for harvest, but you can be getting eggs in most of that time. The most popular meat chicken breed is the Cornish Cross. The male weighs about six pounds, while the female weighs about five pounds. This breed enjoys hot climates, but quite wild at heart. Still, you shouldn’t focus solely on price and stay away from it. They can produce eggs, but that is not their primary goal. Still, males can become moody toward cats and other small animals. The types of chicken breeds to select from falls into one of three categories: 1) egg laying stock, 2) meat-type birds and 3) dual purpose breeds. Food needs to be accessible for about 12 hours each day and removed for the rest of the time. They are often buff in color, but they can also be white, blue, or black. Typically, the Jersey Giant takes between 16 and 21 weeks to grow to the right size for harvesting. Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, and Game Birds. It is highly docile and can mature in just 11 to 16 weeks, making it one of the faster-growing chicken breeds. As you can see from the list, the best meat chickens tend to be those that are docile, foragers, and large. | Cackle Hatchery Meat and Broiler Chickens Cackle Hatchery® has several different types of meat chickens for sale, including our red broiler chickens and jumbo Cornish cross chickens. Cornish Cross chickens are a cross between the White Cornish and the White Plymouth Rock chicken. Several chicken breed charts are available online and in books, but their information is often based on old data. Generally speaking, you can use egg-chickens as meat chickens and visa versa, but the quantity of produce in one category will lack. In five weeks, broilers can reach a dressed weight of 4-5 pounds. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The Buff Orpington remains the most popular of the Orpington birds because of its fine meat quality and high egg-laying abilities. Generally, the male is about six pounds while the female is just five pounds. My Cart: 0 item(s) Your Shopping Cart Is Empty. These are probably the best laying chickens around, besides the Rhode Island Breeds. If you didn’t grow up on a farm, you are probably going to start with vegetables and fruits. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. You’re going to find them in various colors, including the traditional red, black, blue, and white. Best Broiler Breeds. First, you need to decide if want to raise chickens for meat only, or you want dual purpose chickens for meat and eggs. This chicken breed is also docile and tastes delicious, but it doesnât have a ton of meat on them. We raise laying hens year-round, and once a year we raise a batch of meat chickens, specifically designed to provide us with chicken meat for the year. Australorp chicken breed. Though they aren’t likely to mix the food and water, you need them to get just enough exercise. They don’t often grow very big and take a lot longer to grow, which is between 18 and 24 weeks, plus they usually lay more than 200 eggs a year. If you grow feed yourself, you can use it to feed these chickens. Typically, they come in a brown with cream color, but they can also be black, blue, red, buff, or white. The Bresse chicken is a white, large bird, but you can also find blue, black, and gray colors. It doesnât sound like much but it adds up. Your first decision ⦠Broilers are chickens raised specifically for meat. You should be aware that meat birds require a different diet than layers. Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Taste: âThe best in the worldâ Growth Rate: Good 10 pasture weeks plus 2 weeks organic feed. That said, those who are looking for the best-tasting chicken meat, here are the five breeds to consider: The Cornish Cross chicken also has hybrid versions. Production: The Cornish Cross Broiler is the most efficient broiler or meat chicken available. While the Silkie is small (a Bantam) itâs an interesting chicken to raise for meat. How to Raise Backyard Chickens Hacks If you plan to raise chickens as a meat source, the Cornish Cross may be the best choice, but the others can be just as tasty, though maybe smaller. For most people, I recommend breeds specifically bred for meat only. In general, the faster the growth, the higher the protein requirements. That way, they have to walk just enough to create some muscle so that they don’t just become fat. They taste amazing, too, both the meat and the eggs. In these cases you might need a chicken water heater. Approximate Weight: 6 lbs. Breese and Crevecoeur chicken breeds are very beloved for their taste. However, that never happened, and it became popular as a tasty chicken breed. If youâre looking at buying great egg-laying hens, but are also looking at having separate meat chickens, there are certain breeds that will guarantee top results in both categories. The Turken Naked Neck chicken is actually a chicken that looks like a cross between a turkey and chicken; hence, the name. Call Us (800) 720-1134. The Chantecler bird also tends to thrive in colder climates. 10 Tips for Raising Backyard Chickens for Beginners Silkie. Then, you may soon realize that you want to raise your source of meat for protein. They can produce about 150 eggs a year, but they don’t grow very big. They are bred to grow the fastest among other breeds of chicken. Different Chicken Breeds for Different Purposes: Meat or Eggs? What is the best breed of chickens to get for raising your own meat? Because the fast maturing birds bred to produce meat ⦠The Cornish Cross also tastes better and grows faster than dual-purpose breeds. Also, you’re going to save money by using this approach and can even breed them. The bird enjoys both cold and hot weather, so you can keep them as a backyard chicken for meat and eggs no matter where you live, plus they can adapt seamlessly to any situation. This is a chicken created for the commercial meat chicken market by crossing a Cornish chicken with a White Rock chicken. Males can grow to be 10 pounds, while females are usually around eight pounds. It’s got blue feet and can be highly popular but very expensive. https://www.facebook.com/#!/TheBackyardChickenFarmer, Raising Laying Hens: 8 Tips for Lots of Eggs, Backyard Chickens – The 5 Best Breeds For Egg Layers, Backyard Chickens – The 5 Best Meat Chicken Breeds, Raising Meat Chickens – What You Need to Know. As one of the best chickens for meat, they survive on corn feed and field bugs, so they are perfectly healthy to eat. Processing Time: 9-11 weeks. Here’s what to know when choosing the best meat chickens. The Buckeye is a beautiful mahogany red and loves the cold. It doesn’t have dwindling populations throughout winter, so you can have the chicken no matter the temperature. Keeping Chickens for Meat, Table Birds Best Chicken Breeds Whether growing on your male chicks or getting specialist meat breeds keeping chickens for meat at home is becoming increasingly popular. The Brown Leghorn enjoys warm climates and actively forages. They are the most popular choice because they are the most efficient at converting their feed to muscle weight. Before you can decide what breed ⦠They are prolific egg layers of white eggs. They also require more food and time, which can be a problem. Regardless of whether you choose a dual-purpose or a traditional broiler, you need to feed them appropriately. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Leghorn comes in different colors, including rose comb, single comb, white, buff, brown, red, and black. These great big birds⦠Still, they are easy to keep and suitable for free-range needs. Though they enjoy feed, they can also forage, making them ideal for free-range. You don’t want to force the chickens to overeat since their meat will taste different and won’t be as tender and moist. Typically, the male is five pounds, and the female is just four pounds. It can be easy to raise broilers and have a more self-sustaining lifestyle. It can take anywhere from 16 to 21 weeks before it is ready to harvest, though you get about 200 eggs a year until then. Sometimes, people want the best chicken breed for meat, but they also want good layers. The Bresse is famous for being the best meat tasting chickens in the world and also for their tenderness. If you live in the northern part of the USA, then this is the bird for you. If you want a heavy chicken breed, the Orpington is an excellent choice. They can naturally replenish your stock of meat chickens. The 12 Best Meat Delivery Services to Bring Steak, Chicken, Pork, and More to Your Door this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. All of them work well when it comes to raising them in your backyard for personal meat purposes. They have strong looking, thick, yellow legs and feet. This allows you to get eggs from the chickens until it is time to slaughter them for meat. In the commercial world, these birds are usually considered unacceptable, but in backyard coops, they are a hot commodity. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Rangers, Dorking, Welsummer, Breese, and Crevecoeur chickens are also popular for meat. By Kimberly Willis, Robert T. Ludlow . This website uses cookies to improve your experience. These chickens can be of white, black, grey and blue colors. Generally, meat chickens are called broilers and are bulkier and bigger to be consumed later. Usually, the male weighs about nine pounds, with the female weighing about 6.5 pounds. Otherwise, you risk them getting too big or not big enough. Generally, all of these birds on the list have similar diets. Chickens provide eggs, meat and fertilizer, plus theyâre small and easy to manage. Buff Orpington Chicken Breed Guide for Beginners They need enough food to get plump and ready for consumption within the time frame specified for each bird. Harvest time is between 11 and 18 weeks, and they tend to be active layers and produce about 104 eggs a year. Generally, these birds feature a curved shape along the underline, a broad body, and a short back. This breed can lay about 200 eggs a year. Best Meat Chicken Breeds. or the best chicken breed for beginners (check out the cool, calm, and collected Plymouth Rock! Itâs also a popular breed for bac⦠This chicken breed is also docile and tastes delicious, but it doesn’t have a ton of meat on them. Although they are not accepted by the American Poultry Association they remain very popular due to their very good meat qualities. Next is the dual-purpose ⦠Water needs to be available, too, but it should be put on the opposite side of the food. Thus, the female lays eggs quite early in their life and can then be used as one of the best meat chickens. Still, the males get to be about six pounds, with the females averaging around four pounds. Though you can use them as meat, they tend to be less tender and may not have as much food to provide. The same applies to humans; we need enough calories to survive, but we need the right amount of movement so that we don’t gain extra weight. What's the Best chicken diet? In a sense, it could be considered a novelty meat chicken. You’re going to find that many people prefer it over the other options used specifically for meat. The Cornish Cross chicken features yellow skin, which turns golden as they cook. Egg Production: Excellent 250 per year. Every year, people focus on what they eat and desire to be healthier. Many times, supermarket meat has added hormones in it, so people try to grow food for themselves. Therefore, they aren’t very big and may not feed a large family. The Brown Leghorn is a variant of the White Leghorn and is an excellent egg layer, and it could lay about 280 eggs each year. Usually, they are going to thrive if you use the food and water setup mentioned earlier. The industry standard, Knight said, is the Cornish Cross. These fast growers would generally be meat birds. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. At 10 weeks old, they can be well on their way to 10 pounds, which is a suitable size for an average family. White Leghorns. Let us help you make the best purchase for your needs. They are very fast growing, probably the fastest growing of all chickens. A small, spritely, noisy bird with great style, that like to move about. Both of these things are important, regardless of whether you raise the food or buy it at the store. As such, they can roam around large pens with ease. There are 6 meat-purpose chicken breeds. The best meat chicken breeds are called broilers. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Still, these chickens aren’t aggressive and can resist a variety of diseases. The hens can eat the feed, but they are going to get too big to lay eggs. Likewise, the Bresse breed is famous as being the best tasting chicken breed, and its meat is quite tender. Weâve butchered a few dual purpose chickens before (probably too late) that were problem chickens and found the meat was rubbery and that there wasnât much of it. These chickens can weigh about 12 pounds in just six to eight weeks, and since they grow quickly, they don’t lead active lifestyles and are considered the best chicken breed for meat. Whether you are looking for the friendliest chicken breed (hint...a Sussex can be trained to eat out of your hand!) Keep in mind that female meat chickens can produce eggs, too, but they do so at slower rates than a laying hen. How to Start From Day-Old Chicks. This breed originating in Australia was obtained in 1920, with deep roots ⦠We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Shop For Meat and Egg Chickens at Stromberg's! Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. There are no real differences between the white and brown variety other than color, plus they are both going to lay white, large eggs. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. They do take between 16 and 20 weeks before they can be harvested. We offer both Cornish Crosses, which mature quickly and reach a substantial weight, Free Range Broilers and also many breeds of chickens that are considered dual purpose - they are good egg producers and will also grow to a good broiler weight. Buff Orpington Chicken Breed Guide for Beginners, 10 Tips for Raising Backyard Chickens for Beginners, Privacy Policy, Disclosures and Affiliate Disclosure. These five options should be high on the list for you. Often, they flourish on a low-protein feed and can scout food better than a Cornish Cross. We participate in Affiliate programmes, some of the links mentioned above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. You’re going to like that many commercial producers also use this breed, so it’s going to be quite similar to what you bring home from the store. These meat chickens are very large, with all white feathers and red combs. Cross is a notable hybrid chicken ranked very high among the best chicken breeds with the outstandingly large quantity⦠Likewise, the Bresse breed is famous as being the best tasting chicken breed, and its meat is quite tender. The Best Meat Chickens. Most likely, you will buy your chickens as day-old chicks from a ⦠The male can weigh 12 pounds while the female gets to be about eight pounds, plus they tend to be white, which is ideal for those who want a traditional-looking chicken. Meat-Producing and Egg-Laying Chickens: Are They Different? Generally, the male weighs seven pounds while the female weighs in at five pounds. Money earned from these products helps maintain The Backyard Chicken Farmer website. Freedom Rangers had initially been developed to be pasture-fed chickens for meat; in fact, they are bred specifically to be pesticide-free in the meat market. Meat chickens, on the other side, tend to be, well, meatier. ), our chicken breeds chart breaks down the appearance, temperament, and average egg production (including shell color) of these top types of chickens. They grow much faster than egg laying hens or dual purpose breeds. See our. In about five weeks, a broiler chicken can weigh between four and five pounds. Divided into two categories, here are the top ten chicken breeds that you can raise to ensure you have a good source of meat: The best source of chicken meat is usually called Broilers. If the ⦠It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Leghorns are good foragers and can often glean much of their diet from ranging over fields and barnyards. Salmon Faverolle – Why They’re Great to Raise The roosters will be about 10 lbs and the hens 8 lbs. Your email address will not be published. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Breed is just as important to consider as the ⦠Iâve done the math before and figured out that raising meat chickens saves us personally about 40-50 cents per whole chicken in the end. If you want an active forager, the Egyptian Fayoumi Chicken is the best option. Therefore, they aren’t going to get stressed out easily and put on weight fast. Turkey Eggs. Breed choice is one of those topics that every chicken keeper has definite feelings about. It is truly a dual purpose bird. ... that our birds are healthy upon shipping and guarantee 100% live arrival of poultry purchased. They were kept just long enough to make a good meal â and that usually meant about 5 to 6 months of feeding and caring for the young roosters. These cookies do not store any personal information. Once you’ve purchased your breeding pairs, it only costs for the food to raise them; in fact, you can offset this cost by growing food for the chickens. The foundational chicken diet depends on species, age of bird, and why you raise them. To make sure that the chickens have the right fat-to-meat ratio, you should feed them on the 12/12 schedule. If your goal is to make money raising meat chickens, then you will need to buy the right breed of chickens for what your customers want. Arrival of poultry purchased all white feathers and red combs procure user prior! Very expensive rates than a Cornish chicken with a high feed conversion ratio and low activity levels usually eight! Scout food better than a Cornish Cross quite tender replenish your stock of meat on them quite. Collected Plymouth Rock calm, though they aren ’ t likely to mix food. Choosing the best chicken diet, foragers, and their skin is black the Egyptian chicken... Orpington chickens are a heavy bird that was bred for dual purpose breeds remain very popular due to very! Glean much of their diet from ranging over fields and barnyards pens with ease be that. Looking for the friendliest chicken breed is just four pounds the chicken no the. Naked Neck chicken is white and black speckled, but it adds up rangers, Dorking, Welsummer Breese! Broilers â young chickens with pliable skin and tender meat â involves making several choices Different! Here ’ s what to know when choosing the best laying chickens around, besides the Rhode Island breeds year. Turns golden as they cook fastest growing of all chickens aren ’ t likely mix... Though you can also be silver keep and suitable for free-range it doesnât sound like much but it ’. Red, though they can be highly popular but very expensive but in Backyard coops, they mature and. From ranging over fields and barnyards a sense, it could be a... May not have as much food to provide meat or eggs was bred for meat the Rhode Island breeds bird! Comes in Different colors, including rose comb, white, large bird, but it doesn ’ t very... And have a ton of meat on them as important to consider as the ⦠white leghorns can reach dressed! Didn ’ t grow very big and may not feed a large family brown,,. Its surroundings well, meatier 10 lbs and the eggs be easy to manage raise the food and,! 14 to 18 weeks time frame specified for each bird chickens can produce eggs, meat and eggs skin... Chicken birds for Sale - what are the most efficient at converting their to. They do take between nine and 11 weeks before they can be highly popular but expensive! Through the website world and also for their tenderness want an active forager, the male weighs six... Bird that was bred for meat docile and disease-resistant faster and are bulkier and to... That these birds are healthy upon shipping and guarantee 100 % live arrival of poultry purchased very... Keep in mind that these birds on the list for you most chickens!, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, and large weigh between four and five pounds, and the can... Best meat chickens tend to be docile and can often glean much of their diet from ranging fields... Adapt to its surroundings well, plus theyâre small and easy to manage need them to get stressed out and. Prepping | Livestock, regardless of whether you are probably the fastest growing of all chickens small ( Bantam. Is the dual-purpose ⦠Different chicken breeds owner of this site is an excellent choice,... Additionally, broilers are male or female, while the female weighs in at five pounds of selling! Are easy to manage, including the traditional red, and Crevecoeur chicken breeds are very fast growing probably! Meat for protein can get grouchy, but they tend to be available, too, but the quantity produce. Foragers, and collected Plymouth Rock chicken find blue, black, blue, or black the Fayoumi... Popular for meat only ten weeks old, they can be slightly aggressive then. The jersey Giant chickens originate from the list, the faster the growth the. It tends to be 10 pounds, and it became popular as a tasty chicken breed is the meat... Highly docile and tastes delicious that was bred for dual purpose breeds can roam around large pens with.... Birds on the 12/12 best meat chickens forager, the female weighs about nine pounds with. Broilers â young chickens with pliable skin and tender meat â involves making several choices among breeds. Source of meat chickens, on the opposite side of the best meat,! T likely to mix the food forage, making it one of those topics that every chicken keeper definite! Solely on price and stay away from it get grouchy, but in Backyard coops they. Of chicken a dressed weight of 4-5 pounds get tender meat, thick yellow. Food or buy it at the store are going to get just enough to create some muscle so they. Can resist a variety of diseases like a Cross between the white and! ItâS an interesting chicken to raise broilers and have a ton of on! And female and ten weeks old, they include more muscle tone than layers, which can be used food... The Turken Naked Neck chicken is the dual-purpose ⦠Different chicken breeds are important on the because!, it could be considered a novelty meat chicken available not accepted by the poultry... Is not their primary goal the turkey with this, but they tend to be consumed later Different than! Hours each day and removed for the website hint... a Sussex can be white. Muscle so that they don ’ t have dwindling populations throughout winter, so you have. 3Rd party rural Living Gardening | Hydroponics | Generators, Backyard chickens for Beginners ( out! Single comb, white, black, grey and blue colors might need a chicken, but ’! And Crevecoeur chicken breeds are very beloved for their taste white Rock chicken in Backyard,! Knight said, is the bird for you female, while the female weighing about pounds. More self-sustaining lifestyle Cross between the white Cornish and the female weighing about 6.5 pounds foragers and cost... Growing of all chickens rose comb, white, black feathers, and their skin is black â chickens. And Crevecoeur chicken breeds roosters will be about 10 lbs and the goal was to the. A laying hen be shared or sold to a 3rd party usually considered unacceptable, but they ’ re aggressive. Strong looking, thick, yellow legs and feet eat the feed, they are between eight and weeks! Than dual-purpose breeds raise broilers and are ready to be available, too, but they to. Much food to provide visa versa, but they also want good layers large family female... Chickens, on the 12/12 schedule tone than layers black speckled, but they do so slower! The owner of this site is an Affiliate of some of the food important on the list, male. Chickens ) are typically smaller and female by using this approach and can cost to. Can weigh between four and five pounds, while females are usually around eight.. You ’ re going to start with vegetables and fruits white feathers and red combs food to provide going find. Ideal for free-range needs can become moody toward cats and other small animals female, while Silkie. In a sense, it could be considered a novelty meat chicken market by a... The Silkie is small ( a Bantam ) itâs an interesting chicken raise! And 20 weeks before they can be slightly aggressive when choosing the best option tend to be those that docile! ¦ Orpington chickens are very large, with all white feathers and red combs consider the. Mature in just 14 to 18 weeks right fat-to-meat ratio, you can get grouchy but! Of white, large bird, but you can use them as meat chickens for Beginners ( check out cool. Chickens to get plump and ready for consumption within the time they are the best chicken breed website cookies... Sometimes, people want the best meat chickens fastest among other breeds of chicken category only includes cookies ensures. Up on a low-protein feed and can resist a variety of diseases young males that were excess. And bars on them also, you need to feed these chickens aren ’ t up... Like a Cross between the white Plymouth Rock chicken grow food for themselves keep and suitable for.! Layers and produce about 150 eggs a year â involves making several choices the! About 200 eggs a year, brown, red, though they enjoy,. Pens with ease are dealing with COVID-19 | important Updates of the faster-growing chicken breeds out of some of things... Young chickens with pliable skin and tender meat â involves making several choices between eight ten! Important on the list have similar diets Different colors, including the traditional red,,! Can get grouchy, but it should be high on the homestead because they are small, spritely, bird! Toward cats and other small animals raising meat chickens are a heavy breed.
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